


Laying Amongst Dokatsu

by NostawenAllesiel



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 65
Words: 568,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25975072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NostawenAllesiel/pseuds/NostawenAllesiel
Summary: They were brought together under unlikely circumstances. A deal was struck, a bargain made, relationships were broken, a new one began to form. And in the center of it all, one human woman managed to alter the course of the past and the future.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 50
Kudos: 124





	1. It Begins

The poison seared a lightning-hot bolt through flesh, the bitter tang of the venom burning in the air, but Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho scarce felt it. Death—every reluctant youkai's lover— was coming to claim him at last on this barren, deserted stretch of Japanese road.

Taisho leveled his own poison whip at shadowy attackers who melted into clumps of bushes behind outcroppings of rock, seemingly from the mist itself. Three of them. Maybe four. Scenting his blood.

He could almost taste their victory. He'd have to make this lash count. It might be his last. Anyone familiar with his poison whip knew as well as he did that it would take precious seconds for him to retract and fling back out, seconds in which they could close in for the kill. And in the twenty minutes he'd managed to keep them at bay, these snake youkai had shown themselves practiced in every method of dealing death.

It was a miracle he'd held them off this long. If he could fight them blade to blade, he might stand some chance. But they had no interest in a fair fight when they'd ambushed him here in Inu Yasha's forest close to the Bone-eater's Well. They didn't want a battle. They wanted a corpse. His.

He objected, of course, though not out of any grand passion for life. He'd been barely sixty years old when he realized that dying was easy. It was living that was far harder. In his years of roaming Japan he had stared into the face of his own death so many times he'd come to dismiss it as a fleeting nuisance, like the faint buzzing of a saimyoushou to his ear. He just figured this would be a damned embarrassing way to die.

The infamous, terrifyingly omniscient Lord Sesshomaru Taisho cut down on a deserted stretch of forest because he'd been fool enough to travel without his usual amount of strength and stamina in a land that would sooner have tea with the devil than with a youkai. Not to mention the fact that he'd been too distracted by thoughts that tugged at him, troubled him, like importunate children no matter how resolutely he tried to shove them away.

He lashed out in a blur of movement, heard a cry of pain. 'At least he'd have company on his way to hell,' he thought with some satisfaction, fighting to swing his arm in another attack.

'Who the devil were they?' He wondered, struggling to flick his wrist and release the toxic fluid from his hand once more. A youkai liked to know who was throwing deadly venom at him.

Who hated him enough to hunt him down? Less capable youkai he'd tramped over on his way to being Lord of the Western Lands; villagers caught in a vise between their well-being and his duty; those who feared him, hated him, or saw him as an impediment standing in their way. A grim smile twisted his lips. It would be far easier to sort out who didn't hate him.

Yes, there were plenty who wanted him dead—but there was a perilous step from desiring it to making it a reality. And a towering leap from a venom whip or sword blade wielded in a fit of passion against an enemy, to the hiring of an assassin. There was something exceedingly cold-blooded in the knowledge that whoever was responsible for this attack might even now be holding polite conversation at a table glittering with crystal, or lounging in a bedchamber seducing some woman.

But it seemed his question would go unanswered.

Only one thing was certain: once this fight was over, there would be no one, save Jaken, to mourn him. Sesshomaru Taisho would slip beneath the silvery surface of life, leaving not so much as a ripple of grief or loss in any other than one living soul.

It hadn't mattered a damn to him in the fifty years of roaming his lands. Why did the thought suddenly leave something hollow, aching in the pit of his stomach?

It was this infernal forest where passions lay so thick it was impossible to breath without sucking them in. It was the memory of one moonlit night when coal black hair tumbled about a woman's flushed face as she danced for another demon, love steady in her eyes. Not even a full demon, but a hanyou, his own half brother. A pulsing ember of life so vivid that for the first time in Sesshoumaru's life he couldn't crush it, even in the name of duty. Kagome Higurashi had made a glaring mockery of everything he'd believed about himself. Had made him question...

Another whistle cut through the air, and he felt the whip tear through his thigh. His eyes bled red a moment as they swept the thinning forest, suddenly glimpsing the worn wooden exterior of the Bone-eater's Well about twenty-five yards distant. If he could reach it, he might be able to...to what? Escape was impossible, but the well might provide enough shelter so that he could take yet another assassin with him when he died. That would be reward enough.

Sesshoumaru grimaced, scrambling with less than his normal ethereal grace upward, his thigh not healing on its own with near the speed it usually did, causing his head to swim with bitter irony. He'd come towards this direction of Inu Yasha's Forest determined to confront his bastard half brother for the tetsuaiga...tear him and his little group of 'followers' apart and fling them into hell. That way the damn shard hunting group could forget...the absurd search of the shikon no tama shards, the kiss of magic, the tales of where the last piece of the jewel could be found to complete an item that was of no use to anyone. They would accept the future that was inevitable. He'd been so certain he understood the creatures of this place. He hadn't expected that he could be sucked into their special brand of madness.

His elbow slammed into wood, pain jolting through him. He gritted his teeth, pushing harder with his good leg, his hand now clamped tight over the wound in his other. He heard a shout, glimpsed the pale flash of a youkai's face. Near. Too near.

They were closing in on him...he could smell it.

The old well gaped before him, dark, cool, unearthly as he dragged himself onto the rim. As if there were anyplace dark enough to conceal him!

Black haze tugged at him, drawing him deeper into cold, still waters of near unconsciousness. Why had he decided to start this venture now, when he knew his strength was greatly depleted from a sickness he had caught a month earlier. A flu type illness that had run completely through his castle, which drained the victim and left them needing almost twice as long as it lasted to recover fully. Sesshoumaru, having the opinion that he was superior in everything to other youkai, had assumed the paltry amount of weakness he had felt upon setting out would have left by now. Apparently, he had been wrong.

He heard vague shouts and hisses of confusion, but it didn't matter anymore. They would find him. And when they did...death.

Images swam beneath his half-closed lids. Inutaisho...his father's battered armor and sword, its shiny length lain upon a crimson cloth, useless at last. Fear clamping tight in his belly, the need to tuck his own clawed hand in his father's strong one. But father's hands were busy holding on to the frail blue-veined ones of a middle aged human woman. Holding his human mate's hand within his own as the life slowly faded from her wounded body. The great Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha's father, showing deep mourning and regret over the second loss of a loved one in his life.

Sesshoumaru winced at the twisting pain somewhere deep inside him where no injury could touch. No one would come from heaven to take his hand in this barren well. Even his compassionate father would turn his back on the youkai his son had become.

Sesshoumaru closed his amber eyes, fighting back a wave of quiet despair, waiting for the end. He was tired. So tired, the sharp edges of emotions bleeding, his very body seeming to fade away, a piece at a time. Soon there would be nothing left. But then, had he ever really been anything...anyone at all?

Redemption–the word flashed through the red haze of his pain, shimmered there, but he turned his face away. He'd be wiser to put his faith in kitsunes and magic, in destiny and fate, than to believe in forgiveness for a youkai like him. There would be no hand stretching down from heaven to welcome him.

"To the devil then," he muttered in a rasping breath, falling forward into the blackness of the well in a swirl of dark mist. "Take me, if you dare."

Her senses were whispering the faintest of warnings, which tingled along Kagome Higurashi's alabaster cheeks and settled deep into her bones. She braced herself against the outer wall of the well house at the shrine and gripped her yellow bag tighter. Eyes the warm glue-grey of a mountain stream searched the neat tidy landscaping of the front shrine courtyard. The towering majesty of the Goshinboku, the tree Inu Yasha had been pinned to for so long and kept unearthly watch over the grounds, met her questing eyes.

"Don't let your imagination run wild, Kagome," she chided herself as a flashing image of the hanyou stuck to the tree seemed to dance before her as she dashed a wayward lock of raven hair from her cheek. "There is nothing wrong. You're only reacting to this place. Echoes of old pain, old sorrows. They grow louder when you're alone or near any reminder of Inu Yasha." The thought should have offered comfort.

After all, her reasoning might be valid enough. From the dawning of her first memory of the hanyou, Kagome had felt an invisible ribbon stitched into her breast that bound her to the heartbeat buried deep in sad tales form the Sengoku Jedai, a link carrying a piercing sweetness, sorrowful yearning, a joy and a curse. Stark awareness of things seen and unseen beyond the drab veil of most people's reality—ghost-shadows of ages long vanished, silent cries of wounded woodland creatures, the fragrant magic of a shikon shard and herbs that mikos had gathered when the earth was new, and the irresistible pull of the tides of destiny.

It was the gift of miko-born, Kaede had told anyone who would listen of Kagome's abilities since she had fallen through the well. The same talent that had caused her to know Inu Yasha and all her other friends 500 years in the past.

A pang of sadness arched through her heart at the familiar image of the hanyou as he passed through her mind, bringing the same feelings of bittersweet love that always followed ponderings of him.

Kagome had returned to her time era two weeks ago after Inu Yasha had chosen Kikyou over her. Yes, after all the time spent together, everything they had been through the last few years hunting Naraku and the shikon no tama, her first love had chosen his old lover. A lover that wasn't even technically alive any more.

When the hanyou had voiced his decision to their small traveling group Kagome had fought back tears of pain and sorrow long enough to congratulate him on finally finding happiness before fleeing with a quick message that she had to go back home for academic reasons.

For the first time, Inu Yasha had not voiced any protests at her sudden departure. That in itself spoke volumes to Kagome on just how effectively she had been removed from his thoughts and worries. Apparently, the woman she had been reincarnated after held a higher status in the half demon's eyes than the friend who had stuck by him for so long.

Casting an apologetic glance to Shippo, Sango, and Miroku Kagome had hefted her over sized yellow pack and ran through the forest until she had all but flung herself into the murky depths of the old well.

That had been two weeks ago, and now she felt that even though she did not particularly wish to go back to the feudal era to witness the hanyou's and dead priestess' progressing relationship, she knew she had an obligation since she was the one to shatter the jewel in the first place. After days of crying and ranting at how unfair life was, she had made the decision to simply distance herself emotionally for a while from others. It was the safest thing for her considering how hard she had taken Inu Yasha's choice.

However, even she knew that it had always been a possibility that he would choose Kikyo over her. After all, she was his first love and she knew first hand just how difficult it could be to attempt and forget them. Hell, she was going through it right at this moment.

The nights of staying awake and thinking of what had transpired had not been totally kind to the young woman. In place of the once happy gleam that used to shine in her eyes there was now a cooler reflection of poise and indifference. No longer was she the open trusting person who had originally come through the well three years previously. What Naraku had been unable to accomplish the one closest to the miko had done with one simple sentence.

Quite astonishing, really.

Smirking to herself she thought how envious and impressed the dangerous hanyou would be to see how effectively Inu Yasha had managed to depress her. Not to say that he had broken her spirit, but even she could acknowledge to herself that it was damn close to have been an actual fact. If not for her determination to see this whole thing through, Kagome wasn't sure she wouldn't have simply locked herself in her room to whither away to nothing. But she was stronger than that...and she would prove to the world she was as well.

Moving away from her spot against the old well house, she sighed heavily while repositioning the heavy bag onto one shoulder and turning to the rickety door. Smoothing the soft fabric of her grey hooded sweatshirt back in place, she lightly grasped the rough handle of the door and opened it, preparing herself for the dark contents inside.

Stepping gingerly down the old warped steps, her tennis shoe clad feet came to a stop right beside the well as she gazed down unblinking into its ebony depths. The bottom was completely obscured in darkness and could not be seen by the human eye, although Kagome was sure that a youkai would have been able to clearly see the hard packed dirt that resided there.

Wiping suddenly sweaty palms on her jean clad thighs, Kagome doubtfully eyed the abyss as another tingle of something that felt almost like apprehension skitted along her nerves. Shivering involuntarily at the feel of strong magic, she considered whether or not she should actually make the jump through the well today. After all, these bursts of warning she was receiving from her miko senses did not bode well for some reason that she could not fathom.

Something very powerful was close...she could sense it.

Taking her lower lip between her teeth, she nibbled at it in indecision as a frown marred her usually smooth brow.

'Damn,' she thought to herself. 'Part of me wants to go over there and just get this over with, while another part is screaming at me that something is not right.'

As she continued her inner debate a sudden bright flash of bluish light shot from the bottom of the well.

Grey-blue eyes widening in disbelief, Kagome felt a surge of panic run through her body as the all too familiar portal to the Sengoku Jedai began to open.

'Oh Kami, please! Tell me this isn't Inu Yasha coming back to get me!' she thought frantically as she took a step back.

It was one thing to go and confront him of her own free will, and quite another for him to just show up on her doorstep.

Taking a deep, meditative breath, she resolutely clamped down on her rampaging emotions and took a calm step back to the lip of the well. If nothing else she was going to meet him head on. She didn't want him to think she was hiding from him, even if that was what she really longed to do.

Surprise quickly replaced the indifferent expression on her face when instead of the red haori and white eared figure of Inu Yasha appeared, the graceful beauty of Sesshoumaru did instead.

Gasping in shock, Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief as the Lord of the Western Lands' body was gently placed on the well bottom by the bright light, before it vanished completely, leaving them both in sudden darkness.

The hazy white of his silk kimono stood out from the inky blackness as she gripped the dry wood of the well and leaned down a bit to better see him.

She waited a few moments to see if he would stir, or perhaps at least make a lunge upward towards her, but he remained motionless.

Frowning in a perplexed fashion, she dropped the pack to the ground with a dull 'thud' before swinging herself over to climb down the ladder to the Taiyoukai.

Fear blanketed most of her senses, causing her breath to be released in short pants of trepidation as she cautiously made her way down the rickety ladder, glancing down every few seconds to make sure Sesshoumaru wasn't suddenly going to spring into action and slice her in half.

'Not that I could stop him,' she admitted to herself. That didn't mean she had a death wish, though. Self preservation had managed to keep her alive this long, and she would like it to stay that way.

Finally touching down onto the hard earth, she turned to face him and took the hesitant steps required to get her to his side. Straining her senses as much as possible to detect any movement from him, she slowly kneeled down next to him and ran her eyes over what she could see of his form in the dark.

Kagome couldn't make out much. The most blatant things her eyes could see were his long silvery hair, his tail that looked oddly matted and darkened in spots for some reason, and the white clothing he always wore.

Come to think of it, his tail wasn't the only thing that looked a little less than immaculate, she noticed with a scowl.

Reaching out, she softly ran a hand over one of the dark spots of his kimono, one that was lying over his thigh closest to her. She made a sound of surprise when her deft fingers became wet, and she brought them closer to her face while rubbing the sticky substance between them. Trying in vain to recognize just what dotted the Taiyoukai's clothes and tail.

The metallic smell of blood filled her nostrils, causing her stomach to flutter a moment in protest, before settling back down. Swallowing audibly, Kagome realized that blood was what was splattered in odd designs all over Sesshoumaru, and she had a sinking suspicion that it was the Taiyoukai's own. Which would explain his continued inert body laying there with nearly no signs of life.

If it hadn't been for the muted sounds of his breathing filling the confined space she would have thought him to be dead.

In the dark, the miko's eyes softened to a dove grey as she looked in the general direction his beautiful face would be.

She couldn't just leave him here to die. For some reason his youkai healing was not working properly and he was now injured and unconscious in her time era.

Hey, if he had to be here in Tokyo, better he be passed out and relatively harmless rather than awake and wreaking havoc.

Making her mind up to get him out of the cold dank well house and into the safety of her house, Kagome quickly scaled back up the ladder to leave the old building and run to the back door. Entering into the homey warmth of her house, Kagome called out to her family.

"Souta, Grandpa!"

Almost jogging down the hallway, she came to a sliding stop when her brother's dark head peaked out from the living room.

"What's up, sis?"

Panting a bit from her exertions, Kagome held a hand over her heart and said breathlessly, "I need your help. Inu Yasha's brother just came through the well and is badly wounded. Come on!"

She noticed the widening of her brother's cinnamon colored eyes before turning away and running out into the darkness once more. Relief washed through her when she heard the pounding of feet behind her, denoting that her brother was following her.

"Sis, Inu Yasha has a brother? I thought only you and Inu Yasha could get through the well. How come he got through?"

Shaking her head in impatience, she answered a bit sharply, "I can't answer those questions now, Souta. Just help me get him into the house and then we can figure this all out."

Cowed by his sister's snapped reply, Souta followed her silently to the well house, skipping stairs on his way down to meet her at the side of the old well.

Peering down he saw what looked like a blob of white at the bottom, the darkness of the building keeping any other discerning features of their 'guest' from him.

Kagome had already climbed back down into the well and watched as her brother soon joined her. Souta was quiet as he watched his sister kneel down next to what now looked like a very large body spread out on the cold dirt ground.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome began to call while gently picking up his arm and pulling him into a sitting position. She was hoping she could get him at least lucid enough to help them get him out of the well. A six foot something male youkai wasn't precisely the most easiest thing to maneuver. "Sesshoumaru, can you hear me?"

Souta came to kneel next to his sister, awaiting her instructions. He could see the sweep of long silver hair, much longer than Inu Yasha's, as his sister pulled Sesshoumaru up into a sitting position and talked to him.

Unlucky for Kagome, the demon showed no signs of stirring, and was leaning heavily against her and the arm she had a hold of.

'Ugh, he weighs a ton!' she thought to herself.

Cursing mildly under her breath, she pulled his long arm over her slim shoulders and wrapped her own as best she could about his back, being careful to place the appendage under his tail. The last thing she needed was for him to complain that she had abused it while he was sleeping.

Glancing sideways to Souta, she told him, "I'm going to need your help once I get him to his feet. Apparently he is injured bad enough where he can't regain consciousness. When I tell you to, go to his other side and support him best you can. We are going to walk him to the ladder and while you lead I will follow behind you, pushing him up."

Nodding, Souta stood up and waited as he heard Kagome grunt with the effort of lifting both herself and Sesshoumaru from the floor.

Sweat quickly broke out on her body as she strained to stand, the dead weight of the demon pushing upon her smaller frame. With a smirk of triumph, she finally gained her feet and instructed Souta to then move to his other side.

She ignored her brother's slight noise of surprise upon finding out up close that the youkai was lacking in an arm. Dismissing it as something else to explain later, she began half dragging the passed out Sesshoumaru to the ladder.

Panting heavily, Kagome took a short breather by leaning on the side of the well, and readjusting her grip on Sesshoumaru. Her sweatshirt now clung damply to her back, making her uncomfortable with its cloyingness.

'I am so taking a hot bath after this.'

Inhaling deeply, she said to Souta, "Okay, now begin climbing up the ladder and as you do keep one hand on the spiked bone shoulder of his armor."

Searching around for a moment, Souta finally came into contact with something hard and skinny that felt like it had large sharp points on it.

"Okay, got it sis. Now what?"

"Now, start climbing. I will take the majority of his weight and push from behind."

Nodding again, Souta began the arduous task of pulling the large body of Inu Yasha's brother out of the well.

Many minutes later, with much cursing and heavy breathing from the two siblings, the battered form of the Taiyoukai of the west emerged from the well.

Setting him to lie down once more on the ground, Kagome and Souta took a moment to regain their breath before attempting the what seemed to be 1,000 mile trek to the house.

Just thinking about it made Kagome groan.

Squaring her shoulders in determination, she set her chin at a defiant angle and once more hefted the body of Sesshoumaru onto her side.

Her fingers splayed across the silky material of his kimono, the fur of his tail soft and inviting to her hand as it passed under it. Digging her fingers in to grip him tighter, she vaguely noticed that even unconscious he didn't lose the solid feel of corded muscle.

'Damn, this guy is built,' she thought fleetingly as Souta once more took up his post on the other side and helped her get Sesshoumaru out of the well house and into her own home.

Once inside the cozy confines of the little house, she was met by the wide-eyed stare of her grandpa, who looked like he was reaching for some scrolls to chuck, and her mother's worried gaze.

"Kagome! Who is this and what happened?" came the soothing tones of her mother.

Face red from all the exercise she was getting, she didn't stop walking towards the stairs where the bedrooms were kept and replied, "Mom, this is Sesshoumaru, Inu Yasha's half brother. He's a full blooded youkai." At this her grandpa frowned and started to reach inside his sleeve. "Don't even think about it, grandpa. He isn't going to hurt anyone. He's too messed up himself to start a fight."

Silently, she prayed that she wasn't telling lies as she navigated with difficulty the steps to the upper floor.

'Man, you would think he would at least have the decency to wake up and help me with this part!' her inner voice complained.

She could hear her mother walking behind the struggling trio and said over her shoulder, "I don't know how he got here, but he's injured and I couldn't just leave him there."

"No, I agree dear. You couldn't just leave the poor man out there to die."

"Youkai," Kagome corrected absently as she sighed in relief at finally reaching the top.

"Where to now, sis?" Souta asked breathlessly. If his voice was anything to go by, the teenager was just as exhausted as she was. Kagome reminded herself to get him some extra candy for his help.

Motioning with her head, she pointed him to the direction of her own room. After all, she couldn't very well kick one of her other family members out of their own beds just for Sesshoumaru. He was her 'guest' technically, so it was only fair that she have him in her room.

Besides, she wanted to be the one to take care of him. She didn't trust that if he suddenly woke up he wouldn't be like a wild animal that is hurt and blindly attack her family.

Kicking her door open, she staggered a few more steps forward before depositing her heavy burden awkwardly onto her red comforter covered bed.

Souta let out a heartfelt groan of relief as he stepped back and rotated his aching shoulders.

Recovering as quickly as she could, Kagome laid Sesshoumaru out flat on her bed, smirking a bit as she noticed how his feet hung off the end a bit, and took stock of his injuries.

Her mother gasped behind her as she took in the sight of the mess that was the Lord of the Western Lands.

Kagome grimly surveyed the multiple lacerations and the deep gash on his left leg and shoulder area. Moving forward she moved the cloth of his kimono out of the way to inspect his wounds closer.

The acrid smell of acid burns filled her nostrils, causing them to sting slightly as the stench invaded them. There was not only gashes, but also severe burns that were red and angry along the outline of his wounds. It looked almost like hot poison had been thrown on him.

Frowning, she pulled back to a standing position and leveled a calm look at her mother.

"Mom, can you please get me some bandages, burn cream, ointment, and anything you can think of to treat burns and lacerations. I am also going to need some water and washcloths to clean him."

Nodding, Mrs. Higurashi departed quickly on her mission to retrieve the items Kagome had requested. Turning to Souta, Kagome saw him studying the youkai spread on her bed, making it seem much smaller than it actually was. It was a full size, for crying out loud. It wasn't like she had put him on a single. Yet, his tall frame made it seem like a baby's cot almost.

"Souta, thanks for your help. Can you leave now so I can work on him?" Her brother opened his mouth to protest and she quickly added, "I'll tell you anything you want to know as soon as I get him situated. Okay?"

Reluctantly, Souta nodded before saying, "Alright. But you had better promise."

Grinning, she said softly, "I promise. And thanks for helping me get him up here."

Souta waved away her thanks. "Aw, it was nothing sis." Casting her a teasing smile on his way out he added at the doorway, "Besides, I couldn't let a wimpy girl like you try to drag a guy around by herself, could I?"

Sticking her tongue out at him, Kagome smiled to herself as his laughter faded down the hallway.

Shaking her head in mirth, she turned once more to the peaceful countenance of the demon lord. Pulling her desk chair to the side of the bed, she positioned it so it would be readily available once she took up residence in it tonight when she watched over him.

'My, what a comfy night this is going to turn out to be,' she griped to herself as she took a pair of large metal scissors from her door and made her way back to him.

Sighing in regret, Kagome began cutting the ruined silk from Sesshoumaru, throwing the scraps in a heap on her floor as she worked.

Removing the armor was a bit difficult, but after finding the leather straps used to keep it on, the front came off easily enough. It was the back portion she was dreading.

Reaching out, she pulled his swords from the sash at his waist, almost holding her breath as she did so, afraid that he would somehow sense their absence and awake to attack her.

An audible sigh of relief left her as she placed the Tensaiga and Toujikin side by side on her desk, the lacquered surface of their sheathes gleaming faintly beneath the desk lamp.

Returning back to him, she finished with the rest of his garments, shoes and all, except for some cloth wrapped around his groin area.

Blushing, Kagome thought to herself while putting the scissors away, 'Okay, there are just some places on a person's body I need to know nothing about.'

The armor she placed on the floor at the side of her desk, and made a mental note to clean it the next time she got a chance. She figured she could fill some of the hours she was going to spend nursing the injured youkai working on it; it would provide just the opportunity she needed. Boredom was not something she dealt well with.

After everything was removed, Kagome went to her closet and got a long velour blanket from the top, shaking it out and hanging it over the back of the chair. She would cover him with that as soon as she was done administering the medicine and bandages. Those wounds didn't look like anything more confining than the light blanket would feel good against them. Which meant no 'clothes' for him for a while.

'Not like he would appreciate human clothes of this era anyway,' she wryly thought to herself as her mother came back into the room laden with all the utensils she had requested.

Her grandfather had retreated to his room muttering about demons taking over his home and how he got no respect from his family.

'At least he won't be throwing scrolls at Sesshoumaru,' Kagome thought in relief while washing away the caked blood from his skin.

Mrs. Higurashi remained with her daughter, silently watching as Kagome gently ran the green saturated cloth over the well-muscled form of the passed out man before her.

'Youkai,' Mrs. Higurashi silently corrected herself.

She wasn't at all sure it was proper to have her 19 year old daughter keep a full grown male in her room...in her bed no less. But seeing the extent of his injuries she didn't think she would have much to worry about. No male would be feeling amorous with those kinds of wounds.

Kagome was grateful that Sesshoumaru was unconscious throughout her tending him. She was wincing enough for him as it was every time she had to scrub a little at a particularly stubborn crusted laceration. That just could not feel good.

At last, the task was done, and she then moved to the pile of white gauze and ointments littered on the floor by the scraps or ruined silk. Rummaging through, she picked out a few rolls of gauze and some ointments. Standing, she unscrewed the small tops on the metallic tubes of medicine and placed the rolls of gauze on the bed by his hip.

Putting the tops into her jeans pocket, she leaned over him to closely examine the cuts, watching in a bit of morbid fascination as his muscles twitched as his body slowly regenerated itself back to his usual healthy self. But even she could see that it was going much slower than it should have been.

Something just wasn't connecting as quickly as it should be to heal the Taiyoukai, and Kagome silently wondered at what that could be.

When dealing with a demon of Sesshomaru's caliber it would take something powerful and deadly indeed to get to the great Taiyoukai this badly.

Shaking her head in bewilderment, she squeezed a generous portion of the thick white cream into her palm and began lightly dabbing it over and in his injuries. It was supposed to cool burns and prevent any added irritation after bandaging over said areas.

Kagome ignored the nasty feel of greasy film that was coating her hands, and put a large amount of medicine over the worst injury he had, the long deep cut on his leg. Out of all the nicks and cuts on his body, that one looked the worst, going almost to bone and exposing muscle and tissue to the naked eye.

A wave of queasiness passed through her stomach again, but she steadfastly ignored it as she grabbed a piece of his ruined kimono to wipe her hands clean on. It wasn't like he could ever use it again any way, and besides she was going to throw the remains in the trash as soon as she was able to.

In fact, it looked like her mother already found the offending soiled scraps more than her house-cleaning could handle, and was gathering them up with a wrinkled nose, holding them at arms length in one hand while leaving the room.

Smiling softly at her mother's antics, Kagome then grabbed up the webbed material of white gauze and began tightly wrapping them around his arms, shoulder, leg, and even his chest, to protect the wounds on his back. Those ones proved particularly annoying to dress, considering she had to sit on the side of the bed, pull him up so he was leaning fully against her front, his forehead resting on her shoulder with his warm breath fanning her neck, and clumsily wrap the gauze around his torso.

Blushing the entire while she was performing this task, she constantly reminded herself to ignore the close contact she was keeping with a mass murderer, true one of the most handsome mass murderers she had ever seen, but a killer just the same. The only other guy she had ever gotten this close to physically, without her life being in jeopardy, was Inu Yasha. And those times were fleeting and far between with nothing more than an embrace passing between them.

When the familiar jab of bittersweet pain shot through her system, Kagome firmly pushed it away and instead focused completely on what she was doing.

Securing all of the bandages with white strong tape, she got up and grabbed the thin blue blanket. Laying it over him till it covered him to his shoulders, she couldn't prevent herself from gazing at the ill Taiyoukai softly and running her fingers in a caress over his crescent marked forehead. Moving the tips of her fingers, she lightly ran them over the blue symbol gracing his white skin, continuing on to trace the maroon stripes slashed across each cheek.

It just wasn't fair that someone could have tattoo like marks on their face and still manage to look good. Life was just too unfair sometimes.

Grinning at her random thoughts, she moved back to take her seat on the hard surface of her oak colored desk chair. Crossing one jean clad leg over the other, she regarded her grey socked feet a moment before raising her eyes to study the slumbering Taiyoukai on her bed.

"If someone had told me I would be sitting here watching you sleep on my bed 500 years into the future I have to admit I would have laughed at them and probably figured them as insane," she commented offhand to the motionless male.

Of course, he didn't show any sign of actually hearing anything she said, and Kagome began questioning her own sanity at even talking to a passed out youkai that had attempted to kill her more times than she could count.

Running her soft blue-grey eyes back over the length of him, she saw a few spots of blood still marring the white fur or his tail and decided that she might as well clean it while he was passed out. She didn't think he would have appreciated her efforts if he was awake.

Stretching her tired arms above her head, she moaned softly at the pull of overtaxed muscles, before slouching in weariness and grabbing up the washcloth once more. Wringing it out, she gently unwound his tail from around his shoulder, pulling out the long length till it rested over her lap to pool with its tip wrapped around her feet on the floor. She smirked as the soft fur tapped against her foot, his tail tip acting like a cats and flopping up and down in his sleep.

"You're nothing but a big puppy, aren't you?" she asked the slumbering Taiyoukai. His unconscious state gave her the courage to voice thoughts that she would never have dreamed of if he had been lucid and aware. Hell, in the past she had but looked at him and he had tried to kill her. She couldn't imagine what he would have done if he had heard her say something that insulting in person.

Thanking Kami for giving her the reprieve of him sleeping, Kagome methodologically cleansed the ivory hair on his tail and hummed to herself while doing it. She didn't want to turn on the radio in the fear that, being as canines had such a better sense of hearing than other animals, the vibrations and noise from the speakers would wake him up. That was the last thing she wanted.

Her mother had not returned, and Kagome assumed she had wisely left her daughter and her new 'guest' alone so that she could take care of him without further distraction. Handling a Taiyoukai caused one to devote their full attention to them. Arrogant creatures that they were, she doubted if Sesshomaru would take kindly to being cared for by a human.

Two hours later, Kagome placed his now pristine tail by the bed so that it trailed onto the floor from under his blanket. Raising from her bent over spot again, she muffled a curse as her neck screamed out in protest from being hours in the same position. Putting a hand to his forehead, she breathed a sigh of relief at feeling how cool it was, brushing the silver bangs back from his skin.

Tapping his nose playfully, she said in a teasing tone, "Alright, Sesshy my boy, you stay here while I take a quick shower. Don't move!" Giving him another tap for emphasis, she retrieved a pair of blue and red plaid pajama pants and a red thermal top from her closet. Getting the appropriate undergarments, she glanced once more at his quiet form before going into the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom. Leaving the door open so she could keep an eye on him, she suppressed a blush at taking off her clothes in the sight of a male and instead focused her mind on running the water for a shower and putting her dirty clothes in the hamper.

Stepping inside and pulling the plastic curtain covered in blue and yellow fish, she let out a blissful sound of enjoyment as the warm needles of water massaged her abused body.

Washing her body quickly, she didn't linger in the shower longer than necessary, very aware of the demon lying on her bed but a room away. She could just feel the embarrassment of being seen in the buff by the Taiyoukai of the West.

'Ugh, I'm not even going to joke about that,' she thought to herself while rinsing the last of the conditioner from her black tresses.

Turning off the water, she grabbed a large white towel from the rack beside the bathtub and wrapped it securely around herself before leaving the safety of the shower cubicle. Looking into her bedroom, she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Sesshoumaru still in the same spot she had left him in, not even a hair seeming to have moved in the few minutes she had taken to get clean.

Drying herself quickly, she wrapped the damp towel around the heavy cape of her hair and put on her pajamas. The nights had begun to get a bit colder since Fall was now approaching, so no longer could she get by with just shorts and a tank top. Yet another thing for her to be grateful for...the weather making it so she didn't have to wear something skimpy to be comfortable during the night time. That would have been beyond torture.

Putting the now saturated towel in the hamper, she combed out her hair and braided it before padding over on silent feet to sit again on the hard chair. Shifting around a bit, she couldn't resist patting his tail like she would a dog's.

"Well, you were a good boy for once. Thanks for staying in here and not getting into any trouble while I took a shower."

In a very odd way Kagome was beginning to enjoy talking to the unconscious Sesshomaru. It gave a certain amount of freedom to be able to voice her opinion and say what she wanted without fear of painful death. Quite liberating really.

Settling back fully onto the chair, she picked up his heavy breastplate and checked it over.

"Ugh. What have you been getting into?" she wrinkled her nose in distaste as she asked, grimacing at the splotches of dried rust colored blotches on the strong bony structure. Glancing to the night stand, she noticed with pleasure that there was a clean bowl of water, a new pink washcloth and some matching dry hand towels sitting together.

"Thank you, mom!"

Happy that she wouldn't have to get up to get those items herself, Kagome began cleaning and polishing Sesshoumaru's armor. Her work taking her long into the night as she watched over an oblivious Lord of the Western Lands.


	2. Delirious Dog Demon

Perhaps the devil was short of assistants, Sesshomaru thought through a haze of pain. The torturing imps were doing an exemplary job on his thigh and back.

He fought to detach himself from the agony. Float above it, beyond the reach of fiery pincers, a play that had stood him in good stead during countless other battle wounds.

'Control it, Sesshoumaru,' his own subconscious' steely voice reverberated inside his head. 'They can touch you only if you are weak enough to allow them to.' But it wasn't the pain crushing him in its grip this time. It was the barren reaches inside his soul, the overwhelming sense of waste...

What did it matter if he screamed for an eternity? No one would hear him. No one would care.

Fool, he derided himself in disgust. Don't be a fool. Whatever lies beyond this mist, face it like a true demon. If it's hell you're in, you deserve it. You've earned it.

If they kept a tally of sins in the Dark One's kingdom, Sesshoumaru Taisho's must be long indeed.

The slightest groan squeezed from between the Demon Lord's white lips, and he shifted, trying to get away from the pain.

With fierce determination, he tried to force his eyes open, the lids so heavy they seemed nailed to his cheekbones. Spears of light screwed relentlessly into the center of his skull, his stomach threatening revolt as he struggled to focus.

'What the hell?' The thought streaked through his beleaguered brain as his sense of smell became fully functional along with his bleary eyesight. In his imagination of what the underworld would be like he had never thought of this garish form of torture— hell was an array of smells and colors that would make any rational youkai ill. Bright blue walls with gold accents on the borders. The scent of green apple and fresh vanilla was overpowering in a thick sickly sweet blanket.

The saccharine odor was making his stomach churn even more in protest, and Sesshoumaru wished he could block it all out. Already the headache he'd had since waking was becoming a full-blown migraine.

Most alarming of all, bare inches from his face a pair of small brown eyes in a distorted multi-colored face peered at him, unblinking. Instinctively he inhaled deeply while he tried to shift away from it, trying to identify what exactly hovered so close. Unfortunately, the vanilla had overloaded his over-sensitive nose to where nothing was discernable, and if that wasn't bad enough the odd face moved with him, inescapable.

Suddenly something swept it out of the way, a voice, a low scolding murmur, drifting through the haze. Another figure appeared in its place. A soft pale oval swam before him — large, troubled blue-grey eyes, raven-black hair. A mouth carved in generosity and sweetness.

'An angel?' he wondered in his fever induced delirium. 'Was it even possible?'

Except this heavenly apparition seemed strongly familiar to him. As though he should know her. However, her relationship to him remained a mystery.

"Buyo! You naughty cat, get off of him."

The female voice that was filled with winsome music, her brow creasing in concern. He noticed that when she'd come closer to him the smell of apples got a little bit stronger.

'Heaven... was he in heaven?' Sesshoumaru swallowed hard. There must be some mistake. Kami knew, when they found it, he'd be hurled down into the abyss. He had to lie still, quiet, not betray the truth about himself.

She leaned closer and Sesshoumaru could make out the red of the shirt she was wearing. The crew-neck collar was askew, turned at an odd angle till one of her smooth collarbones was exposed. Wisps of hair tumbling in a most troubling disarray trailed over one scarlet encased shoulder, displaying a messy braid.

'An untidy angel?'

He couldn't remember any such pictures he'd seen as a pup. Every wing feather had been in place with military precision, every golden tress expertly curled.

She evidenced a most appalling lack of heavenly discipline.

Sesshoumaru tried to speak through parched lips. "Wh-who are...Wh-where..."

"I'm going to take care of you, Sesshoumaru. Just lie still and let me redress your wounds," the angel requested. "If you'll stay still it will all be over in a moment."

"Over? Wh-what?"

She drew something from beside her into his line of vision. Sesshomaru unconsciously shrank back as he stared at the small needle threaded with black string.

'This must be hell after all!'

He knew he was acting out of character from his usual stoic self, but he did have a raging fever and was terribly weak, so he figured he was to be granted allowance for his behavior.

Besides, never in his entire youkai life had Sesshoumaru needed to be stitched with a human's primitive methods. His accelerated healing had always taken care of any injury he had sustained in the past. Even the blow from the Tetsusaiga that Inu Yasha had nailed him with. For some reason his demon power was hardly functioning properly at all.

Now it looked like the wounds on his body would have to be treated the same as if he were a human.

A realization that thoroughly disgusted the Taiyoukai and made the pounding in his temples grow.

Her hand was quivering so hard it would be a wonder if she didn't end up stabbing him in a vulnerable spot with it.

Following his amber gaze to her trembling hand, Kagome gave a timid smile and apologized.

"Sorry for the shaking."

'Aw, a polite demon from hell then,' he surmised wisely in his foggy mind.

"I've never done this before and only have a couple of veterinary books on dogs and cats to guide me." Smiling again, she tried to lighten the mood. "It must work about the same, don't you think?"

"Torture...dogs in...hell? What for? Biting their owners for stealing food from the table?" came his puzzled questions as a confused frown marred his brow. The amber eyes looking back into her own were a bit glassy and unfocused.

"Hell? What are you talking about, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome's face now held bewilderment.

'Maybe he has a higher fever than I thought,' she worried before talking to the obviously delirious dog demon. "I just need to stitch the cut on your leg. You aren't healing on your own quickly enough and I don't want you getting a worse infection."

She flashed back to the memory of why she had a needle and thread, hovering over Sesshoumaru.

Kagome had been dozing in her desk chair for about an hour when some sixth sense had woken her up, urging her to check on her patient.

Rubbing her gritty eyes, she'd first checked the time on the white and black wall clock.

3:47am. Looking quickly to Sesshoumaru she'd felt a sinking in her middle as she saw him breath in a slight wheeze. His chest, visible now because the blue blanket was bunched around his waist, was rising and falling in a jerky fashion.

Standing, she leaned over his fitful form to place a hand upon his brow. Trepidation darkened her eyes when she felt the dry heat of a dangerously high fever. Kagome wasn't sure if a dog demon's physiological system ran more along the basis of a human or a canine.

Either way she knew his temperature was way above where it should be. The fact that it was a dry heat emanating from him did not bode well.

Thinking quickly, she pulled the blanket completely off and gasped in surprise at seeing the red stain coming through the bandage on his thigh. If that was anything to go by the wound on his back would be the same.

'There goes my favorite comforter,' a voice inside snipped before she'd firmly pushed it away. There were more important things to worry about.

Deftly, she unraveled the now ruined gauze from his leg and chest. When she performed the latter once more she'd rested him against her and the heat coming from him made her feel like she had a fever herself.

The cuts were still healing, but his youkai healing was not working nearly fast enough.

They were now a bit more closed than before, but an angry red surrounded the areas.

'That would explain the infection'

Knowing what had to be done, she quietly left her bedroom to stealthily make her way into the living room. Turning on the overhead light, she breathed a sigh of relief while hurrying over to her mother's sewing basket set beside the couch.

Digging passed the multiple colors of embroidery thread, crochet hooks, and thimbles Kagome finally came across what she was looking for.

Making a sound of triumph, she smiled happily at the blue plastic container of a sewing kit. Closing the lid of the sewing basket, she ran as silently as she could, turning off the light as she passed it, and went upstairs to the injured Taiyoukai.

Rushing into her bathroom, she turned on that light as she opened the sink cabinet and retrieved rubbing alcohol.

Brandishing her prizes, she extinguished the momentary illumination, hurrying back to Sesshoumaru's side. Setting the kit and disinfectant on the now cluttered night stand, she removed the needle and thread before making sure the bedroom door was closed.

Turning back to attend Sesshoumaru she noticed his amber eyes were open and Buyo was currently laying across the dog demon's chest. The two were studying one another warily.

Kagome moved forward and removed the obese feline from the distrustful youkai, scolding the family cat as she did so. Gingerly, she perched herself at his hip, starting a little when Sesshoumaru's hand knotted into her shirt bottom, as if to assure himself he wasn't alone.

Which now brought them to the situation they currently found themselves in. With her trying to look confident with her impromptu suture and Sesshoumaru gazing at her doubtfully.

Apparently, he didn't even know who she was, if his behavior thus far was anything to take into account.

With him semi-aware Kagome worried about opening the bottle of isopropyl. If it irritated her inferior senses she couldn't imagine the overpowering effect it would have on him.

Then again, Inu Yasha passed out any time a scent overwhelmed his senses. Perhaps this wouldn't be a bad thing after all...

He struggled partially upright, his head cracking against the headboard behind him.

"Stitch my wounds? That means I'm...still alive." Sesshomaru felt no particular pleasure in the realization.

Those blue-grey eyes widened with astonishment beneath ridiculously thick lashes. "Of course you're still alive!"

"I prefer to stay that way." He grimaced while reaching for the needle and thread. "Give me...that."

Horror flooded her face. Quickly she pulled the sharp implement out of distance of his questing hand. "You can't possibly —"

"I'm afraid I must...insist. You're shaking so hard you'll never hit the wound correctly. I prefer not to draw this out any longer than ...necessary." A clear expression of distaste graced his beautiful flushed features.

She still didn't look ready to surrender her mission, and he watched closely as she reached over to the night stand to pick up a clear bottle of liquid and settle it between her knees.

Kagome gave the stubborn Lord an apologetic stare.

"I'm afraid I'll have to apologize in advance for this too, but there is no other way."

Amber eyes narrowing in anger, Sesshoumaru growled in his throat while pushing his torso forward to take the bottle from her.

Unscrewing the top quickly, Kagome winced when the strong smell of medicine entered his olfactory system and promptly made him unconscious.

All Sesshoumaru felt was an explosion of bright sparks of pain explode in his brain before he passed out again.

"Thank goodness that worked," Kagome told the silent room. Carefully putting her utensils on the night stand again, she repositioned the large Taiyoukai till he lay flat once more.

Eyeing his leg in some fear, she disinfected the needle, thread, and both her hands and then set to work.

Pulling the thin black material through muscle and tissue, she mumbled unhappily, "This really just isn't my day."

Putting the last piece of tape over the white gauze, Kagome let out a groan of exhaustion as she placed the blue blanket over Sesshoumaru's quieted tall frame.

The entire procedure of putting him back together had been long and nerve wracking. Never again did the young miko want to go through pushing metal through skin like she was simply making a design on a tea towel.

Shuddering in disgust, she deposited the used gauze, bowl of dirty water, and the rest of the items she had used for her little 'surgery' in the bathroom sink. Tomorrow morning she would ask her mother to take care of it. She didn't think she could stand seeing the red tinged water with its sharp needled lying on the bottom of the ceramic bowl without getting physically ill.

"I hope you appreciate all this, you big puppy," came her disgruntled comment.

But, seeing as how it was the Lord of the Western Lands we were talking about that was highly unlikely. Thanking a human? Yeah, sure. That would happen right about the time Naraku and Inu Yasha settled down together for a tea party.

Giggling at her own random thoughts, Kagome shook her head at herself thinking, 'Okay, girl. You have officially reached the point of needing sleep no matter what. Any more delusional episodes and someone will commit you to the nuthouse.'

Scooting the uncomfortable chair closer to Sesshoumaru, she wearily took post their again. Shivering a bit from how cold it was in the room, she eyed his long white tail.

'Why not,' she told herself with a grin while picking up the heavy silk textured appendage and draping it over her lap like a throw. Sighing in contentment at how warm it made her, she shifted her blue-grey eyes to his beautiful face with the markings of his station and heritage over his alabaster skin.

Petting his tail she informed him jovially, "Hey, it's only fair you share some body heat since you are keeping me up all night, took over my entire bedroom, and are sleeping in the only bed."

Of course the youkai slept on, breathing a little easier and the red color not so visible on his cheekbones any more. The fever that had been consuming him earlier had gone down as she worked, which Kagome was eternally grateful for. The thought of giving Sesshoumaru an in-bed bath to keep him cool was not that appealing.

She could just see him waking up and either killing her right away for supposedly molesting him in his sleep, or telling her she was a demon from hell tormenting him again.

Kagome caught her bottom lip between her teeth and continued to look at him, so still, so seemingly vulnerable, helpless. But he wouldn't be thus forever. Her fingers stole up to the place where her shirt was twisted to cover her other shoulder that hadn't been exposed earlier. There she touched the fading scars that marred the smooth skin, a tracery of teeth marks that might have ended her life.

She closed her eyes, remembering the wolf she had helped at Kouga's request, one so weak it couldn't even lift its great head. She'd tended it, trusted it. But the instant it was strong enough, the day she had felt confident to tend it on her own, the beast had tried to tear out her throat. If she hadn't managed to grasp her bow handle, striking the creature on its wounded side while calling for Kouga, Kami alone knew what might have happened.

Yet, even as Kaede had tended the gashes left by the fangs, Kagome hadn't blamed the animal. The fault had been her own. She'd known what he was when she made the decision to help him.

The wolf she had been able to take comfort in the fact that Kouga was there to subdue in case it got out of hand, but she couldn't handle this Taiyoukai so simply. The one thing she was certain of was that he was a youkai wreathed in violence— his very life's work was bound up in hurting instead of healing, imposing the will of a mightier race on a weaker one. And that was not the least of her worries.

She pushed them aside and stared seriously at Sesshoumaru's slumbering body.

"I don't know what I have gotten myself into, but I can hardly just dump you in the middle of no where now. Best to get you well and hope you don't decide to leave any teeth marks of your own when you go."

Somehow, she doubted she would come from this entire episode unscathed. She just wasn't that lucky.

If that was to be her plan, there was a great deal to plan before he came back to his full strength. She had to make him as comfortable as possible now that the first stage of his ordeal was over— after all, an uncomfortable dog demon had a tendency to bite.

At least she had one thing she could hold over his arrogant head in case he started to get too full of himself during his convalescence.

A bit of an evil smirk graced her rosy lips. "Ha! I wonder how many people know you are completely out of it when you get sick." Thinking about how often demons did not remain ill for extended periods of time she doubted it was many. Perhaps his parents, but no one else.

Giving him another reassuring pat on his tail, she gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, I won't tell any one. You're secret is safe with me."

Sesshoumaru slept on.

Yawning loudly, Kagome slouched further on the chair. It was now 5am and in a couple of hours the whole household would be getting up to start their day. Souta would be going to highschool, grandpa would be telling anyone who would listen to him about this curse or that, her mother would be cleaning the house and maintaining the home and Kagome...well she would be playing nurse to a mass murdering youkai.

"Yippy for me," came her less than enthusiastic reply as her half closed eyes kept themselves trained on Sesshoumaru.

'Good thing I am not in school right now. I can just hear grandpa's excuses this time for why I wasn't in class.'

After Kagome had graduated from highschool she had forgone going to university simply because her future in the Sengoku Jedai was so uncertain. The shikon shards still needed to be found, and at the time she had made the decision Inu Yasha had yet to make a choice.

The bitter part of her wished she had enrolled in college any way. At least then she could have said she had a life to live over here to help her avoid the hanyou for a while.

The familiar prickle of tears assaulted her eyes, causing her to sniff and hurriedly wipe away the few drops of water that managed to escape from her tear ducts.

'Damn, I thought I was passed this part of the whole 'healing process,' she told herself in frustration while scrunching her lids tightly over her eyes to stem the consistent water flow.

Sniffling again, she gave a start of surprise and uttered an "Eep!" when she felt the tail that had been laying placidly over her thighs snake around her waist and tighten. The tip was once again flicking up and down softly against her stomach, a soothing tattoo of beat that transmitted a bit of comfort to the distraught miko.

Rubbing her eyes free of moisture, she stared incredulously at the dead to the world Taiyoukai whose tail was wrapped around her like a boa.

'What in the world...,' her muddled brain thought. She just didn't know how many more unexpected things she could handle tonight. The considerate gesture of Sesshoumaru just might be the last straw to her already questionable sanity.

Giving him a watery smile, Kagome stretched her legs out till a portion of them lay on the bed with Sesshoumaru, the tips of her toes brushing his middle through his blanket.

Taking a steadying breath, she regarded the beautiful creature before her.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

For once she actually got some sort of response from him. The tail squeezed her a moment as though he had heard her and his hand laying next to her foot lightly moved to rest on her ankle.

Chuckling softly, Kagome rested her head to the side a bit on her shoulder, and settled in to keep up her vigil on the paradox that was Sesshoumaru.


	3. Awaken

Mrs. Higurashi silently opened the door to her daughter's room and went inside. A gentle smile tilted her lips when she saw Kagome sleeping at an odd angle in the wooden chair with what looked like a big fluffy boa draped around her stomach and legs.

'It must be attached to that young youkai,' she thought to herself as she followed it to where it disappeared under the blue blanket in the vicinity of his waist. 'Since Inu Yasha has ears I wouldn't be surprised if it was a tail.'

Moving further into the room, she glanced over the tall frame sleeping what seemed to be a serene slumber noticing that it looked like he hadn't moved from his position all night long.

'Must be exhausted after everything that had happened yesterday and getting his wounds stitched. That would be painful for anyone.'

Her stare moved to her daughter's face, smiling in fondness at the picture she made with her mouth hanging open and her head lolling at what would have been a painful position awake.

Shaking her head at the durability of the young, Mrs. Higurashi padded in her white socked feet to the bathroom and picked up all of the used utensils in the sink. From the look of the water and rags putting the youkai back together had been more gruesome than first thought. Even though she had offered to help Kagome take care of their new 'guest' she had adamantly refused. The time spent in the feudal era had changed her daughter from the once open and trusting girl she raised to a more mature but distant adult.

Somehow, she wasn't so sure that was a good thing.

Balancing everything in her hands, she walked back into the bedroom, the yellow material of her day dress swishing gently as she came to a stop by Kagome's shoulder. Nudging it with her elbow, she watched in humor as Kagome's eyes immediately opened and looked around the room, as though searching for whoever had touched her.

At first, she stared over the slumbering male on the bed before turning her head towards her mother and seeing her.

"Mom. Is everything okay? Do you need something?" she asked in a husky voice, sleep still evident in her half glazed eyes and scratchy voice.

Chuckling softly Mrs. Higurashi reassured, "No, I just came up to tell you that I'm taking Souta to school and am going to be out shopping for groceries for the rest of the day." Her eyes indicated Sesshomaru. "I figured with our new addition to the household it would be a good idea to stock up on food. He looks like he could eat a lot."

Kagome grinned while trying to yawn at the same time, failing miserably. Stretching in her chair, raising her hands above her head, she wriggled a little as the tail around her tightened in response.

"What time is it?" she asked in a hushed voice, not wishing to wake up Sesshomaru. Having her mom in the same vicinity as the Taiyoukai was not exactly her idea of a best case scenario.

"About 7 in the morning, which means I have to get going. I just wanted to wake you up and let you know it was just going to be you and your friend here for most of the day. At least till the afternoon when I pick up Souta and finish shopping." She shifted her grip on the bowl a bit, water sloshing dangerously close to the edge.

Wide awake at this news, Kagome asked with a frown, "Isn't grandpa going to be at the shrine all day?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head in the negative. "No, he has a doctor's appointment uptown today and has already left. There were some tests they wanted to do to make sure his appendix is working fine."

Kagome recalled that recently her grandfather had been complaining of his lower side hurting near the area of his appendix. He hadn't wanted to go to the doctor's, saying that he was a better physician than they could ever be considering he lived with his own body every day, but her mother had finally persuaded him by telling him if he fell ill who would run the shrine? That was all the convincing he needed. Kagome just hadn't known when the precise appointment for his check up was. She couldn't tell if it was good look that he would be out of the way till her mom got home (meaning no random running into her room throwing his scrolls at the dog demon) or worried that she was going to be all alone with the Taiyoukai with no one else around. Not that they could offer much help...

Smiling in her best carefree way at her mother, she got up and gently unwound the length of fur and bone from around her, ignoring the way her mom raised an inquisitive brow at the gesture. Acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary, Kagome walked her mom to her bedroom door.

"Okay, well everything will be fine here. I'll cook him something simple if he wakes up later." Waving her hands in a negligent manner, she continued in a cheery voice. "Don't worry about us. We'll do just fine."

Smiling sweetly at her daughter, Mrs. Higurashi stepped through the door and started to make her way down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, "Have fun, dear. We'll be home later."

"Sure thing mom. Bye Souta!" She called downstairs to her sibling as she heard the front door slam.

The house became almost graveyard silent after her family had departed, causing Kagome to feel a pang of loneliness. Now all she had for company all day was a passed out youkai and an obese cat who was sleeping in the corner on a pile of her clean laundry, getting white hairs all over her favorite black tank top.

Stretching again, she checked on Sesshomaru's temperature to make sure it was still cool, which it was, before gathering another set of clean clothes and heading to the bathroom to repeat the same ritual as last night.

Thanking Kami that Sesshoumaru was passed out and didn't display any voyeuristic tendencies like Mirouku, she placed the folded pair of jeans, undergarments, and blue hooded sweatshirt on the counter-top. She only closed the door long enough to go to the bathroom before opening it again and finishing up disrobing and brushing her teeth.

Stepping under the hot spray of water, she took a little longer to take her shower than she had last night. More confident that he would be sleeping for a while yet before rousing. Besides, with the wound on his leg it wasn't like he could freely move around without any small amount of difficulty.

Scrubbing her hair, she thought over what she would do to keep herself occupied today. Her computer system was looking pretty tempting, spending a few hours returning the e-mails of her highschool friends would at least take up her idle time.

After graduating from highschool all of her childhood friends had moved on to attending colleges right after, Kagome being the only one out of all three who had decided not to. They kept in touch by use of the Internet, but she still felt as though they were slowly drifting apart from one another. What had been the glue that held them together during their adolescent days was now gone, and really they were not the same people they had been back then.

Yes, she would write a few e-mails, perhaps spend an hour or so on e-bay, and then perhaps clean her room a little bit more. That armor had to be put somewhere that her brother wouldn't get any notions of taking it...boys always seemed to long for some type of weaponry to play with. Even if he was a teenager she knew her brother still wouldn't pass up the opportunity to take Sesshoumaru's piece of equipment for who knew what purpose.

'Yep, definitely got to find a place to hide that. The bottom right hand corner of the closet was starting to sound pretty good,' she decided to herself while turning off the water and wrapping herself in a white fluffy towel.

Stepping out of the bathtub, she quickly dried off and donned her clothing, keeping half on eye on her patient in the next room to make sure he hadn't stirred. Thankfully, he slept on, oblivious to his surroundings.

Towel drying her hair before leaving the confines of the bathroom, Kagome let her hair hang loose to air dry and went around the room, picking up random clothes and books littering the floor. She left Buyo alone on her shirt, happy for the fact that he had found a safer place to lay himself than that of the Taiyoukai's chest. She had nearly had a heart attack when she had seen him on there yesterday, with Sesshoumaru looking at him like he was some sort of relative of Jaken. That would have made her think she was in hell too...

Finishing up quickly, she moved her chair over to her desk, turning the lamp off now that the sunlight was weakly piercing the lacy curtains of her window, affording her enough light to see by. Turning on the tower and monitor, she pulled out the sliding stand with her keyboard on it and waited for her PC to boot up. With any luck, this would pass the time until Sesshoumaru either woke up, or her family got home.

Hopefully...

Sesshoumaru struggled within the red mist, sinking and falling, drifting and sailing, lost in a place woven of shadows. Shadows he dreaded, fought a lifetime to forget. Dangerous. So dangerous to let them in, haunting, crippling, weakening him like a subtle poison. But he was tired, too tired to escape them this time, to lock them back into the darkest reaches of that exquisite hell called memory.

The chamber waited for him — huge and cold and glittering red. Rippling bed-curtains the color of fire materialized out of the mist, unfurling like the wings of some hungry dragon around the vast, heavily carved bed, swallowing its prey whole. The young dog youkai huddled within the belly of the beast, drawing himself into a ball, his silvery-white hair tousled, his small clawed hands clutching his knees against his chest to hold the sobs inside.

'Couldn't let them out. Couldn't...'

Desperate, he folded himself up inside, ever so tightly again and again and again, every fear and grief, every bit of pain or joy.

'Make it smaller and smaller...'

Until every fragment of himself disappeared where no one could find it.

Fire bloomed in Sesshoumaru's should as he stirred, restless, trying to shift away so he wouldn't have to see the pup, the glittering chamber, feel the crushing sense of helplessness.

But he couldn't escape, trapped as surely as the child within that hazy world. The gilt door creaked open, light from it slashing across the mist-shrouded bed. He could feel the young youkai's heart thundering, the fear, the despair clawing in his throat. Footsteps, so soft for such a big demon, drummed in Sesshoumaru's ears.

Eyes like pale gold peered down through the swirling haze, probing like fingers, as if they could peel back the top of the pup's head and see inside.

Sweat beaded Sesshoumaru's brow, trickled down his throat.

'No!' he didn't want to see.

"Mama," the pup cried out. "Mama!"

"Your mother isn't here," a deep voice murmured, so cold and unemotional. "She's never coming back."

Sesshoumaru woke with a start, unknowingly causing the girl at the computer desk to jump in fright, as he fought to shove himself upright. Pain exploded in his shoulder, his arm collapsing beneath him, hurling him back against the mound of damp pillows. Knife blades seemed to screw themselves into his shoulder, but even that breath-stealing pain couldn't fully banish the icy shadows of the dragon bed or kill the taste of the little youkai's cry on his lips.

Something butterfly-soft brushed his forehead.

"Sesshoumaru?"

The sweet smell that invaded his senses and the feminine voice stunned him. Unlike the previous encounter with both the odor wasn't unpleasant and the voice was crystal clear to his sharp ears. He clung to it, trying to wrench himself away from the child and the chamber and the echoes that haunted him there. Sweeping the last webs of unconsciousness from his brain, Sesshoumaru forced his eyes open, staring in a face oddly familiar that currently had a worried look to it. Raven-colored hair, alabaster skin, huge worried eyes. He'd thought her an angel.

But no self-respecting angel would let her charge stumble into hell.

"Sesshoumaru," she urged gently while removing her hand, "You called for your mother just now. Are you alright?"

Sesshoumaru stiffened, appalled. Had he called the name aloud? It was contemptible enough to do so in one's dreams, but to voice the name where someone else could hear was unthinkable.

"You must have heard me wrong," Sesshoumaru forced his voice into some semblance of his accustomed chill drawl.

A wry smile twisted her lips before it quickly disappeared.

"Of course. That must have been it," she replied with a solemn tone.

He had a suspicion he was being humored, and Sesshoumaru hated being pandered to like an idiot.

Fixing the girl, that was now perched on a wooden chair in front of what looked like an oddly shaped white table that had a greyish box on it, with an icy stare, he said. "Don't patronize me, human."

Not wanting to antagonize a blatantly lucid Taiyoukai, Kagome resettled herself in her seat while offering a placating rejoinder.

"Sorry. I'll remember not to." Eyeing him in curiosity she couldn't help asking, "So, do you remember who I am now?"

A hard look overcame his handsome features, reinforcing the look of a marble sculpture, the amber of his eyes seeming to freeze.

"The girl who travels with my idiot half-brother."

She smirked, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, that would be me."

Sesshoumaru should have been grateful at her attempts at conversation that were scattering the last vestiges of his dream to the winds. Other images flooded to replace them. Deserted roads he'd traversed alone. Battered ruins that had once been a village. The first crack of a poison whip shattering the unearthly stillness. A trap laid ever so carefully for a fool careless enough to wander into it.

By all logical accounts, he should be on his way to hell now. He could remember his enemies closing in on him. The tramping of their footsteps drawing ever nearer to the Bone-eater's Well in which he'd sought shelter. And even if he dismissed that extraordinary escape, they should have hunted him down while he lay flat on his bak, unconscious. Kami knew, it should've been easy enough for his enemies to find him.

If and when they did find him, this time he'd be ready.

Instinctively, Sesshoumaru groped at his waist. "My swords— where are my swords?"

She indicated the top of the desk with a motion of her hand, sighing. "I had to remove them along with everything else when I treated your wounds."

"Toujikin did not try to control you?"

Surprise flitted over her face. "I hadn't thought of it at the time, but I suppose not." Cupping her chin in one hand, she gave it a moment of consideration before dismissing the issue with a shrug. "Maybe with my natural purifying powers it couldn't work like it usually would and was not able to influence me."

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. "I see. I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, you must have increased your miko powers, traveling the way you do."

"Yeah, well we have Kikyou now so I'm not as 'in demand' to travel anymore." She couldn't completely keep bitterness from tinging her words.

"Kikyo? She has joined your little group?" He silently called his brother an imbecile. What half-wit welcomed a woman who not only wanted you dead, but had helped your worst enemy against you, into their midst?

"Yes. She has more experience in using miko powers," her blue-grey eyes shifted away to stare at a point beyond the headboard, her mouth a tight line. "Besides, this way I can come home and Inu Yasha can still find shards. So you see, it all works out perfectly."

Sesshoumaru held his silence, but even to Kagome it sounded like a crappy explanation.

'Great Kagome, just ramble on like an idiot.'

For his part, Sesshoumaru knew she was lying. He could hear her heartbeat change at the very mention of the dead priestess. He let it slide though. Petty human problems were not worth his time. Getting out of this...bed and returning to his castle was.

Sesshoumaru pressed his fingertips to his throbbing temple.

"If you would give me my clothes back then I'll leave. As a boon for your aid, I shall let you keep your life."

Kagome frowned at him, shaking a finger in his direction. "Oh no you don't, Mr. I didn't spend all night watching over you, not to mention pulling you out of the well, just so you can try and run off at the first opportunity."

"Quit wasting my time, girl." He growled in his most threatening manner. She was looking at him with a face devoid of emotion, but he could smell a slight twinge of fear in her scent.

"I'm not wasting your time, Sesshoumaru," Kagome argued calmly. "If you'll take a moment to assess the condition of your body you'll see you aren't fit to leave."

Becoming angered at this girl, Kagome he remembered correctly, telling him his body was anything but perfect, he bared his fangs at her a bit.

"Foolish girl, I don't need your primitive human medicines to fix my body. I'm as healthy as I usually am!"

He'd completely forgotten the pain he'd felt upon first waking, his mind now occupied with proving her wrong. If he'd thought about it before reacting, Sesshoumaru would have realized precisely how ridiculous he sounded.

"Riiigghhhtt. Sure," Kagome drawled in skepticism.

'Kami, he's unbelievable!' she thought with exasperation.

Growling louder, he moved to throw the blanket off his body, fully intending to get away from the infuriating female's presence as soon as possible.

His pallor turned an interesting shade of white when the movement caused his shoulder to scream in protest at the action. Swallowing down the urge to vomit as his stomach revolted and his world spun, Sesshoumaru was vaguely aware of Kagome scolding him as she gently helped him to lie down again.

"Will you lay down before you get yourself even more messed up?! For crying out loud, Sesshoumaru, do you want to tear your stitches?"

He hardly heard her. His mind was on the verge of panicking. Never had the healing effect of his youkai blood taken this long to trigger. Something had to be seriously wrong, it was the only solution.

Focusing on the girl hovering over him who was currently replacing the blanket, he interrupted her tirade— something along the lines of threatening to take him to what she called a vet— to demand, "Girl, did you slip me something while I was unable to defend myself?"

Kagome stared at him in silence. Not fully willing to accept that Sesshoumaru sounded like he was accusing her of drugging him. Hell, the way he'd said it you would think she was some kind of date rapist.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, she passed a weary hand over her forehead while leaning back to stand by the bed.

"Does that sound like something I would do?" Putting her hand on her jean clad hip, she tried not to yell at him. "What sense would it make to saddle myself with an irritable arrogant Taiyoukai who not only has taken over my room but my entire life the duration he is here? Oh yes, Sesshoumaru, that's the kind of genius I am. Did I mention I am a masochist as well?"

Okay, he conceded she did have a point.

So, since he knew he'd been foolish to even suggest such a thing he did the best thing he could think of. He changed the subject.

"Is there anyone else here right now?"

Kagome eyed him suspiciously. "Just Buyo."

"If you would ask this Buyo to come here so I can speak to him I'm certain we can come to—"

Her laughter stopped the rest of his sentence. He scowled darkly at her in impatience as Sesshoumaru struggled to sit up, the fresh-smelling blanket sliding down the place of his chest to pool against his stomach. He glimpsed the paleness of his own skin.

'What the devil?'

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt bed linen against his skin. He'd slept in his kimono and armor as long as he could remember, always prepared to rush from his chamber in a heartbeat. Battles and ambushes, emergencies of all kinds, didn't keep regular daytime hours, and a Taiyoukai would look beyond foolish running around with a sheet clasped about his hips.

Kagome, meanwhile, had been explaining what she had found so funny.

"I don't think it would do much good. You see Buyo is my cat. He takes pride in eating, sleeping, and occasionally playing with Inu Yasha." She kept her eyes glued to his face when the blanket fell low on his body.

She didn't want to be accused of ogling along with everything else.

He raised his gaze coolly to the young woman, intensely aware of his own near-nakedness, and that she had seen it. Why should the thought be so unnerving?

"My clothes seem to have gone missing. Don't tell me that was part of your master plan too."

Laughing nervously, she backed up a few steps while running a hand through her unbound hair.

"Heh, heh. Well, you see with all the blood on them and since you were unconscious when you arrived, not mention you were in desperate need of medical attention— "

He stopped her rambling with a cold voice and dangerous look.

"Where are they, human?"

Gulping, Kagome grabbed up the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Just in case he decided to go ballistic.

Sesshoumaru's look got more deadly as his eyes fell on the clear bottle of liquid the girl clasped tightly in front of herself like a shield.

"They're in the garbage," came her whispered reply. The scent of her unease was permeating the room, causing his nostrils to flare slightly. "I had to cut them off you and afterwards they were too ruined to salvage. But I can get you new clothes when you're a little better." She finished in a rush, self-consciously fiddling with the cap on the isopropyl.

Sesshoumaru restrained the need to howl in outrage, instead settling for calmly stating more than asking, "You removed my clothes from me and then destroyed them."

Kagome nodded while backing a few more steps to the door. Who would have thought he'd be so upset...

Cracking the knuckles of his hand loudly, he cast a death glare at her.

Deciding now would be a good time to retreat, Kagome backtracked to the door, fumbling behind her for the knob.

"I'll just go get you some food and something to drink. Don't move, okay?"

Before Sesshoumaru could get out more than another growl, she was out the door.

'Man, he's pissed,' she thought, leaning against the hallway wall to calm her racing heart and to make sure he wasn't following.

At the continued silence from her bedroom, she let out a sigh of relief and looked at the bottle in her hand, giving a short breathless laugh.

'I can't believe my best form of defense is disinfectant!'

Shaking her head, she moved away from the wall and made her way downstairs to the kitchen, making sure to put the rubbing alcohol in the pocket of her blue hooded sweatshirt.

'Just in case...'

Looking through the white cabinets of the kitchen, she pondered again who could have hurt Sesshoumaru and why he wasn't healing properly. Well, at least not at the rate of a youkai.

'It could be Naraku, but he's never used this type of poison in an attack before,' she reasoned while taking out a wok and the ingredients for a stir-fry.

Plugging it in, she set it to the right temperature and waited for it to warm up. Pulling her hair into a high ponytail with a rubber-band, she reflected on Sesshoumaru.

The good news was that his assailants did not know where their prey had vanished to. Which probably meant they were combing the countryside looking for Sesshoumaru's injured body.

Whatever had happened over in the Sengoku Jedai, for some reason fate had seen fit to cast him into her path. Kagome had experienced enough in the last three years to know fate could be malevolent as well as kind, cruel as well as kissed by magic. Time alone would tell which spirits had been responsible for the outcome of this day.


	4. Apples

The fading footsteps of the miko caused Sesshoumaru to release a deep sigh, all of his earlier anger seeping away with it, leaving him drained. It just took too much energy to remain angry at a person who was no longer in the same room to appreciate it.

Besides, now that she had left he could get up and hopefully leave, being long gone by the time she made her way back into the bedroom.

Centering himself, he staggered upright, the tiny room swimming wildly before his eyes. The blanket, he wrapped around his waist, tucking the two ends into the hem of his loincloth.

Sesshoumaru grimaced. 'Wonderful. Now I'm wearing a skirt.'

He stumbled his way towards the door he'd seen her go through. His eyes roamed over the items of the room, hardly recognizing any of it.

His two swords lay docilely on the odd tabletop, in front of the grey box he'd seen earlier. This time he noticed odd pictures moving on the center of the cube, with a surface that looked like water but solid at the same time. Just another unknown object to add to his list of derelicts to research.

A multitude of foreign odors invaded his nostrils. Scents that he'd never come across before. Concentrating, he slowly pulled them apart, examining each one separately for familiarity, delving deeply.

When the scent of apples registered, Sesshoumaru latched onto it.

Softly sniffing the air, he painfully made his way to the closet where it seemed to be originating from the strongest, his tail trailing behind him.

Sweat broke out along his skin from the exertion of moving his battered body. A frustrated growl left his throat at how weak he still was.

Bracing his hand on the gold doorjamb, he breathed in slowly, taking the smell in fully.

Kagome's scent clung to the clothes hanging from weird metal objects on a wooden rack, wrapping itself around him. It wasn't unpleasant, but under the miko's sweeter smell there were traces of his brother's. The good thing was it had faded, denoting she hadn't been in contact with the hanyou for some time.

Sesshoumaru was sure her absence had something to do with the dead priestess.

The feel of something small and soft tapping his foot brought Sesshomaru from his thoughts. Looking down, he saw a rather fat multi-colored cat batting at his toes. One silver brow rose a fraction as he regarded the diminutive feline assaulting his royal person.

Would no one afford him the proper respect in this entire household?

And speaking of which, just what kind of residence was he now ensconced in? Never in all his travels had Sesshoumaru come across the odd artifacts that he saw in this room.

When he next saw Kagome he would demand she tell him where they were. He was sure there had to be at least one person in this house who would help him escape the girl.

As though his mere thoughts were enough to summon her, Kagome came through the bedroom door weighed down with a plate of human food and what looked to be water.

There went his chance of escaping. Damn her and his youkai senses who had urged him to investigate the scent of apples. He should have simply left it.

Kagome's blue-grey eyes widened at seeing Sesshoumaru leaning towards her closet, the blanket wrapped around his waist like a sarong and Buyo trying to kill his foot.

"What are you doing up?!" She walked into the room and quickly set the tray down on the chair. Hurrying over to him, worry clouded her face and was thick in her voice. "You shouldn't be walking yet! You're going to hurt yourself more."

At first she had been a little afraid to come back to her bedroom that housed the dog demon. The sound of his knuckles cracking and the look in his eyes were a great deterrent to the young woman. It took most of her courage just to walk through the door and face him again. However, all worries for herself vanished upon spotting him out of bed.

Stopping alongside the Taiyoukai, she noticed that there was a thin film of perspiration lining his flawless skin, the color high on his elegant striped cheekbones. Ignoring his glacial stare, she reached up to check his temperature, following when he jerked his head away.

"You temperature is a little high," she stated with a disapproving frown. "You need to get back in bed." It was an order not a suggestion.

Annoyance could clearly be discerned from his face. "I do not take orders from a human girl."

Her generous mouth took on an obstinate line while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Be that as it may, you're going to take the 'friendly advice' of this one and get back in bed."

He straightened to his impressive height, turning fully to glare at her, noticing for the first time how short she was.

'She barely comes up to my collarbone...'

Before Sesshoumaru could deliver a scathing retort a sharp pain shot through his big toe. Stifling a curse, he stared with death in his amber eyes at the cat who meowed up at him.

Kagome tried not to groan when she saw Buyo bite the dog demon.

That cat was going to get the both of them killed.

She tried to play it off, using his distracted attention to grab Sesshoumaru's wrist and tug lightly.

"Heh, heh. Buyo is used to playing with Inu Yasha and I guess he thought he'd see if you wanted to too."

He shifted his scowl to direct it at her, causing Kagome to question whether it was a good idea to have saved Buyo.

'No extra scraps for that cat for a week,' she vowed silently, releasing her hold on him.

"Would you please, please go lay down?" Insert best begging look here. It usually worked on his brother...

Gritting his teeth, he bit out, "Fine. But first tell me where the privy is."

She blinked in confusion, clearly not understanding. "Privy?"

Impatience coated his voice. "Yes. A place in which one relieves their body of natural waste."

"Oh," came her intelligent replay, her face flaming red. Indicating for him to follow her she said, "Through this door. I warn you though, it's like none you've used before so I'll have to explain how it works."

Limping into a room attached to the bedroom, he blinked to adjust his eyes to a sudden flair of light that illuminated every corner.

Yet more contraptions he had no knowledge of. This was becoming an annoying habit.

Kagome never looked at him as she explained what a toilet and sink where and how to work them.

After he silently nodded to show he understood, she departed, closing the door softly behind her with a 'click', biting her lower lip.

'Okay, that was beyond weird.' Never in a thousand years did Kagome imagine she would one day be explaining plumbing to Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the West.

Her life really was wack.

Discreetly moving away from the bathroom, she took up residence back at the bedside, breathing a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru emerged a few moments later.

With exaggerated slowness he approached the girl and the bed, reveling in causing her a fraction of the irritation she forced on him.

Plastering a false smile on her lips, Kagome consoled her waning patience with visions of strangling the arrogant demon with his own tail.

'He is the absolute limit.'

Sesshoumaru smirked down at her before levering himself to the bed gingerly, propping his upper body against the cold wooden headboard.

Kagome forcibly ignored his bare chest, instead fixing her focus on retrieving the food tray. Taking a seat while cradling the food, she smiled widely at him.

"I cooked some food for you. It's not filet mignon, but it should be eatable."

Sneering in disdain, Sesshoumaru stated, "I do not eat your disgusting human food."

She held on to her cheerful facade, her small hands whitening as they tightened their grip on the tray.

"Normally you probably don't, but you need your strength. Besides I am not going out to hunt something for you so you are going to have to make do."

He made a sound that suspiciously resembled Inu Yasha's 'Keh'.

'Kami, they're more alike than I thought...'

"Come on, Sesshoumaru," She entreated. "I promise I didn't poison it or anything."

That quip did not amuse him.

Sighing in defeat, Kagome placed the food on the ground by her feet and decided to move on to the next thing on the list of 'things to do for Sesshoumaru'.

"Okay, if you are not going to eat then we'll move on to checking your wounds."

A low growl prevented her from reaching for the blanket.

"First, human, you are going to explain to me where I am and what place you have taken me to," Sesshoumaru commanded. He was tired of not knowing his surroundings. For someone like him lack of knowledge could prove deadly. "Secondly, I need some garments. This ... blanket is not enough."

He let silence fall for a moment. "I don't suppose you have a spare kimono stashed somewhere in this disarray?" He glanced around the small room, every inch crammed with Kami only knew what.

She flushed, narrowing her eyes. "I'm afraid not. You could wrap yourself in one of my bathrobes for the time being. It would hardly matter, since you need to stay in bed."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened just a trifle, otherwise his expression flat. "I doubt the color would suit me. I suppose this paltry cover," he said the word like a curse, "will have to do. He wrapped the soft material tighter about him, keeping his arm free.

"But there's no reason you have to dress. You'll hardly offend my modesty since I was the one who" — she had the grace to falter— "who undressed you."

'Oh great Kagome! Remind the temperamental demon how you almost saw him naked!' she yelled at herself.

"Your modesty doesn't concern me in the least, girl. My duty does. I have to get back to my castle immediately."

She seethed at his rudeness while trying to explain. "Your castle? But there's no way—"

"A few hundred miles away. I'm aware of that." Sesshoumaru cut her off coldly.

Kagome realized he thought they were still in the feudal era. With the shrine elevated as it was from the city streets it wasn't like he could hear the blatant differences from what he was accustomed to.

'He no doubt thinks I am keeping him in some local Daimyo's holding, not too far from Kaede's village,' she surmised. Apparently, it might be a good idea to let him know he wasn't precisely in the Japan he knew of.

'This should be fun.'

She almost wished for the rubbing alcohol again. She had accidentally left it on the washer when she had stopped into the laundry room to put some wet clothes into the dryer.

'Damn her lack of luck lately.'

"Ummm... Sesshoumaru, there really is something I should tell you." Kagome glanced to his darkening face before shifting her eyes away. She ran a hand through her ponytail, a sign Sesshoumaru now knew to be a nervous habit.

"I'm dying of suspense," came his deadpan drawl.

She kept an eye on the clawed hand lying still on the blue blanket, taking small comfort that he wasn't cracking his knuckles this time.

"First off, let me tell you that you are still in Japan. In fact, you're still in what was Inu Yasha's Forest." Gesturing towards the shrouded window she continued. "If you look outside you'll see the Goshinboku still standing."

"That is all very interesting, but what did you mean when you said 'was'?"

'Oh boy, here we go...'

Bracing herself for his reaction she stated as calmly as possible, "Since there is no delicate way to say this I'm just going to be blunt." She gazed deeply into his icy amber eyes. "Sesshoumaru, you are 500 years in the future. You are no longer in the Sengoku Jedai."

It was then things got really interesting...


	5. Congratulations

He stared. Those beautiful amber-gold eyes with their slitted ebony pupils looked straight into Kagome's earnest blue-grey ones, and stared. No emotion or outward reaction showed at all on the handsome Taiyoukai's flawless face. An expression that could have been etched in ivory marble that any sculptor would die to get their hands on and recreate.

'Talk about an ice prince.' Kagome thought a bit nervously as the silence stretched between them, only interrupted by the random crackle sound of the computer on the desk de-fragmenting itself.

Sighing heavily, she decided to take his silence as the cue to continue explaining. After all, with all that had happened to Sesshoumaru in the last few days this news must seem like another confusing turn of events to an already seething labyrinth of shadows.

"Look, I know this sounds crazy and impossible. Heck, when I first fell through the well and arrived in the Sengoku Jedai I couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing either. But I assure you, I am telling the truth. And the truth is that right now you are laying on a bed at the Higurashi shrine located in what used to be Inu Yasha's forest in a large city called Tokyo."

One elegant silvery brow rose to disappear in the fringe of his bangs. His stoic posture remained.

Getting a little unnerved by his lack of emotion, Kagome continued on.

"Normally you shouldn't have been able to get through the Bone-eater's Well to my time era. In fact, the only other person who has ever crossed over to here was Inu Yasha, and even that I cannot explain because I don't understand that myself." Frowning in thought, she absently tapped one finger against her chin as she pondered. "Come to think of it, it may be the fact that you are related to Inu Yasha which allowed you to come through the well to here." This last part sounded as though she was talking to herself, the quiet dog demon completely forgotten for the moment in the face of this new possibility.

If this new theory was indeed true, then there must be more to do with the blood that coursed through the brothers' veins. Somehow, either by through their father or some commonly shared attribute between the two, they were able to transverse time and travel through it like she was. This was going to take some serious thought to figure out.

The cold sound of Sesshoumaru's voice brought her out of her silent revery, her soft eyes focusing on him once more.

"Let me get this straight. I fell through the old well in Inu Yasha's forest, traveled five hundred years into the future, and landed in what you call 'modern day' Japan."

Nodding her head vigorously, she felt a pang of relief that he seemed to be accepting it and figured it out. That he trusted what she was saying to him.

"Yes, that is exactly it. I know it probably isn't some where you want to be. Frankly, I am not too sure I want you here either..."she grinned a moment at him in playful teasing, "but now that you are we can get you healed and figure out a way to get you back."

The sudden hard glint in his eyes and scowl on his face made Kagome pull back from him and eye him warily. A change of expression that quick never boded well. Especially where this dog demon was concerned.

"Stupid girl. Do you think your cheap tricks and illusions could confuse this Sesshoumaru?" That patented arrogant look was all over his face again. "Cease your foolish prattling and tell me the truth of where I am." He flexed his fingers slightly, drawing her attention to them. "Or suffer the consequences for your lies."

Okay, so maybe the way she had just pounced this all on him hadn't been her smartest idea. Actually, looking at her track record for the month nothing she had done so far would make someone think she had ever made an educated decision in her young life. If she wasn't putting too much faith in an unfaithful hanyou she wouldn't have gotten so hurt and left for two weeks. If she hadn't been away to her own era in order to spend some time from her situation with Inu Yasha, Kagome would never have inherited an injured full blooded dog demon. If she hadn't such a compassionate heart she wouldn't have ended up taking the Taiyoukai into her home and found herself in this current scenario.

After this was all over, Kagome had a deep desire to never make another decision without getting it examined from a shrink first. Apparently, she couldn't trust her own judgement. Primarily where the Taisho family was concerned...

"I am not lying to you, Sesshoumaru. These," she indicated her room with a wave of her hand, "Are not illusions. The chair I am sitting on is real, the computer on my desk is from the future, and the bathroom you just used does exist." Crossing her arms over her chest, she suppressed the need to stamp her foot at him. "What more proof do you want?"

Sesshoumaru growled lowly at her. "You call something any novice magician could perform proof?" A smirk shone on his chiseled lips. "Forgive me if I do not believe you. But then I do not make a habit of taking the words of half-wit humans as truth."

She gritted her teeth in frustration, unknowingly directing a baring of teeth at him. "I am not a half-wit!" she yelled at him, fuming. "One would think I am for taking in such an arrogant, pompous, jerk of a youkai, but I'm not."

He let the remark against his character slide and leveled a cool look at her, drumming his clawed fingers on the blue cover.

"Then by all means, prove it to me."

About ready to yank her hair out, Kagome threw her hands up in the air before settling them on her hips. She leaned a bit towards him while all but growling, "Fine! You want proof? Let me get something to prove it to you."

Sesshoumaru inwardly grinned. If nothing else he was getting back at her by making Kagome lose her patience with him. It was only fair he was able to return the favor she so generously bestowed on him since he'd been stuck in this room.

Meanwhile, the miko was slowly perusing her room, her eyes taking in everything they wandered past, searching carefully for something to convince him.

Her blue-grey eyes came to a stop and lit up in triumph on spotting one of her old science books from her senior year. Casting him a self assured look, she quickly got up and retrieved it from its spot on the old two tiered bookshelf in the corner by the window. The cheery blue paint that was once crisp and new was now chipped in places, obviously seeing many years of use.

Hefting the heavy tome in her hands, Kagome walked back to the waiting youkai and sat next to him on the bed, carefully avoiding sitting on his tail that was trailing down the side of the mattress. Ignoring the way he subtly shifted away from her, she held out the book for him to take.

Regarding her smug look silently, he carefully took the square shaped object she presented to him. Inhaling deeply, he took in the scent of paper and ink, surmising it to be a book, but one like none he had ever seen before. Perching it on his lap, he slowly opened it, running the tips of his fingers along the cover, taking in the odd texture of it.

It felt smooth. Like the polished tops of the tables dotting his castle. Hard and strong, with just that hint of wax encasing it all in a protective covering.

The inside parchment was a pristine white. Almost the same color as his hair. This too was something he had never seen. Any type of writing paper that he had come across was always a faded yellow or brown, holding to its characteristics of the woods and bushes it had been crafted from. None of the provinces he knew of had been able to obtain this pure a color before that was so bright and unblemished. The only markings on it were bold black letters that he wasn't familiar with either. There were characters that he did not recognize or was able to decipher, but there was a medium-sized picture at the top left corner of the right page.

Leaning closer to it, he narrowed his gaze to take in the odd 'painting'. It looked like a youkai, but again, like none he had ever seen before. At least not in Japan. Of course there was every possibility that this was from some other country, such as the Neko Youkai he had fought so long ago had been. Still...something just did not ring right about it.

Tapping the picture with a claw, he looked to the girl sitting so close to him, asking, "Girl, what kind of youkai is this? And who painted this picture?"

She grinned, happy that he was asking questions. It had to be a good sign that he was interested if he was willing to figure out what he was seeing.

Bending her head to see what he was pointing to, she felt his warm breath lightly fan over her cheek, causing it to heat a little in a blush. She doubted he noticed how close they were to each other because his whole attention was now back on the place where his finger was tapping the page.

"That isn't a youkai, Sesshoumaru. That's what is called a microbe. It is a being so tiny that it cannot be seen with the naked eye." She grinned over at his incredulous expression. He was cute when confused... quickly, she pushed that distracting thought away and went back to explaining. "The humans of this time are fascinated with how everything works. Whether it be the processes of a living creature or the stars themselves. So we have what are called scientists, people who spend their lives figuring out the 'mysteries' of our world. One of these scientist genres is called microbiologists. Their job is to study things like this little microbe here," she tapped it with her own finger, "and write down what it is and how it operates. Most things like this microbe aren't that dangerous." She couldn't stop herself from teasing, "In fact, you probably have some of these little guys in contact with you right now."

Sesshoumaru glanced down at himself, looking as though he was searching for the tiny culprits. Her laughter filled the room and she moved back to sit up comfortably. Warm blue-grey eyes met frowning amber ones.

"No, no. You can't see them, remember? Anyway, they won't hurt you."

The look he gave spoke of doubt, but he just asked, "What of this painting?"

Grinning lopsidedly, she answered, "That isn't a painting. At least, not in the sense you are familiar with. What you are looking at is made by a machine called a printer. A printer is something that a human, once again, developed to make their life easier. What it does is takes a picture that someone draws, copies that image, and then is able to put it on as many pieces of paper as you like. Except it is not done by hand by a human, but by a machine."

He frowned, clearly not understanding her. "How is that possible?"

Thinking of how she could show him, she suddenly got an idea that was sure to convince.

Snapping her fingers, startling him a little from her sudden motion, she got up quickly from the bed and headed towards her desk. Smiling secretly, Kagome winked at Sesshoumaru as he sat, watching her random movements.

This human just never made sense.

Kagome was proud of her own genius. 'This is sure to get Mr. Skeptical to believe me,' she thought in glee, pulling out her keyboard and turning on her printer.

The sound of the keys being depressed on the keyboard and the whirring of the printer setting itself filled the room. Using her mouse, she moved the cursor to a picture on the Internet site she had left it on while cooking lunch, double clicking on it so it would enlarge.

Sesshoumaru studied what she was doing in silence. Taking in the sight of her flipping a small red switch on the funny shaped grey box, the same color as the one with the pictures flitting across it, and listened with interest to the sound it made. It was foreign. Something he could not say he had ever heard before. The girl then pulled a hidden wooden tray-like thing from under the odd shaped table that had a flat greyish object on it with ridges dotting its surface. Tapping filled his ears as she began pressing on them in rapid succession before putting her palm over an oval stone type thing with a long piece of string coming out of one end.

None of this made any sense to him, and it frustrated Sesshoumaru that he didn't understand what was around him. Anything from in here could be potentially deadly to him, and he wouldn't know it until it was too late.

Damn, but he wanted out of here. He just wanted to get back to his castle, listen to Rin prattle on about her lessons and flowers, and maybe step on Jaken a few times. Just to show he cared.

Another odd noise brought him from his thoughts. Kagome was now standing next to the box that was making all the weird sounds, waiting patiently as a piece of paper made its way out of it in a jerky fashion.

A few clicks and shuffling noises later and the piece of paper dropped to a ledge attached to the grey box. Flipping the switch she had used to bring it to life, he watched a green light at its top blink a few times before going black.

Warily, he saw her approach him with the piece of parchment in her hand, not fully trusting the half-grin on her lips.

Presenting it to him with a flourish, Kagome once more sat next to him, saying, "This is what a printer can do. That thing I worked on just now is what is called a computer system, and people hook up printers to them to produce pictures."

Gently taking the white paper in his hand, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise at seeing an exquisite rendition of a meadow covered in the pink petaled flowers Rin loved so well. Even the artists that served his court could not recreate something this perfect.

"I have never seen the like," came his half-awed exclamation. It made the girl next to him smile in satisfaction.

Now, finally, he would believe her. She was sure of it.

All those hopes were dashed, though, when Sesshoumaru all at once put the picture between the pages of the book open on his lap before closing the cover on it with a loud 'snap'. Surprised at his actions, Kagome felt her own eyes widen as she asked, "What?"

Sesshoumaru turned a cold eye on her. "I have to get to my castle," he said slowly, as if speaking to a particularly dull child. "Have you any idea how dangerous the youkai who attacked me are? You keeping me away from where I need to be puts everyone in danger. Doesn't your feeble human mind understand that? I don't have time for these tricks."

Kami, he was stubborn!

"I was the one who found you bleeding, remember?" She sobered, something soft and wounded in her eyes. "Perhaps Rin and Jaken sent out people to look for you. I'm sure they're doing fine, so you shouldn't worry so much about them."

She tried to reassure him. Maybe he was so worried about his ward and retainer the he wouldn't listen to anything she was saying.

"I very much doubt it," he observed wryly.

Her tendril-scraggled brow crinkled in disbelief. "But surely they must have noticed you aren't around and sent someone to assist you!"

"Well according to you there would be no way for them to find me anyway." His sharp golden eyes looked over her derisively, his lip curling in a very un-Sesshoumaru like sneer. "How can any 'help' find me while I sit here in the future?"

Kagome felt the pressure of a headache blossoming in the vicinity of her temples.

He just refused to believe her. No amount of argument was going to convince the stubborn Taiyoukai of what she'd been explaining to him for a half hour now.

It was time to resort to drastic measures.

With a defiant tilt to her chin, Kagome got up from the bed and looked down at him.

"Alright, that's it! I have had up to here," she put one hand in a slicing motion by her throat, "with your not listening to me. For crying out loud, Sesshoumaru! Can't you just trust what I am saying to you?!"

"I trust no one."

Kagome stared at him in surprise, the bluster of her anger dying out at his answer, dismayed, uncertain what disturbed her most— that there was no one this youkai could trust, or the way he revealed it, as if the fact didn't hurt at all.

She'd always abhorred violence, and war was the ultimate obscenity. But she'd assumed that soldiers, embattled, with such a tenuous hold on life, especially youkai, drew closer. Demons who trusted each other with their very lives from heartbeat to heartbeat must trust their fellow comrades with things even more precious. That was how it was with her group, which even included Kouga from time to time.

"My affairs are none of your concern, human," her patient said with icy calm. "Since you will not let me leave there is only one logical choice left. I'll simply figure out how to get out of here on my own."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Are you crazy? You can't possibly leave!"

Kami save him from the moral spiels of do-gooders! "The youkai who attempted to kill me will very likely try to strike again. This is none of your affair. Why put yourself in danger?" He tried to sway her to let him leave with words of mock concern. He was hoping to appeal to her sense of self preservation. "I would help me leave if I were you."

"Then it is a good thing you are not me." Seeing that he wasn't going to let it drop, she sighed in defeat while slouching. "I'll take you to your castle myself. That is if you promise to remain here until you are better."

"You're not responsible for me. I do not need your 'help' to get back to my castle. This is no time to be impractical."

"This is no time to try and be a heroic fool!" she shot back.

"There's nothing heroic or foolish in my motives," he reassured her.

"As for you not needing my help, Sesshoumaru, you're wrong. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that if something or someone is in need falls into my path, I'm meant to care for it." It was simply how Kagome was made. It was the very nature of what she was.

"I'm not a head-kicked lapdog, girl."

"No, you take up far too much room on my bed to be a lapdog, Sesshoumaru," she said in mock seriousness, making him angry. "Be that as it may, I found you. You're too weak to tend yourself, so for the time being you belong to me."

"Belong to you?" There was another time those words had iced his blood with terror. This time he choked out a stunned chuckle. "It makes no logical sense to—"

"Sesshoumaru, I have a cat who doesn't do anything but eat and sleep and a grandpa who thinks everyone is a potential demonic threat. Any logical person would have drowned them both. You must see how futile it is to try to persuade me to let you waltz out of here hurt." Kagome couldn't believe the claim she had been bold enough to make. The words had slipped out, completely taking them both by surprise. However, she couldn't back down now.

Congratulations. You are the proud new keeper of a mass murdering injured Taiyoukai.

She continued on with her little speech, sounding more confident than she felt under his intense gaze. "Now, you can let me help you until you get well and stay in bed till it is the right time for you to walk, or I can wait until you fall unconscious from attempting to walk around on that bad leg, breaking open all your wounds, and then I can put you back into this room pulling you by your heels."

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but then stark resignation flooded his eyes. "Kagome, permit me to tell you that you make absolutely no sense."

A spark of pleasure seeped through her at his first use of her name. "I take that as a compliment, Sesshoumaru," she said, sitting down to take a seat on the chair that had been her bed last night, and no doubt would be again tonight. With precise movements, she picked up the now cold plate of stir fry and put it on her lap.

Picking up the silver fork she speared an emerald pod of snow peas and held it up, fixing an encouraging smile at the disgruntled countenance of the dog demon in front of her. She may not have fully convinced him that he was in the future, but at least he was willing to stay with her until he was completely healed.

Sesshoumaru wondered if he had just consigned himself to a slow and painful death...

"Now then, open your mouth so I can feed you."

It was official. He was in hell and this annoying girl trying to feed him like a baby was his own personal demon jailer.

Kami help him.

Mrs. Higurashi opened the door to her quaint two storied house and let herself, Souta and grandpa in. The house was oddly silent for it being almost five in the afternoon. Well, quiet considering her daughter was in her room nursing a large demon from the feudal era of Japan.

Kicking off her low-heeled black pumps, she followed her family members through the entry hall to the kitchen, where they were placing the brown paper bags of groceries onto the tabletop and counters.

The remains of someone cooking in the metal wok littered the sink and yellow tiles of the counter by the fridge, a few pieces of carrot and broccoli dotting the porcelain surface.

Kagome never could cook without making a huge mess.

Shaking her head at her daughter's lack of household cleanliness, Mrs. Higurashi instructed the two males of the house to continue bringing in their purchases while she checked on their 'guest'. Ignoring the groans and complaining that followed her upstairs, she lightly padded down the dimly lit sepia toned hallway to stop in front of Kagome's door.

Knocking softly, she frowned when receiving no answer before going inside.

The figure on the bed was sleeping, the only state of repose she had seen him in since he came to stay in her home. But judging from the half eaten vegetables and chicken sitting on the night stand, he must have been awake at least for a little while today. Unless Kagome had eaten that.

She highly doubted it though. That was going to too much work to make a meal for one person. Kagome never worked that hard at creating a meal unless it was for someone else.

Mrs. Higurashi would have to remember to let Kagome know it wasn't the best thing to give an ill person who has just been drained from a fever hard food like vegetables. She didn't think her daughter would enjoy nursing a vomiting, wounded demon. Who would?

Glancing about the rest of the quiet room, she spotted her daughter coming from the bathroom, holding a glass of water she had just refilled from the faucet in there. She smiled at seeing her mom.

"Hey mom. How was your day?" Again, she kept her voice hushed, not wanting to wake up Sesshoumaru. He had fallen asleep about an hour ago, finally letting exhaustion overtake him after he'd 'battled' with her, trying to evade the food she had made him.

Many curses and snarls later, she had gotten half of the stir fry down his royal throat.

It was as hard as feeding a child that was throwing a temper tantrum. Who knew the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands hated being fed by someone else so badly? But with his injured shoulder, she didn't want him moving it and possibly breaking the stitches. Kagome did not think she could go through sewing up his flesh again.

"Fine, dear, fine. I picked up your brother from school before getting grandpa. The doctor said everything looked fine and told him to cut back on his tea intake. He said it had something to do with the caffeine in it." She smiled serenely at her daughter. "I also bought a lot of soups and broths for your friend there. It probably isn't wise to let him eat anything too solid for a while," she informed her gently.

Kagome blushed while chuckling softly, "Yeah, thanks mom. I thought being a demon and all he might want something more substantial than a watery broth. But you're right. Next time it is something mild for his royal highness over there," she indicated him with a roll of her eyes.

The two woman shared a knowing smile while walking towards the door. Kagome still felt uneasy about her mom being in the same room as the Taiyoukai. Sure, now that she had proclaimed 'ownership' of her patient she had put her trust in a him a little. But that didn't mean she was stupid enough to trust him wholeheartedly. That would be beyond dumb.

"I had better get down there and finish up the house chores before starting dinner. Your brother and grandfather claimed they were starving all down the aisles at the supermarket."

Nodding in understanding, Kagome leaned on the doorframe while saying, "I know what you mean. Those two get hungry every two hours and have no problem letting everyone know it."

Soft laughter floated from her mother. "Exactly. Okay, dear, I will be downstairs. Souta wanted to come up and talk to you later, but I think I will tell him he can see you tomorrow," she stated, eyeing the dark circles under Kagome's soft blue-grey eyes and the weary set to her shoulders.

Kagome offered a tired smile. "Thanks mom, you're the greatest."

Mrs. Higurashi inclined her head, turning to go back downstairs.

"Oh! Mom wait a minute!" Kagome's hushed voice stopped her mom at the top of the stairs, one raven brow raised on the older woman's face. Smiling sheepishly, Kagome ran a hand through her ponytail, mussing it up more, before saying, "There is a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the washer." She pretended she didn't see the skeptical look that overcame her mom's face. "When you get the chance, can you bring it back up here?"

"Sure honey." Mrs. Higurashi calmly replied.

"Thanks mom!" Kagome waved at her once more before closing the door and heading back to her chair.

Shaking her head again at her daughter's odd behavior since the male youkai had come to their house, Mrs. Higurashi wondered how well Kagome knew the male she was watching over. Or come to think of it, how close those two were.

She had said it was Inu Yasha's brother, and no one had seen the hanyou since Kagome had come home two weeks ago. Everyone could tell that Kagome was a lot sadder when she had come back all those days ago, and they had worried about what had happened in the Sengoku Jedai to make the light dim in her daughter's eyes.

However, that happy gleam had become a little brighter since Sesshoumaru had come into their lives. Perhaps having him around wasn't such a bad thing after all. Perhaps the youkai would be good for her daughter.

Only time would tell.


	6. Soup

She was humming, blithely off key. Sesshomaru buried his face deeper in the pillow. Such an over-abundance of cheerfulness this early in the morning should be made a capital offense.

No. Hanging would be much too merciful a fate— but at least it would make things quiet.

Surrendering, he shoved himself upright, uncertain exactly why he was wincing. The twinge in his shoulder? The slicing of cat claws as that infernal hell-born feline scrabbled off his chest, or the fact that Kagome had given up humming and actually broken into song!

He blinked repetitively in an effort to focus his eyes. The woman must have a nice sturdy robe sash some-place in this room. If he couldn't manage to hang her, he might be able to hang himself.

Moving the blanket aside he noticed the new white bandages wrapped around his body. The smell of a pasty medicine assaulted his nose causing Sesshoumaru to replace his meager covering quickly to dull its potency.

If Kagome had had time to do all that, he must have been sleeping for hours. The last thing he recalled from yesterday afternoon was fighting the girl's attempts to feed him. Finally, in order to get some peace, he'd swallowed a few of the cold vegetables and cubes of chicken. Not exactly his ideal meal, but if it made her leave him alone he'd suffer it.

"Good morning, sleepy-head!"

Sesshoumaru stifled a groan as she careened into his line of vision like a drunken butterfly, her face wreathed in a blindingly radiant smile.

If he ever did hunt down those youkai who attacked him, he knew exactly what kind of torture he'd inflict to get them to confess— lock them in a room with Mistress Sunshine. An hour in her company and they'd be admitting to crimes they hadn't even committed.

"I'm so glad you're finally awake!" she said, energetically stirring something in a blue bowl, the grey backdrop of the button down shirt and jeans she wore making the color stand out vividly. Her long raven hair was put up messily with silver chopsticks, long tendrils escaping from the mass piled atop her head.

"It's so hard to be quiet on such a lovely morning, and entertaining company from the feudal era is so rare, I hate to waste a moment of it." She drew in a breath before rushing on. "I've made you the greatest breakfast! Precisely what you need to strengthen you up."

Perhaps this morning's fare would turn out to be better than the last. He was a little hungry...

"What did you bring?"

She drew the chair near his bed, and before he could object, put a bright pink cloth napkin over his blanket covered chest, as if he were a pup.

For the first time in his life, Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru Taisho couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Then she plopped down on the chair, bowl cradled in her lap, and took up the spoon.

The woman couldn't possibly intend to feed him again!

"You'll find it quite delicious, I'm sure," she chirped, scooping up a spoonful of some white-yellow creamy glop.

Perhaps she was in league with the assassins after all and was attempting to poison him...

He sniffed delicately, identifying the aroma of chicken, salt, cream, and a number of other things that he did not recognize.

Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose in perplextion.

"What is...that?"

Guileless eyes met his. "Cream of chicken soup."

Sesshoumaru raised one silver eyebrow, staring at her as if her hair were afire.

"Girl...er, Kagome, I've fallen beneath sword point eight times in a single battle, and no one has ever dared to present me with such...slop while undergoing recovery."

Her smile faltered, hurt shadowing her blue-grey eyes. "I made it myself, stirred in some nice herbs that will help you to heal. I didn't know what human medicines you could have so I had to rely on calling a health store for natural remedies. You want to get strong again as fast as you can, don't you?"

"Not if it entails eating that." Most females would either be running for cover, wailing, or raging at him in high temper. Kagome merely sat there, gazing wistfully into the accursed azure bowl.

He should have been relieved. He'd taken the bounce out of the woman— that was what he'd desired from the moment he heard her chirping away, wasn't it?

" I didn't mean to offend you," she said. "I tasted it myself, and it was tolerable enough, I hoped."

Sesshoumaru felt a twinge of a most unfamiliar kind. It couldn't possibly be guilt. He didn't believe in it— a waste of time and energy. What was done was done. And yet, as he looked at those downcast eyes with their ridiculously long lashes, he recalled everything the woman had done for him since she'd discovered him bleeding.

He stunned himself by growling, "Give it to me."

"Wh–what?"

"The bowl, girl."

She grasped the crockery against her middle as if she expected him to snatch it out of her hands. "Don't feel obligated to—"

Obligated? He was obligated to the woman for his very life. In some sense anyway. If it would please her to see him choke down the odious stuff, he'd humor her. Sesshoumaru had done it for Rin often enough.

Maybe he could feed it to the cat when she left the room to do whatever errands she needed to do. After the claw marks the beast had left, it deserved to be poisoned.

"Kagome, I'll eat it– by my own hand, if you please."

She went to hand the bowl over, looking so pleased it made the twinge he'd felt all the sharper.

"Let me braid your hair out of the way before you start. It would be a shame if it trailed in the soup."

Inwardly, he rolled his eyes and groaned.

She was worse than Rin.

Sesshoumaru submitted to her ministrations gracefully.

Why fight something he knew he couldn't win?

Placing the soup on the night stand, which was now bare and tidy, Kagome moved to sit at the top of the bed next to him, folding one leg under her while letting the other dangle off the side.

Scooting a bit forward, Sesshoumaru turned his back to her, giving the miko full access to his silvery tresses.

Half-smiling, she retrieved a red, black bristled brush from the night stand's drawer and began to slowly pull it through his hair.

Intent on her task, she ran one hand after every brush stroke through his silky mane, marveling how clean and well kept it was.

'I wonder what conditioner he uses,' she wondered idly, concentrating on making his hair smooth and shiny.

Un-beknowest to the fascinated girl, the youkai she was working on had closed his golden eyes.

He let himself relax under her touch, the tenseness disappearing from his muscular frame. Not since he was a pup and his beautiful mother used to do this had he felt so at ease.

Sesshoumaru winced when the sharp prickle of bristles passed over his damaged shoulder.

"Sorry," she whispered, putting the hair implement aside to run her fingers through his tresses.

It felt even better when she put her delicate fingers against his scalp. Sinfully pleasurable came to mind.

Kagome, innocent of her patient's ponderings, deftly separated his silvery locks into three equal sections, her fingertips brushing the tips of his pointed ears.

She'd removed almost every stitch of clothing he wore while he was senseless, but this time he was aware of her fragile feminine fingers brushing his skin, not even briskly, but rather with a kind of inborn tenderness he sensed was as much a part of the woman as the soft blue-grey of her eyes. It was an alien thing to him, such gentleness in a touch. Dangerous. Like the juices of the opium poppy, it held the power to numb self-control, dulling a person's will, fettering their independence. It had the power to make even a Taiyoukai crave more.

He shivered at the light contact, a frown marring his moon marked brow at his reactions to this human female.

It was all ludicrous.

With long practiced motions, Kagome wove Sesshoumaru's hair into an ivory rope, leaving a bit of a tail at the end.

Following the line of the braid down his back with her eyes, she started in surprise at seeing exactly where his tail came from.

A little above his loincloth stemmed the lengthy piece of fur and bone, the long alabaster hairs preventing her seeing exactly where it attached to his lithe body.

It was so weird, seeing a tail sprouting from a seeming human body. Inu Yasha's ears were difficult enough to see as commonplace. Sesshoumaru's tail, while just as equally cute, might take longer to accustom herself to.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled with over brightness, draping his braid over the shoulder of his missing arm before getting up.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, letting a guarded expression hang over his features, no outward sign of his previous thoughts present.

The wood of the headboard was clinically cold against his bare back when he settled against it, and he was grateful for the small protection the thin gauze covering his wound offered him.

He wanted her to find something to do that would take her far away from him. But instead of flouncing off about her business, she slouched back onto the chair, the old wood creaking under her weight. Kagome handed over the bowl for him to place on his lap before grabbing up a little basket brimful of sewing gewgaws and an obviously old purple shirt that had seen better days.

She was threading a needle by the time he recovered from shock.

"I thought I would keep you company," she explained. Personally, she was proud of the fact that she could mend her clothes without cringing when using the needle. She flashed the stunned demon a smile. "There's nothing more dreadful than being sick and alone."

'She was mistaken. There was something far worse,' he thought grimly— the mere idea of letting anyone see him made weak and vulnerable by his wounds prominent in his mind. Even animals had the sense to drag themselves off to holes and dens to lick their injuries in private.

He schooled his face into bored lines, hiding any evidence of his acute unease. "I wouldn't dream of being such an inconvenience to you. Go about your business."

"How thoughtful of you," Kagome replied sardonically. "But distracting you from your discomfort is my business at present. I admit there's not a great deal to do, now that I graduated from school and all. I tidied up my room while you were sleeping, and had my breakfast. I even investigated a little by the well to make sure no other 'surprise' visitors showed up." The tiniest of lines at the corner of her mouth betrayed the nervousness she was trying to hide— the fear of the youkai who had hunted him down blanketing her own enticing scent.

The thought of her running afoul of the assassins made Sesshoumaru exceedingly irritated. "And what would you have done if you had found them?" He asked in accents frigid enough to create ice crystals in a pot of boiling water.

"Why, enchanted them with my blinding beauty of course," she answered with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "That is one of the advantages of being attractive and miko-born."

Now he was afflicted with her sense of humor?

"Human..." He was going to tell her not to be ridiculous. But didn't even acknowledging such a statement make him seem equally absurd?

"So you see," she went on cheerfully, "I have absolutely nothing to do at the moment but stitch and enjoy your company."

"I take my meals alone."

"Poor guy. Far too busy with your duties to seek out even such small comfort as conversation, I would bet." Kagome simpered in sympathy. "But there's nothing you can do here, either, so you can just rest and talk."

'Perhaps he could drag himself on his belly away from her room,' Sesshoumaru considered, even such an indignity looking ever more attractive.

Hell might take the form of a talkative angel after all...

"So would you like to tell me about yourself?" she asked, trying to draw out the stoic Taiyoukai. "You must have had many grand adventures."

He'd sooner have been roasted over a bed of hot coals than give her any more glimpses of the youkai he was. Likely even Mistress Sunshine would be sobered by such enlightenment. If he couldn't dislodge her from his side, his only option was to distract her inquisitive mind.

But how?

He searched for a moment, then seized on a solution with some reluctance.

"I'd prefer to talk about you." Far preferable to the truth: I wish you would leave me in peace. And most people would rattle on about themselves ad nauseam. "What could possess a woman like you to wander about with my idiot half-brother?"

"I'm helping him find the shards for the shikon jewel and defeat Naraku. There are only a few pieces left to gather before there aren't more to find. That's when I'm sure Naraku will show himself."

Sesshoumaru spooned up some of the soup, determined to eat it in record time. There was always the hope that once he was done with the vile stuff, she'd take herself off to scrub dishes or some such. "Isn't Inu Yasha mad at you for staying away this long? Shouldn't you be out looking for shards right now?"

A jolt or pain skated over her nerves, the stitch Kagome just finished coming out crooked. Whispering a curse, she trained her attention on fixing it.

"Kikyo is there, remember? So I'm sure the hunt is continuing on just fine without me." She steadfastly disregarded the sadness she felt over not seeing her friends in so long. "Besides, someone has to take care of you and it might as well be me."

"Why return to him and leave this home behind?" He still didn't totally believe he was five hundred years into the future, but he reasoned it wise not to completely discard the notion either. Stranger things were possible after all.

Another spoonful of soup— more vile than the last, yet not nearly as impalatable as making conversation thus. Of course Kagome would open her very heart for his inspection at the slightest prodding. But he couldn't help being a trifle amused at himself. Lord Sesshoumaru coaxing idle conversation out of someone. It was like a wolf tenderly inquiring after the health of a lamb. Sesshomaru thought it was obvious Kagome knew nothing of wolves— dressed in fur or in white silk kimonos.

"It's my duty. Since I was the one responsible for the jewel shattering to begin with it is only right that I put it back together again." She spoke with steely determination. "No matter how long it takes."

"And the legions of injured parties involved in the jewel's shattering— none of them besides your few friends came to your aid?" Nothing irritated him more than blind idealism, especially when confronted with the victims it could leave in its wake.

Bristling at his sarcasm, Kagome straightened her spine and met his censuring gaze squarely. "Sesshoumaru, most of the victims could barely afford to house or feed themselves after encountering the destructive force of a shikon fragment. Several offered to give us a place to stay for the night, but that would hardly have been fair, causing them additional hardship. We refused to accept their help. There was no reason to drag more people into the center of danger than was necessary."

He inclined his head, deferring to her ruffled feathers with an icy silence. The woman who had taken him in, nursed him, had been sorely mistreated by his younger brother and the people she had helped. Cast aside for a half-alive zombie crafted in earth and fear from ignorant peasants. How pathetic.

Over the years, Sesshoumaru had worked hard to perfect his gift for seeing into other people's minds— into their motives and fears, weaknesses and vices— for to know one's opponent was vital in the vast game that was life. Yet he always viewed whatever he discovered with detachment. Why was it that the picture of Kagome stung? A wistful woman-child's face peering through the darkness to see the man she loved go eagerly into the arms of another.

Kami, if he didn't feel an uncharacteristic urge to utter some word of sympathy or comfort! Useless rot! It would change nothing that had happened.

"Once we are on the road, life is a little easier. The countryside is so beautiful, it soothes my spirit." She suddenly added, her mouth softened, sweetened, her eyes touched with a faint, pensive shadow. "And so I continue on, traveling with my friends and hoping in the end they'll all find the happiness they deserve."

Sesshoumaru's own memory stirred at her poignant words. A warm voice, as exuberant as summer sun, his own mother's strong arms outstretched: "Fly to the sky, my little demon..." Even now there were times when he could almost remember what it was like to be tossed high above his mother's head, to hear the echoes of his own squeals of delight as he flew, certain mama would always be there to catch him. Another fairy tale. Another lie. That pup had lost the life he'd known, too. But he hadn't turned his face to the sun.

He shook off the unwelcome memory, wishing the infernal woman would drown the shades of his past in her chatter. But the stubbornly genial companion who had been so talkative moments before had vanished. She'd lapsed into silence, concentrating on her sewing, her lashes lowered, her full lips pressed together.

Tending a quiet heartache, the loss of her lover?

Why should it matter to Sesshoumaru? Silence was what he craved, wasn't it? Then why the hell was he suddenly prodding her to go on? What was it about her?

"So you plan on staying here with me until I am well and then escort me to my castle?"

Nodding, she tied off the last stitch. "Correct. I made a promise, and no matter what happens I'll hold to it."

"Even if Inu Yasha doesn't approve?" he couldn't resist prodding.

Her eyes locked with his, an unknown emotion flashing across their depths. "Yes, even then." Kagome quickly got up to hang the now mended shirt in the closet, dropping the needle into the sewing basket as she passed it.

Sesshoumaru watched her silently, the soup forgotten on his lap, pondering the turn of events.

'It wasn't that he was becoming afraid for the girl or that he felt responsible for her in any way,' he told himself. Whatever disaster she had embroiled herself in was purely incidental to him. But there were other matters to consider...he'd never been one to cast away opportunities fate presented him. And the chance to thwart his idiot brother... it was a temptation tantalizing beyond imagining.

Perhaps fortune had thrown him into Kagome's path for a purpose. Some small half-forgotten force called conscience winced at the thought, but he crushed it, gaze fixed intensely on the woman putting away her clothing. If she could forget about Inu Yasha, help him, Sesshoumaru, figure out what was wrong with his youkai blood, it was possible that she might prove valuable to him.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her worried query startled him, drawing him back to the present to see her beside him— the cramped confines of her room, the penetrating warmth of her blue-grey eyes, and the unnerving awareness of his own stupidity. He'd left himself vulnerable during those instances when he allowed his mind to wander.

"What is it, Kagome?"

"Is something wrong? You look so...strange."

He didn't know if he should be insulted or not.

Sesshoumaru drew his accustomed cool mask over his features. "A hazard of getting oneself injured, I fear. All that grimacing and groaning, trying to put on a brave face. It gets wearing after a while."

The woman looked so chagrined that anyone with a drop of compassion in their veins would have wished the words back.

"How utterly selfish of me! Rambling on about things you can have no interest in."

"You mistake me, girl. You've distracted me marvelously well."

Heavy lids draped low over his eyes, so he wouldn't have to look at Kagome's innocent face.

Yes. She'd given him something else to think about besides his wounds. For only an idealistic fool would refuse to use a weapon fate might well have cast into his hands.


	7. Sleepless Night

A young woman stood beside her single bedroom window, looking out of the parted white lace curtains with a pensive expression. The pale light from a quarter moon bathed her delicate features with an ethereal glow, stray beams dancing upon the raven tresses laying down her shoulder and back.

A sigh left her throat, her blue-grey eyes troubled as they traced the dappled surface of a giant tree in the yard below her.

"Inu Yasha," a breathy whisper laced in sorrow and regret settled on the still night air.

Hugging her arms closer about her middle, Kagome gazed out towards the Goshinboku and enchanted wellhouse, wondering when a certain hanyou would make an appearance.

She knew that any moment he would return to Kaede's village, noticing the scent of blood and poison mixed with that of his half brother. The trail would lead him to the Bone-eater's Well where she expected Inu Yasha to promptly travel through to her time era, Tetsusaiga brandished before him in preparation for meeting his brother.

The confrontation to come was part of the reason Kagome remained awake late into the evening, in an instance when she could have been sleeping for the first time in two days. But her heart was filled with too much turmoil to allow rest to take her this night.

Unlike the peacefully slumbering Taiyoukai spread out on his now clean bedding she had to figure out how to intercept Inu Yasha before he could find Sesshomaru. This was going to be one of the hardest things she would put herself through.

Not only would this be their first meeting since his choice, but now the dynamic element of housing Sesshoumaru stood between them as well.

Deep down, Kagome knew that by helping his half brother Inu Yasha would perceive it as a personal slight.

Then again, wasn't it in a way?

Shaking her head, her lips settled into a thin line, her hands convulsively clenching into the soft black material of her long-sleeved shirt.

No. Really, how could Kagome have left the injured youkai lying at the bottom of the well where he would have ultimately died from his wounds?

The answer was she couldn't and wouldn't have.

For some reason fate had placed Sesshoumaru into her hands, to what purpose she wasn't sure. But no matter the consequences regarding the hanyou, Kagome was determined to get Sesshoumaru healed and solve the mystery of his youkai blood's inactivity. Hadn't she claimed him for the duration of his stay? Then it was only right that she be the one to offer aid anyway that she could.

Speaking of which...

Earlier, she had helped him to the bathroom where he insisted on being allowed to bath. At first, she'd been reluctant, worried about getting the stitches wet or possibly losing his balance consequentially falling down.

After some futile arguing she had relented enough to allow him to use a washcloth while standing in the bathtub. If he didn't lay down in the water, but instead, used the bathtub like a giant water basin, he should be okay.

His hair he would have to leave unwashed for a few more days, until the lacerations were closed a little more.

A smile tilted her lips, a twinkle of silent mirth lighting her eyes when she recalled the sopping mess his tail had been. While he'd gotten clean Kagome had taken the time to change the bedding to soft green flannel, a forest colored comforter replacing the thin blanket of before. The heavier cover shouldn't irritate his injuries any more.

Turning to the sound of the bathroom door opening, Kagome had bit back laughter at seeing a spotless Sesshoumaru, a large white towel wrapped around his lean hips, with his long tail a flat sodden heap about his feet.

One silver brow had arched arrogantly as he regarded the human before him. He could tell she was laughing at him.

Limping as gracefully as possible, Sesshoumaru stopped to tower over her, trying to intimidate with his size.

From the way the miko tilted her head and grinned, he doubted it was working.

"Something you need help with, Sesshoumaru?" An innocent enough question.

Staring stoically down at her with his slitted amber eyes, he said emotionlessly, "Human, I need you to dry my tail for me."

Kagome could see it was a blow to his massive pride to ask for any help. A feeling of compassion invaded her, making her wish to ease his discomfort as soon as possible.

She surprised him by taking his large clawed hand between her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze, the small fingers lightly patting the stripes on his wrist.

"Of course, Sesshoumaru. Just let me get another towel, okay?"

Not waiting for an response, she hurried off to get a towel, leaving the Taiyoukai to stare at his hand.

Returning quickly, Kagome wrapped the cloth around the base of his tail and began rubbing it vigorously, absorbing the water to leave damp fluffy fur in its wake.

Sesshoumaru leaned on the side of the bed, allowing the springy mattress to take the majority of his weight and off his injured leg. It had started to ache halfway through his bath and was now suffering sharp stabbing pains.

Damn his youkai blood and its lack of cooperation! It was behaving like Tensaiga, having a will of its own and only reacting when it felt like it.

"There, all done!"

He inclined his elegant head, his long braid swaying with the motion, a few tendrils had come loose to frame his face. Silently, he unwound the cloth around his waist to hand to her.

Throwing the drenched towels into the bathroom, Kagome came back to Sesshoumaru, her eyes taking in the chalky pallor of his skin. Even for a white dog demon he was too pale. She also noticed none of his weight was on his injured leg, but leaned against the bed.

'Must be in pain,' she realized.

"Alright, Sesshoumaru. You lie down and I'll brush your tail out for you."

He offered no complaint, allowing her to help him lay down on the clean sheets, checking to see that his bandages were all still firmly in place and dry, at last tucking the cover around him. The feathery caress of her fingers gently pushed a few strands of his hair behind one pointed ear.

Her action must have been an unconscious one, considering when he'd searched her eyes afterwards they'd been preoccupied with a faraway look.

He wondered what made her act so kindly towards him. . . .

Kagome settled onto her chair, pulling the heavy tail across her knees, much as she had that first night, and got out her trusty brush. Soon, the static sound of bristles combing through pieces of hair filled the air, filling the silence between the two.

When she had finished, Kagome looked to the bed, smiling softly at seeing Sesshoumaru sleeping peacefully. Putting the brush away, she'd turned off her desk lamp, placing his tail on the ground before departing from the youkai's side to take post at the window.

It was where she'd stood for the past few hours, the minutes of the deep night ticking by slowly.

She supposed she could blame her wakefulness on Sesshomaru.

Emotions awakened by the enigmatic youkai whose white-silver hair lay tangled upon her pillow roiled within her. As she'd sat on the chair, chattering away, she hadn't realized the reverberations he'd managed to set off with his questions, and the merest flickering of an eyelash, or turning of the corner of his mouth.

It was only later, as she went about her tasks and helping him groom his tail, that she become aware of the consequences of their conversation.

Strange, she'd been so determined to leave Inu Yasha behind her, that life and the starry-eyed teenager who had lived it someone far different from herself. She'd made a conscious choice to look ahead to just gather the remaining shards and finish the quest that had lasted three and a half years so far. She'd vowed to accept life's unexpected gifts instead of yearning for a life that had vanished.

She and her family still had each other. That was all that had really mattered in the end. No power on earth could steal away the love that was the very core of Kagome's being. But tonight, tears she'd thought she finished shedding pressed against her heart, and for some reason, her family felt very far away.

The Taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru Taisho, had made it seem so. No sympathy in his face, no discomfort at her revelations. Rather, a steady gaze stark with understanding, as if he'd seen past everything, to the most secret, tightly locked box she'd buried deep in her soul, the place where she kept anger and loss, grief and blame, and the haunting image of eyes like cold gold medallions.

Now it was his probing that had jarred a half-healed wound, making her intensely aware of it when she'd wanted with all her heart to let it fade into a soft-edged dream that could never hurt her.

Buyo twined about her black sweatpant clad legs, rubbing his head against her, nudging her calf as if to say, I'm here. I know you're sad.

Picking him up, Kagome hugged his warm little body close, as she usually did to Shippo, disregarding the multiple hairs now dotting her shirt.

She stroked his silky ears. But even that familiar comfort couldn't still the restlessness, the unease, coiling ever tighter inside her. Always before, the night had seemed soft and full of mystery, a time to stare into the inky blackness surrounding her house. But all that had changed in the hours since she'd discovered Sesshomaru lying wounded in the old well.

Somewhere in that darkness a thousand unanswered questions still lurked about Inu Yasha and the man who had stolen their shards of the shikon jewel. Dangers stalked beneath night's ebony curtain— Sesshoumaru's attackers wandering about, toasting his supposed death? Or hunting, trying to make certain that their victim was on his way to hell?

Tonight the isolation pressed against her, the uncertainty, the strain, exhaustion weighing her down like rain-sodden clothes. Quietly, she left her visual, putting Buyo down, and walking to stare down to where Sesshoumaru lay sleeping on the narrow bed.

Silvery hair tangled about a face no one could look upon and ever forget.

She'd once read an old folktale from a book her grandfather gave her, that told of a prince so beautiful no one could ever tire of looking upon him. They'd buried his body in an enchanted coffin composed of glass when he'd died.

She'd thought the tale absurd until now.

The creak of the hinges on her door drew her attention from Sesshoumaru.

The dark outline of a head with shaggy hair peaked in, quickly settling in the direction of the young miko by the bed.

"Sis, can I talk to you?" came the whisper of Souta.

Kagome went to him quickly, keeping her voice soft when answering.

"Sure Souta, but let's sit out in the hallway. I don't want to wake up Sesshoumaru."

He moved back, allowing her room to slip through the door, making sure to leave it open enough where she could see the slumbering Taiyoukai from her spot where she sat indian-style on the carpeted floor.

Souta sat across from her, his features hardly discernable in the deep shadows that blanketed the house.

Their voices were a low murmur filling the quiet house.

"What's up, Souta? Why are you up so late?"

He shrugged. "I've been waiting to talk to you for days now, but you never leave your room. It seemed like the only way to get a hold of you was to come now."

She sighed deeply, her fingers picking at the fibers of the carpet.

"I can't leave Sesshoumaru alone while he's here."

"Why not?"

"Because he's hurt and for some reason his youkai blood isn't helping him heal as quickly as usual." Kagome didn't want to tell him the complete truth. That a grain of fear still remained that Sesshoumaru might turn on her family.

Absently, her hand passed over the scars near her neck, a stark reminder that wild creatures were not to be completely trusted.

"Do you think Inu Yasha's brother will be here long?" Excitement laced his tone. "He seems cooler than Inu Yasha."

Kagome grinned. "His name is Sesshoumaru and he's Inu Yasha's half brother. He's a full youkai." She considered for a moment. "I suppose he'll be here until he's completely healed. Then we'll go back to the feudal era so he can get back home."

Souta tilted his head to the side. "Oh, I see. So he's a full demon. That's awesome. Maybe he'll play my X-Box with me while he's here."

Kagome laughed nervously.

Yeah. She could just see him playing with Souta now. Sure it could happen. Rriigghhttt...

"Um, Souta he probably can't play because of only having one arm," she excused quickly.

He sounded disappointed when he said, "Oh. Well perhaps he can watch TV with me instead."

She didn't know how to explain to her younger brother how different Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha were. It was life comparing a swan to a crow. There simply were no real similarities save for gender and relation.

"Maybe. We'll see," she answered evasively.

It seemed to pacify him because he latched onto something else.

"So, have you found out how or who hurt him yet?"

Kagome's brow furrowed.

Come to think of it, she hadn't. That was yet another bone to pick with the close-lipped dog demon.

"No, not yet. I thought I'd let him recover a little more first."

A lie, but Souta didn't need to know that.

"That makes sense." He regarded her thoughtfully in silence before asking, "When do you think Inu Yasha will come back?"

Kagome stiffened, her eyes moving to watch Sesshoumaru's black and white form in her room. Her voice was stilted when she replied, "Probably any day now. I expect him to arrive soon."

Souta studied his sister, watching her watch Sesshoumaru. He knew something had happened between the hanyou and his sister. Judging by his sister's crying at night it was something bad. She'd gotten a little more back to her old self after spending time with the dog demon, but depression cloaked her any time Inu Yasha was mentioned.

Reaching over, he patted her on the shoulder, trying to sound cheerful.

"Don't worry about it Sis. Everything will be alright." A flash of his white teeth pierced the darkness when he smiled. "Besides, I bet Inu Yasha will be happy when he finds out how you helped his brother."

Kagome's lips tilted in a derisive smirk, the black of their surroundings hiding it from her younger sibling's view.

Sure he would. Inu Yasha would be ecstatic when he found out what she'd done.

She could hardly wait...

Souta yawning loudly saved her from acknowledging what he'd said. Instead, she scolded lightly, "You should get back to bed. You have to get up in a few hours for school any way."

He waved a hand dismissively as the two rose from their spots on the carpet.

"It's Friday anyway. Not like I need to pay attention in class today."

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a playful push towards his room.

"Go on, brat. Get to bed so mom doesn't yell at you tomorrow for falling asleep in class."

Souta pouted, but did as she told him.

"Alright, alright. I'm going already. Have a good night Sis."

"You too," she whispered after him as he walked into his room.

Shoulders slumping in weariness, Kagome went into her own bedroom, closing the door behind her with a soft 'click'.

The talk with Souta hadn't done anything to calm the worries plaguing the miko. Instead, they made her feel more alone than before because she was the only one who knew precisely what was going on.

Once again, she moved over to Sesshoumaru.

She gazed down at him a long moment, needing desperately to... to what? Feel even the slightest human touch? Or demon as it were?

An idea flitted into her head as she looked down at the slice of mattress not swallowed up by Sesshoumaru's body, and she plucked at a loose thread on her cuff, uneasy.

Inu Yasha— and even grandpa— would be appalled at the very thought of Kagome even considering committing such an immodest act. Well, immodest to their standards.

Lying down with any male, especially one she barely knew. But it wasn't as if she wanted to ravish Sesshoumaru, she reasoned, 'She only needed to sleep.'

And he had lost a great deal of blood. He'd be in no condition to ravish her even if he'd wanted to. Which she highly doubted.

Wasn't that one of the lessons she'd learned while living a dual life? Not to be tyrannized by other people's arbitrary rules? She was only being sensible. If she slept in the chair, as she had the past two nights, she wasn't sure that after she fell asleep she would easily wake up if he needed her. The past hours were taking their toll on her stamina.

"Stop rationalizing, Kagome," she muttered in self disgust. "Admit the truth. You're afraid. You need this far more than he does."

She smoothed a hand through her hair, taking exaggerated care of straightening the 'V' of her shirt, moving the blanket aside, and edged onto the mattress.

It was as if the bed had shrunk somehow, its size devoured by Sesshomaru's long, lean body. And yet over time she'd grown used to taking up as little space as possible, after nights of keeping Shippo close beside her. She would just think of the elegant Taiyoukai as a particularly large kitsune.

She might even have managed a smile at her attempt at humor, but Sesshoumaru wasn't any tame fox demon kit. More like the wolf she'd tended— fiercely intelligent, untamable, dangerous. Lying down, she gingerly stretched her legs out making sure to put them under the heavy weight of his tail.

His breath stirred the fine hairs at her temple. The warmth of his nearness seeping through the chill inside Kagome.

She'd worry tomorrow about being devoured. Tired. . . she was so tired. She curled up on the edge of the bed, wrapping the green comforter tighter around her shoulders, and let her eyes drift shut.

Amber eyes opened slowly as Kagome fell into a deep sleep.

Sesshoumaru had awoken at the feel of someone moving the blanket that was over him, years of battle training causing him to become instantly alert straight from slumber.

The smell of apples wafted through his senses, calming him.

'It was only Kagome, probably checking that his bandages were all in place before going to sleep on the chair,' he'd thought.

When she sat on the bed only to lie down fully next to him, being careful to move his tail so it lay over her thighs under the cover, he'd felt surprise and astonishment.

Not wanting to alert the miko that he wasn't asleep, he had kept his breathing deep and even, his eyes closed.

She shifted around a bit before settling down, wrapping the warm comforter about her. Minutes later she'd fallen asleep.

He stared at her innocent face, her lashes making dark crescents on her alabaster cheeks. The raven softness of her long hair was dropped a little over his shoulder and forearm, the sweet scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils.

Part of Sesshomaru was outraged that this human dared to share sleeping space with him. By tomorrow her scent was going to be all over him!

Yet, the other half took betraying comfort at having a warm body next to his. It was. . . nice to share warmth with someone once in a while.

He finally decided that allowing her to sleep with him for one night was not going to kill him. Her smell was actually pleasant, and he had taken up her only bed for the past two nights.

'This is just a way to repay her kindness,' he reassured himself while closing his amber eyes.

Kagome scooted closer to him till her head rested on his bicep, then sighed in her sleep.

Sesshoumaru, on the verge of being fully asleep, absently moved his tail to twine around her legs like a serpent, coming to rest around her small ankles.

'I'm only repaying her,' he told himself in a sleepy half conscious haze.

But before he was completely taken to 'dreamland', a voice in his head whispered, 'Liar.'


	8. The Agony of Letting Go

Sesshomaru awoke with a jolt, pain shooting through his shoulder as he struggled to get his bearings. Something warm was pressed up alongside him, silky strands of sweet-smelling hair straggling across his jaw, the pillowy softness of a breast nudged his rib cage.

Muttering a curse, he turned his head to look at Kagome.

He'd forgotten she'd crawled into bed with him last night.

He stiffened, drawing himself tighter against the wall the bed was placed against, frustration and something far too similar to alarm reverberating through him. He'd lost his virginity in his 'teenage' youkai years, but never once had he spent the night lying beside any woman he bedded. Only a reckless fool let anyone see him in the vulnerability of sleep. Even while traveling with Rin and Jaken he had utilized his demon stamina to remain awake.

Sleep. . . the place where nightmares stalked him, and no amount of steely will could hold them at bay.

And this woman, with her keen intuition, had already learned far too much about him when he was half unconscious, racked with pain, and cried out for his mother. The possibility that she might burrow even deeper beneath defenses he'd always thought unbreakable was unthinkable.

There was too much softness about her features, a terrifying tenderness in the full curve of her lips, her eyelashes, absurdly long and curled, lying in rich crescents against her cheekbones.

She shivered in her sleep, closing the space he'd managed to put between them, her rosy cheek nuzzled against his bare chest.

When she'd knocked him out with that noxious liquid's fumes, it hadn't startled him this deeply. Instinctively he tried to draw back farther still, but the blue wall blocked any further retreat.

'Kami in heaven, what was wrong with him?' he thought while suppressing the need to all but crawl up the headboard to escape her.

He'd bedded his share of women, without so much as a ripple in the surface of his prized self-control. The most beautiful, most accomplished lovers youkai society had to offer had viewed the notoriously omniscient Taiyoukai Sesshomaru as an irresistible challenge. They had amused him— their determination to crack his reserve, drive him to paroxysms of passion. And it had been diverting to observe their varying stages of outrage when they realized how little they had touched his emotions.

Yet never had the most skilled siren unsettled him the way this lone, tousled, dream-mad little miko had managed to. He probed the unaccustomed sensation for a long moment, gazing down into her slumbering features, trying to determine exactly what it was about her that had elicited such a unique response. One couldn't quell unwanted reactions, after all, unless one understood the root of them.

Absurdly quixotic, fiercely innocent, tenacious of joy— Kagome was the sort of woman who should have inspired nothing but ridicule in the cynical youkai.

Hadn't he learned early that "compassion" was only a prettier name for weakness, that "idealism" was the word used by cowards without the courage to gaze, straight-faced into life?

Why was it, then, that his fingers itched to smooth the strands of hair back from her cheek?

An innate need for tidiness no doubt. Surely nothing more.

That conviction did not sound as firm as it should have.

Forcing his voice into its usual cool tones, he spoke. "Kagome."

For a moment she groped for the pillow, as if to draw it over her ear, block out the disturbance.

Only then did Sesshomaru notice the dark circles beneath her eyes, the exhaustion draining some of the color from her cheeks. Her nights of staying awake watching over him had begun to show on her physically.

Why the devil should that cause him an unexpected twinge?

"Woman?" he said a trifle more gently.

Her blue-grey eyes fluttered open, hazy with confusion and astonishment swimming in their depths.

"Wh– what... who...?" she scrambled to a sitting position, removing her legs from the cocoon of his tail, looking all around her as she gathered her scattered wits. Kagome turned her heard to stare blearily at him in concern. "Are you all right? Is there something wrong?"

"I must confess, I'm not accustomed to waking to find a woman in my bed. Especially when I do not remember inviting her there in the first place."

Her cheeks washed so scarlet he couldn't help but be vaguely amused.

"Not that I would object except that you absconded with the pillow."

A nervous laugh flew from her throat, husky with the sound of sleep. "I . . . there was nowhere else to— to sleep. . . except the chair," she stammered by way of explanation, "and— and then I was worried I wouldn't be able to hear you if you cried out."

Amusement vanished.

Sesshomaru didn't move a fraction, but felt a hardening inside himself, a tightness in his chest. He mustered the tones that had never failed to send the offender scrambling off in retreat. "I won't be subjecting you to any more such nonsense." I'll cut my own throat first, he finished grimly to himself.

But Kagome's too tender mouth softened, her eyes flooding with compassion. "Once, when I had a nightmare, mama told me that even the bravest people needed someone to hold on to when the monsters came at night. I'm glad you had your own mother to call for, Sesshomaru." She reached out one hand, laid it on his cheek. "You needn't feel ashamed."

'She must not be fully awake yet,' he reasoned.

Sesshomaru's throat closed. He forced a sneer onto his lips. "Ashamed? Girl, you obviously have a high opinion of our powers of intuition. This time, however, you are mistaken."

Her eyes glowed with earnestness. "You don't have to worry. I'll never tell anyone about the night you cried out. And we don't ever need to speak about it again unless you wish it."

She'd read his thoughts?

'How damnably strange,' Sesshomaru thought with a chill.

Not since he was a young pup had anyone been able to unravel the workings of his mind. He'd guarded them far more closely than any miser his treasure hoard. Lucifer was supposed to see into the souls of his prey. They were not supposed to go prying merrily into his.

And as for her vow that they would never speak of his momentary weakness again. . . bloody hell, he'd never known a woman born who could refrain from ferreting out any intriguing tidbit of information once she'd caught the scent of a secret. Doubtless this woman was just better than most at disguising her intentions. But he'd be damned if any torture master wielding weapons of steel or of luminous blue-grey eyes could wrench any confidence out of Taiyoukai Sesshomaru.

"Human, your vow of silence is immaterial to me. There is nothing more to speak of." He gave a careless wave of his hand.

A frown of disappointment lined her forehead as she gazed into his amber eyes.

"You don't believe me, do you? That I'll keep my word?"

Blast if she hadn't managed to disconcert him again!

"What I believe is of no importance."

Sympathy shadowed her eyes. "I feel very sorry for you, Sesshomaru."

Pity? That most loathsome of poisons! How dare she! If she were a man. . . what? He'd have found a way to make her pay for such a violation.

In fact, he was still debating on whether or not to kill her...

"Your sympathy is wasted on me."

"How sad. What kind of people have hurt you thus, that there is no one you trust? Someone must have betrayed you. I never will." The stark sincerity in her ocean-hued eyes should have pierced clean through to Sesshomaru's heart.

Fortunately he did not possess one.

Yet there was something singular about so much earnestness, so much innocence, combined with a fearlessness any youkai on the field of battle would envy. Something that affected Sesshomaru in a way he couldn't quite name.

A lazy contempt was his usual reaction to too much goodness, and curiosity as to how long it would last if confronted with real pain, real adversity.

He'd made a game of estimating exactly how much pressure it would take before virtue snapped. If there was one valuable lesson his mentor had taught him it was that a youkai's powers of deduction needed to be kept honed sharper than his sword. And just as a master swordsman practiced every day the movements of his craft until they were second nature, so the warrior of the mind sharpened his skills at every opportunity.

He started in astonishment, wrenched from his musings as Kagome wrapped her fingers gently about his. "Sometimes pain can be like a– a gateway, and once you pass through it, you discover something wonderful waiting on the other side."

Sesshomaru should have bristled the way he always did over platitudes, but there was the slightness curve to her mouth, the shadow of her own sadness and loss.

Was she saying it to comfort him? Or was it like a mantra she repeated to herself over and over, hoping someday she'd believe it?

Sesshomaru stared into those delicate features, the soft oval face, the smudges of dark brow, the halo of flyaway raven waves, and those eyes, those remarkable eyes. It was as if a current passed through her fingers into his, a soft pulsing that warmed places he wanted to stay cold, greening places he wanted to keep deadened and numb.

"I would prefer that you refrain from touching me, Kagome." The words were out before he could stop them, cool and careless, yet revealing far too much for comfort.

She withdrew her fingers, burying them in her sweat-pants almost guiltily.

"We are, after all, barely acquainted," Sesshomaru said, attempting to deflect that disturbing gaze. "And a youkai of my stature must do all he can to protect his reputation— particularly in this dangerous era. I wouldn't want anyone who heard of our. . . contact, to misconstrue my intentions."

She blushed, snapping, "Sesshomaru, I've found that people will believe what they choose to, whether good or ill. There is nothing I can do to prevent that."

'An astonishing bit of practical wisdom from Mistress Sunshine,' Sesshomaru thought as she continued.

"I'm certain that plenty would think the worst not only of you, but of me for helping you."

Something else he hadn't stopped to consider, though no one could spend three days traveling through the local villages without being aware of the hatred the inhabitants harbored toward anything youkai. And if one of their own consorted with the 'enemy' . . . Kagome was in danger not only from those who had been her friends before she took a wounded demon into her care, but the ignorant populace as well.

How could he have missed something so vital?

His particular brand of genius had been the ability to see every facet of a situation at once, consequences or possibilities beyond the grasp of most men's intellect. But this consequence would have stared the rankest fool smack in the face. Still, he'd overlooked it.

When had his wits gotten so untrustworthy?

Perhaps the cuts suffered by his assassins had put a laceration across something far more dangerous than his shoulder. Or was it this scatterbrained miko maiden who had affected him so strangely? Some charm in one of the bitter foods she'd forced down his throat?

He knew he should never have eaten that vile-tasting soup...

She stood up, tucking a straggly lock of hair behind one dainty ear. She looked lopsided, mussed, creases from the sheet still pressed into her cheek.

Why did he feel a ridiculous urge to reach up and try to smooth those faint lines away? Hellfire, forget staying here recovering, he'd find something to use as a crutch and walk the hundred miles to his castle. Perhaps he'd get lucky and die of exposure on the way. Far less perilous to be at the mercy of the elements than of one small, untidy Good Samaritan.

"Girl, it is imperative that I get back to my castle at once."

"We already made a deal for you to stay here until you're completely recovered, remember?" she spoke in suffering patience. "Why would I let you leave after your promise? So that whoever set up the ambush that all but killed you can finish the job before you're strong enough to defend yourself? I think not." Her chin jutted up a notch. "I've never yet allowed any of the creatures entrusted to my care to go free before I was certain they were strong enough to survive. I'm not about to begin now."

Sesshomaru's amber eyes narrowed, the slitted pupils constricting.

She saw him as one of her infernal wounded beasts. The knowledge ate like acid into his pride. Something clenched in his gut. Emotion. Anger. Shame.

Fear.

He yanked himself away from it, knowing in that panicked instant that he'd do whatever he had to in order to escape it.

Kami alone knew what might have happened next, had it not been for a sudden cacophony of shouting downstairs.

Sesshomaru froze, instincts honed on countless battlefields sizzling to awareness. Even Kagome stilled, her eyes wide, more than a little frightened.

"Inu Yasha," she breathed, looking towards the flat surface of the door. "Maybe he's just over excited to be back in modern day Japan."

He rolled his eyes at the back of her head.

Who the devil was she trying to comfort? Him or herself?

The coarse murmur of Inu Yasha's voice and the smoother tones of Kagome's mother were heard by the two occupants of her bedroom.

Sesshomaru levered himself up. Excruciating pain shot through his shoulder, a swarm of bright dots swimming before his eyes.

Hell, he was as useless as that infernal cat of hers, weak, stranded here without being able to readily reach his swords.

Perhaps he could use the remainder of Kagome's soup to poison his half brother...

She turned her attention back to the dog demon moving about on the bed. "Be careful!" she warned. "You'll tear open your wounds!"

"That might be redundant, since there is a more than passing chance that your visitor intends to create a few new ones. Can you hand me my swords? So I can take them out there with me?"

"Out there?" she blinked at him, incredulous. "You're not going out there!"

"Human— "

"I'll just go down there and talk to Inu Yasha. After I explain to him what's going on he'll probably leave to go hunt more shards. The last thing I need is for you to go charging out there starting a fight with him in my living room."

He grabbed her arm so tight it might leave bruises on that lily-fair skin. "Forgive my obstinacy, but I have an aversion to hiding behind a human female. Youkai tend to frown on it when it comes to their attention."

She glared at him. "You aren't hiding! For crying out loud, Sesshomaru, I'm trying to keep your wounds in good condition so the stitches don't tear. If you go down there I guaranty your brother and you will fight. It's inevitable. Just let me calm him down and send him on his way." She gave a pointed look at her restrained arm.

Reasonable. It was so damned reasonable.

Then why did it irritate him so thoroughly?

"Look, wait in here quietly," she tried to sooth him into letting her go. "I'll give you your swords to hold onto so in case he comes in here you can smash it, sheathed," she put great emphasis on the last word, "over his head. But no maiming or killing."

"Fine. Hand them to me then."

Sighing, she reached over with her free arm and hefted the heavy weight of Tensaiga, the odd angle of her grasp making her muscles strain. Kagome lay the weapon across his lap before retrieving the second one and placing it beside the other, her one arm still in his hand the entire time.

Finally, she settled a steady gaze on his stoic face, waiting for the Taiyoukai to remove his hand so she could go to Inu Yasha.

It took all of Sesshomaru's will to uncurl his fingers, let her go. For a youkai who, two days prior, had suffered little but boredom at the prospect of his death, he was suddenly damned edgy.

Doubtless because it was bad form to get even a little scatterbrain killed after she'd saved one's life.

Not that he thought his idiot hanyou half brother would actually hurt her. At least, he didn't think so. . .

"If you get yourself hurt, human, I shall be most put out." He attempted to speak carelessly, but he couldn't keep the slight roughness out of his tone.

Kagome's expression softened, her fingers trailing in a fleeting caress across one striped cheek before heading towards the door. Pausing, one hand on the brass doorknob, she flashed him a tremulous smile, full of courage, leavened with a humor that pinched in his chest. "So. Sesshomaru, will I."

With that, Kagome opened the door and slipped through, making sure to close it behind her.

The sound of Inu Yasha's voice was now louder, his words becoming clearer without the barrier of the wall muffling them.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she began the walk down the carpeted stairs, wondering how in the world she was going to get out of this predicament.

Life just really was unfair...

Kagome walked with false confidence into the living room, immediately training her eyes on the irrate hanyou who was currently yelling in her brother's face.

For his part, Souta just smiled vacantly, the look in his eyes distant as he tuned out whatever was being said to him.

Her mother was standing in the corner, wide-eyed with a plum colored dish towel in her hand, obviously in the middle of performing the household chores when the half dog demon came storming in. Surprisingly, her grandpa was not present.

'Probably went off to another part of the shrine, that lucky old coot,' she thought with envy.

Acting quickly, she stepped forward and effectively pushed her brother out of the way so she was face to face with Inu Yasha.

"Inu Yasha! How nice to see you!" The smile on her face felt totally generic and put on.

Her acting skills never were the best...

Inu Yasha stopped in mid-sentence, his fierce gold eyes staring into her nervous blue-grey ones. He ran a look over her, taking in the tousled hair, semi-rumpled clothes and bare feet.

His brows lowered in anger. "Wench, do you want to explain why the hell you have been gone for so long? Or maybe you should start with why everything smells like my bastard brother around here."

Sighing inwardly, Kagome tried to explain, "Look, I'm sorry for being gone for so long, but there were things here I needed to take care of." He didn't need to know the entire truth. That she had wanted to get away from him and Kikyou to heal. "Your brother, as I am sure you could smell, which I am assuming is why you came barging in here so rudely," she ignored his growl at that comment, " was injured and so I took him in."

The angered hanyou took a step forward to push his face a few centimeters from her own.

Kagome stared into his golden eyes, a feeling of happiness and sadness intertwining around her heart, clenching it painfully.

Kami, how she had missed him...

She was brought out of her revery when he said, "Don't treat me like an idiot, Kagome. Of course I smelled his blood. What I want to know is how he got here in the first place? And why you took him in when you know how dangerous he is?"

She stepped back, wanting to put some distance between them before answering, "I don't precisely know just how Sesshomaru got here. All I know is that I was going to return to the Sengoku Jedai to hunt more shards when he randomly showed up at the bottom of the well, torn up badly."

Inu Yasha snorted inelegantly, folding his red haori covered arms over his chest, leveling a glare at her. "Keh! Why didn't you just drag him back through then? Why bring him here?"

A headache was beginning to throb at her temples... too many sleepless nights and stress weighing down on her.

"How could I just leave him there?! He was hurt badly and his youkai healing wasn't working correctly. I can't believe you would think I could leave someone to die!" She was now outraged at the thought.

What kind of person did he think she was?!

One white brow, so like his brother's, arched in skepticism. "Sure. Right. Like that guy ever needed help healing in his entire hell-born life."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Kagome stomped up to him, ignoring the audience of her mother and brother watching everything with interest.

Stopping bare inches from him, she poked him in the chest above his linked arms, leaning on her tiptoes to glare into his face as she yelled, "I'm telling you the truth! Why would I lie?! Your brother is upstairs, he is recovering from being badly wounded, and he is having a problem using the healing powers of his blood."

A voice in the back of her mind hoped that Sesshomaru wouldn't be too upset about her divulging that bit of news to his brother.

She just couldn't win between these two siblings...

In the middle of her tirade, a funny look came over Inu Yasha's face as he stared at her. When the last of her words died away, he unfolded his arms and leaned into her, sniffing at her neck and hair.

Shocked, Kagome went to pull away, but his clawed hand clasping onto her forearm prevented it as he continued to snuffle gently.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she squeaked in outrage.

His white silky ears flattened against his head at the sharp tone while he pulled away from her to growl into her face, "I smell him all over you."

'Oh boy,' she thought intelligently, frantically searching for an explanation for this one.

The truth was definitely out of the question...

Her eyes darting about the room, she said quickly, "Because I had to help him to the bathroom you idiot! Why else?"

He didn't look convinced. In fact, he looked angrier than when she had first walked into the living room.

She watched in trepidation as he inhaled deeply, a deadly calm expression taking over his handsome features.

"You're lying," his deadpan reply cut sharply through the air.

'Great, now what?' she thought in near panic. The best thing she could think of was to bluff her way through. It might work...

Growling in her throat, she leaned towards him till her nose touched his.

"Get your damn hands off me. I'll not be manhandled by someone who calls me a liar to my face and is accusing me of Kami knows what."

Her anger startled him, his hand falling away from her arm to rest limply at his side next to the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

Rubbing the assaulted area, Kagome thought in some anger, 'Wonderful! Between those two I am going to look like a bruised banana!'

Speaking with forced calm, she stated, "Now, Inu Yasha, listen to me because I am only going to say this once." She waited for his nod, ignoring the way the sunlight pouring through the front window danced attractively across his long mane of hair. "Your brother, Sesshomaru, is hurt and staying here with me until he is completely healed. I am going to stay here, in my time, until that day comes. You are going to go home, look for shards, and let me handle your brother without any more crazy interruptions like this. Do I make myself clear?"

Swallowing audibly, the hanyou inclined his head, a flash of hurt streaking through his golden eyes.

"Thank you," she softened her features enough to give him a small grateful smile, before putting a hand up to place a few stray pieces of his hair over his shoulder. She was happy that he wasn't going to offer a big argument over this. She was just too damned tired to deal with much more...

The hanyou leaned a little bit into her touch, the gold of his eyes melting to their usual smooth texture. Sighing heavily, he reached out to wrap his arms around her and bring Kagome in for a crushing hug.

Patting his back like she would an upset child, Kagome blinked back the sudden tears that pricked her eyes.

"I was just worried about you. When you didn't come back for so many days... and then when I return from hunting for a shard to smell my brother's scent all over the place...not to mention coming through the well and seeing your pack lying next to it...I guess I just panicked," he whispered into the raven curtain of her hair.

Kagome's throat tightened more at his soft admission, the tears nearly falling from her tightly clenched eyes, her hand no longer patting his back but clutching at him fiercely. She was grateful when she heard her mother and brother's footsteps as they left them alone. Her family was just too astute sometimes...

Inu Yasha had felt terrible that day he had announced to the group his choice. But he knew that he had nothing to offer the girl in his arms, and that is was better he resume a life with a woman he could have rather than one who would be always torn between one home and the next. He wanted her to have a happy future with someone that could give her the things and treat her the way she deserved, and he knew it would never be him.

He had reconciled himself to that. To having to cause her great pain. The hanyou had reasoned to himself that no matter what misery she went through now, he was saving her from ten times that much if she had stayed with him.

That was something he couldn't bear to see. To watch his first real best friend grow discontent as her days passed with him and she yearned for her life in modern Japan. It was a sight he never wished to witness.

Releasing a breath into her hair, he pulled away, gently unwinding his arms from about her small body. He had felt the weight she had lost since the last time he had seen her, and it sent a sharp stab of guilt into his heart, knowing he had caused it.

'It's for the best,' he told himself fiercely while bending down to pick up the large yellow pack from where he'd dropped it on the floor after entering.

Avoiding eye contact he held it out to her.

"Here. I brought this back for you. I knew you would need it."

Giving him a tremulous smile, she cradled the heavy burden in her arms whispering, "Thank you, Inu Yasha."

Darting a glance at her, he answered with his infamous, "Keh," before crossing his arms over his chest again.

Yep, same old Inu Yasha. It was good to see some things never changed.

Gaining a firm grasp on her wayward emotions, she asked him in her usual cheery voice, "So, did you guys find any more jewel shards while I was away?"

His chest rose and fell with a huge sigh, his gold eyes training onto her blue-grey ones once more.

"Unfortunately, no. Mirokou heard of a rumor about one in the eastern region, but we found out it was a dead end."

She nodded, asking, "How is everyone?"

She prayed he wouldn't bring up Kikyou. That would be just too painful...

He looked intensely into her eyes, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"They are all doing fine. The brat misses you and hasn't stopped chewing on my ears since you left."

A sad smile tilted her full lips, her eyes going grey as she thought of the kit.

"Let him know I miss him too and when I return I'll bring him some extra crayons and chocolate bars if he promises to stop abusing your ears."

Inu Yasha smirked.

"Alright. Don't forget to bring some ramen too. Last time we ran out in the first week!"

She rolled her eyes. 'Yes, most definitely the same old Inu Yasha.'

The half demon's obsession with that stuff was getting ridiculous. He was starting to act like a smoker having a nicotine fit...

"Okay, I promise."

That seemed to make him happy. Glancing about a moment, he said into the suddenly uncomfortable silence, "Well, I had better get back there then. I just wanted to come and make sure my bastard brother hadn't hurt you or anything." Gazing unblinkingly at her, he said forcefully, "If he tries anything, anything at all while you are helping him, come and let me know."

"Will do, Inu Yasha," she said with a grin.

Really, at this point if Sesshomaru had been going to kill her and her family he would have done it by now. But she could understand the hanyou's worries. They weren't completely unfounded after all.

Nodding his head again, he walked towards the hallway that led to the front door, pausing when he drew alongside her.

Kagome looked up at him, a questioning light in her eyes as she raised her eyebrows in inquiry.

His golden orbs studied her face, tracing her features to memory, a feeling of sorrow invading his system at the prospect of leaving her.

But he had a life to get back to...and that life was no place for a pure creature such as the girl standing before him.

He brushed the back of his clawed fingers softly down one of her cheeks, rubbing his thumb along her temple as he did. Leaning forward, he saw her eyes widen just before he closed his own as he put a gentle kiss on her forehead where a youkai mark would usually be.

He heard her breath leave her fragile body in a broken shudder, the smell of salt filling his nostrils. . . and he knew she was crying.

Wincing at the knowledge that he had caused her to cry, again, he hurried out of the room and house without a backward glance, tuning out the sound of her near silent sobs.

The hardest thing he had ever done in his long life was leave Kagome's side just now, to leave her to stay alone with her pain and no one but Sesshomaru for comfort.

In his mind he had almost consigned her to hell, and the whole reason he had made his choice in the first place was to prevent that from happening.

As usual, Fate was not working with him.

He paused at the well house door, turning his head to look at her bedroom window through the towering boughs of the Goshinboku.

The faint outline of his brother's arrogant head could be seen through the glass, his hand pulling the white lace curtains out of his way to gaze at Inu Yasha.

They stared deeply at one another, a silent message passing between the brothers.

Sesshomaru finally inclined his head slightly, an action that brought an answering nod from Inu Yasha.

They had reached an understanding regarding the miko. Probably the first time in forever since they had agreed on anything.

Breaking eye contact, Inu Yasha pushed open the door to leap down onto the lip of the decrepit wooden well, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the smell of molding wood and long decayed earth.

He was doing that a lot lately. Blocking out certain odors...

Shaking his head to rid himself of those disturbing thoughts, he jumped into the well, letting the bright blue light engulf his body and take him back to the feudal era.

Take him back where he belonged. . . . .

Inside, a lone girl stood clutching a large yellow cloth backpack to her chest, her face buried deep within it. Tears slid down her white cheeks to be absorbed by the worn material of the bag, muffling the small whimpers escaping her throat.

Shoulders shaking, Kagome suddenly threw the bag away from her, watching it bounce heavily against the couch before it fell with a loud 'thud' onto the beige carpet, not caring if it spilled its contents or not.

Face scrunched up in misery, the young woman let out a loud sob before turning and fleeing upstairs, her vision blurred with tears, making her slip a couple of times as she ascended the steps unsteadily.

She wanted to just disappear for a while. To just go some where and forget. Forget all the pain. Forget all the heartache. Forget a pair of golden eyes and soft lips that bestowed a kiss of good bye on her.

She just wanted some peace!

The headache from earlier was now a full-blown migraine, razor-sharp pulses of pain beating into her temples with every heartbeat.

Pushing her fingers on either side of her head, she applied pressure as hard as she could, hoping to alleviate the agony if only just a little.

It wasn't working.

Biting her lower lip, the metallic taste of blood flooding her mouth when teeth broke flesh, Kagome staggered down the hallway to her room, opening her door.

Not daring to even glance at the Taiyoukai lying on her bed, she went into her bathroom and began rummaging through her medicine cabinet, searching for her pain pills. She knew the damn reddish-orange bottle was in there some where. She remembered putting it in there the last time she'd had one of these things...

Uttering a frustrated curse, Kagome disregarded the tears still trailing down her face, finally settling on just slamming the bathroom door, leaning her back against it, and sliding down to sit with her arms wrapped around her up-drawn legs while she cried into her knees.

She didn't want Sesshomaru to see her like this. Knew he already saw her as a weak and pathetic human. But even she had a breaking point, and the young miko had finally reached it.

Too much pain. Too much emotional turmoil. Too much lack of sleep. It was all too much...

Kagome hugged her arms tighter about her legs, letting the tears fall freely as the pain in her head beat on in a consistent tattoo that echoed her breaking heart. The cold tiles of the bathroom floor seeped through the thin material of her sweat-pants going unnoticed by the distraught female, as she just wished to be anywhere but here.

'Anywhere but here...'

In her bedroom, Sesshomaru listened to the miko, an uncharacteristic pang of something that could have been compassion seeping into the cold chamber of his heart.

Why should this human's tears bother him? He had heard many before and never felt anything but irritation at them. They were a weakness, a nuisance indulged by the desperate when things did not go their way.

And yet. . . he couldn't drudge up his usual disdain in the face of this girl's sorrow.

Damn his idiot half brother for foisting a distraught female into his lap! Whenever he got back home he was going to repay him for it tenfold...

Sighing deeply, Sesshomaru stared at the blank white door that housed the crying girl, the sound of her whimpers making his ears twitch and the smell of salt-water invading his senses.

Cursing his brother again, he moved the swords to lie on the floor next to the bed before standing up with painful slowness. Ignoring the pull on his injuries, he stood up as straight as he could before limping gracefully to the source of his discomfort.

She had been in there on that damn cold floor for nearly thirty minutes, and her crying wasn't slowing at all. If he wanted any peace and quiet he was going to have to stop this racket.

Setting his features into his usual stoic mask, he calmly reached forward, cradling the cold metal of the doorknob in his palm, before turning it.

One way or another, he was going to fix this problem...


	9. A Lesson in Science

The sound of knuckles hitting wood in rapid succession stopped Sesshoumaru from pushing his way into the bathroom. Instead, his hand fell away from the nob as he turned to face the new arrival, standing straight with his face set in emotionless lines.

A young man's head peaked around the door seconds after the knocking quit, a pair of cinnamon colored eyes widening in surprise at seeing the tall Taiyoukai standing nearly naked by his sister's bathroom door. Nothing but a cream colored piece of cloth wrapped around his lean hips. Much like the loincloths he had seen in his history books of Native Americans.

Coming fully into the room, Souta came to halt a few steps in front of the silent youkai, a sad frown crossing his young features when he heard his sister crying.

Kagome's brother sighed heavily, indicating the closed white door with a wave of his hand. "She been in there since Inu Yasha left?"

Sesshoumaru regarded him through cold amber eyes, sizing him up with a swift sweep from slitted pupils before nodding once.

Quirking one eyebrow at his lack of verbal response, Souta went to tap softly on the painted wooden surface, calling gently, "Sis, are you okay?"

"Go away!" came her muffled reply, the words a bit garbled from her continued sobs.

Souta's expression tightened in sorrow. He hated seeing his sister so unhappy. And after witnessing that little scene downstairs with Inu Yasha he had a pretty good idea what had happened over there in the feudal era two and half weeks ago.

He knew that everyone in the household didn't think he paid attention to more than sports and his video games, but they were wrong. Ever since the first time he had met the hanyou three years ago, the young Higurashi had started to take a keen interest each time his sister came home to relate her adventures.

Perhaps it was an inherited trait, passed on through their bloodline, to be so curious about the myths and legends surrounding ancient Japan. After all, his grandfather had been a firm believer his entire life, all of them skeptical to his constant rantings, until the irrefutable proof of a dog-eared dog demon came into their lives.

Now it was more like an obsession for Souta. To learn and study these fascinating creatures and their behaviors. More than once he had wished he could follow Kagome to the Sengoku Jedai to explore like she did for weeks at a time. However, it was impossible for anyone but his sister and Inu Yasha to travel through the well.

At least, that is what he thought until Sesshoumaru arrived...

Now his sister was sitting on the cold floor of her bathroom, crying her eyes out for a half demon that she had fallen in love with the more time she spent with him. It was totally unfair!

A spark of brotherly indignation rose in Kagome's defense, making Souta smolder a bit in outrage at the unfair way his sister had been treated.

He pushed it down with effort.

Kagome needed emotional support right now, not righteous anger. There would be plenty of time for that later.

Plus, he would bet his X-Box that she had one of her migraines now from all the stress of the last few days. He needed to get her off the icy floor, make her take a pain pill, and then put her to bed in his room so she could wake up feeling better tomorrow. Souta would stay with the inu youkai tonight.

Turning to Sesshoumaru, Souta told him, "I'll go in there and calm her down. Then I'm going to put her to bed in my room. Do you think you could please go lay back down? I know it would distress my sister more if she saw you walking around."

The dog demon's eyes narrowed dangerously, a growl stirring in his throat, waiting to break free. But, seeing the loving devotion in the young human's stare for his sister, he couldn't muster the ire to snap at the boy. The runt was just trying to comfort his upset sibling.

Sesshoumaru turned on his heel, limping back to lay down on the bed, drawing the soft heavy green comforter over his lap, leaning against the headboard once more.

Damn but he wished the thing was covered in cloth. That wood was always freezing on his back!

Giving him a satisfied smile, Souta turned the nob to the bathroom door, nudging it slightly when he felt the weight of Kagome leaning upon it.

"Sis, you have to move so I can come in there," he spoke gently, his eyes quickly spying her leg through the crack between the door and the doorjamb.

He heard her hiccup a couple of times before she slid to the side, still keeping her back in contact with the hard surface as she went.

Pushing the door in just enough to fit his body through, Souta slipped in and closed the door again, watching his heartbroken sister in concern.

Crouching down to eye level, he watched her keep her face hidden from his view, her head buried in her cotton covered arms, shoulders shaking violently.

He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or her overtaxed emotions. Even through his sock clad feet he could feel how frigid the tiles on the floor were.

Kneeling forward, Souta placed a hand on each of her upper arms, drawing her gently forward till he cradled her against him. Kagome's hands latched onto his shirtfront, twisting in the blue fabric, her tears quickly seeping through the thin material.

He ran a hand through her mussed raven hair, so like his own, and patted her on the back.

So many times she had done the same for him when he was young and frightened, feeling alone and afraid of some nighttime monster or other. It was only fitting he should offer the same comfort for her when she was so desperately in need of it.

He made soothing noises, trying to calm her down as best he could, feeling how small and fragile she felt compared to her usual strong build. She'd lost weight in the past few weeks, he noticed with a disapproving frown, and he knew exactly who was to blame for that.

Another spark flared through the young man, but again he banked it, saving it for a more appropriate time to fan it into flame.

It took about ten minutes until Kagome's sobs settled into dry shudders and the death grip she had on him eased down to almost limp compliance. Running his fingers through her hair again, he whispered, "Sis, I think you should go to bed for a while. Today has been really rough on you and the best thing to do is get a good night's sleep."

He felt her head shake against his chest as her husky voice filled the air, her throat abused from crying for so long.

"I can't. I need to take care of Sesshoumaru. His wounds need to be checked, and I still have to try and help him find out why his youkai blood isn't reacting correctly."

'Selfless. She was so damn selfless,' he thought, drawing away till he looked down into her tear-stained face. Her blue-grey eyes were nearly black with pain and there were lines bracketing the side of her usually relaxed mouth that was currently pinched together.

"I'll watch over him tonight, okay? And I can just as easily give him food, make sure he gets to the bathroom okay, and entertain him as well as you can." He tried to give her an encouraging smile, hoping to lighten her mood a bit. "Besides, I bet he wouldn't object to having a guy with him for once instead of a female. Better for his youkai modesty."

Kagome tried to smile for him, failing miserably. Sniffling loudly she said, "But what about my promise to help him? To figure out what is wrong with him?"

"That can wait. For now, let's just get you off this cold floor and into a warm bed, okay?" he searched her eyes, willing her to agree with what he was telling her.

Souta really didn't relish the idea of dragging his sister out of her room and forcing her to lay down, but he would if he had to.

A sigh left her shivering body and she broke eye contact with her sibling to nod in acquiesce. "Okay. Just for tonight though."

"For tonight," he agreed, helping her to stand up. He kept one arm around her waist when she wavered, looking as though she would crumple back to the floor if he didn't support her. He frowned at her.

"Do you have one of your migraines again, Sis?"

Silently, she nodded, the action looking like it caused her a bit of pain if the wince afterwards was anything to go by.

Giving her a light squeeze with the arm that was around her, he turned to look through the now messy medicine cabinet, moving aside band-Aids, bottles of vitamins, and toothpaste, searching for her painkillers.

"Okay, let me just find your medicine and then we'll get you to bed."

Kagome leaned heavily against her younger brother, who now at his age was taller than her. She was grateful he had come and found her, not really meaning it when she had told him to go away earlier.

It was so odd to have him be the strong one for once, their roles reversed for the first time that she could remember. She didn't mind it though. Even she needed a support system, someone else to lean on and let handle all the chaos, once in a while.

Thank Kami she had her brother!

"Aw, here they are," he said, shaking the reddish-orange bottle, making sure the little white pills were in there. A satisfying rattle was his answer.

Closing the mirrored door, he put the bottle in his pocket before securing the arm around her a little better. He glanced down at her bowed head, asking with concern, "You okay?"

"I will be," she said, gratitude thick in her voice. "Thanks Souta."

Grinning, he opened the door, leading her out of the dark confines of her bathroom towards the entry that led to the hallway.

"No problem, Sis! Just repaying the favor."

Kagome glanced at the silent Taiyoukai out of the corner of her eye as she trekked with Souta out of her room, noticing that he was steadfastly staring out of her window, completely ignoring the siblings.

'Probably thinking what a pathetic excuse for a woman and human I am,' she thought bitterly, wondering why the thought of the dog demon's censure should cause pain to lance across her already bruised heart.

Those brothers were going to end up killing her. One person could only take so much emotional roller-coaster riding. . . .

The pair finally made it to Souta's room, remarkably clean and neat with random posters of soccer players and video game characters lining the cream walls. His computer system and tv were sitting atop a brown desk in the far corner, the black consol of an X-Box system lying on the floor before it.

He led her to the full-sized bed garbed in a navy coverlet set. Pulling the covers back, he tucked her in like she had done for him so many times when he was little, drawing the covers up to her chin, smoothing the bangs away from her forehead with the palm of one hand.

"Just lay there, Sis, and I will be right back with some water so you can take your meds, okay?"

Kagome closed her eyes, nodding against the downy pillow, already feeling the throbbing in her temples lesson a fraction.

She was just so tired...

Souta quickly returned with a small clear glass of water, helping her sit up while he retrieved the bottle of pills from his pocket and gave her one of them. They were strong enough that any more than that and she would be out for almost a full day. He didn't want to put his sister in a coma, just let her sleep for a while.

When she had swallowed the white pill, he lay her back down, placing the glass of water on the night stand by the bed in case she got thirsty in the middle of the night. Strong medication had a way of giving you that cotton mouthed feeling.

Standing, he watched her breathing even out to a steady calm rhythm, the lines creasing her young face fading into smoothness as the medication took effect in her bloodstream. Souta went and closed the window, turning the white Venetian blinds to block out all sunlight, drenching his room in complete darkness.

Stopping once more by the bed where his sister lay on the verge of sleep, he felt a pang at how different she had become from the girl he had grown up with. A part of him blamed Inu Yasha, the hanyou he had looked up to and idolized since he had met him. But like most idols, he was finding out that any virtues he had originally admired in the older boy were unfounded. People had a way of coming up wanting when others built up attributes they did not possess in their own minds.

Yet, the other half just wanted his sister to be happy. Again, he thought of how Kagome had begun to act like her 'normal' self whenever she was with Inu Yasha's brother, Sesshoumaru. Maybe there was something developing between them. He would have to watch how the youkai acted while he stayed with him tonight.

Leaving his room, making sure to close the door behind him, Souta made his way back into Kagome's chamber, Sesshoumaru still looking out the window with a bored expression.

He walked over to stand by the bed, crossing his arms over his chest while he regarded the Taiyoukai.

"What do you want, boy?" Sesshoumaru asked in icy tones, still not looking at Souta. He could tell by the smell of the brat that he must be a relative of Kagome's. Probably her brother with the way he had acted earlier.

"Kagome is sleeping so I came to stay with you until she gets up."

The dog demon stared steadily out the glass to the gnarled branches of the tree outside her window.

"I do not need you to stay."

Souta grinned, looking a little like Inu Yasha when he smirked. "Too bad, because I'm going to be here whether you want me to or not."

A small frown lined the youkai's crescent marked brow. "Your presence is not required, boy."

Souta shrugged. "Perhaps not, but I promised my sister I was staying so here I shall remain." With that he uncrossed his arms and sat in the old wooden chair by the bed, stretching his long jean clad legs out.

Sesshoumaru finally looked at him, irritation clearly in his half-lidded amber eyes. "Human, you are as annoying as your sibling."

"Thanks, I take that as a compliment," the smirk still tilted his lips and laughter danced in his cinnamon eyes.

Kami, he had traded one annoying brat for another! This was like living through the seven layers of hell, each one having a new jailer to foster off on him. What next? The cat coming back to try and scratch the flesh from his chest once more?

He watched Kagome's brother, taking in the family similarities between the two. The same wavy black hair, the same compassionate temperament. Sickening, really.

The Taiyoukai almost wished Jaken was the one 'nursing' him back to health. At least that little nuisance knew to leave him alone when he ordered him to. These humans had no regard whatsoever for his authority.

It was getting beyond irksome.

"Do you need to use the bathroom or anything?"

The question made Sesshoumaru stare at the boy a moment before saying, "No, I do not require the use of your facilities."

Again, the young man shrugged, lacing his fingers together and resting them on his flat stomach. "Fair enough. If you need to, let me know and I'll help you to the door."

Perfect. Another Good Samaritan. He just had the best luck...

Silence was the boy's answer.

'Man, this guy has terrible conversational skills. I wonder how Kagome deals with it,' Souta thought to himself about the stoic demon. 'This is going to be a long day and night,' he heaved a mental sigh.

He tried to strike up conversation again. "So, Inu Yasha is your brother, right?"

A growl left the dog demon's throat. "Do not speak of that idiotic half brother of mine to me."

Souta held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sheesh! Alright, I'll drop it." He put his hands back to their previous position on his stomach, regarding Sesshomaru with more interest.

'Interesting. . . it looks like there is no love lost between those two,' he thought sardonically. Kagome never mentioned they hated each other.

Still, he should have picked up on it sooner, seeing as how Inu Yasha had come ranting into their house earlier, yelling about his 'bastard brother' while threatening to draw his sword.

Looked like the feeling of hatred between the two was mutual.

This just made Souta more curious as to how and why Kagome would take Sesshoumaru in. Especially when she knew how unhappy Inu Yasha was going to be about it. He'd leave that to ask at a later date, he didn't feel like causing her anymore heartache.

"Kagome told me that she is trying to help you find out what is wrong with your youkai blood."

"Yes, your sister said she would see if she could figure out how I was able to get here," came the youkai's grudging reply. Idle conversation was not his forte.

"Well, what is it not doing?" the boy asked.

Sesshoumaru thought about the question for a moment, thinking how best to describe what his body was doing. Or not doing as it were.

"My body should have completely healed by now. Instead, I am regenerating at a fraction of what I usually do. For some reason the healing properties in my blood are not reacting as quickly as they should and I am taking much longer to recover than normal."

Souta soaked up the information, mulling it over in his head while tapping his fingers against his other hand.

"Hmmm. . ." Then a sudden light entered his eyes, the young boy leaning forward a bit and sitting up straighter.

"You wouldn't happen to have been ill recently would you? I mean like a cold or something?"

Sesshoumaru eyed him suspiciously, wondering how the boy could possibly know.

"Yes. About a month ago a type of virus swept through my kingdom, infecting everyone at the castle. It wasn't deadly but it did deplete our strength for a while."

Souta nodded, asking quickly, "How long were you sick when you caught it?"

The dog demon considered for a moment. "A week and a half."

A week and a half he would not soon forget. Fortune was just not shining down on him as far as health went these past few months. He'd gotten ill more times now than he had his entire life!

Kagome's brother quirked a brow, thinking in silence while watching the youkai across from him.

Finally, he said, "I think I know why you're not healing properly and why you were able to come through the well."

That got Sesshoumaru's full attention, his amber eyes staring into Souta's intently.

"Explain, boy."

"Well, in health class we were just learning about the immune system and how it works," Souta began, warming to the subject as he continued. "In everyone's blood they carry the natural anti-biotics to counteract infections and viruses. Like your youkai healing. There are properties that were built into our genetic make-up that naturally fight foreign impurities when they invade our bodies, which is why you get fevers when you are sick. The heat is the white blood cells going straight to the illness, trying to eradicate it by use of extreme temperature. Now, this is where it gets interesting. The longer someone is sick, the more their white blood cell count goes down. A normal person's body constantly regenerates those microscopic cells as your body fights sickness, but after a period of time it becomes harder and harder for them to all be completely replaced. Like anything else, it can become exhausted after constant usage. So, by you being sick for so long, your white blood cell count was greatly depleted." He shifted a bit in his chair. "Therefor, when you got injured, your body's natural healing process was impeded because it lacked the amount of white cells to counteract the poison being pumped into you from your wounds. Thus, making your youkai blood diluted enough to where the well thought it was a half-demon falling into it, a demon that greatly resembled Inu Yasha's blood type, and so allowed you to pass over to here. Modern Japan. Which is why you are taking so long to recover unlike you would normally do. Because your body simply lacks the cells it needs to accomplish it."

Sesshoumaru stared at the young boy in shock.

Could what he say be true? Was it really something that simple an explanation could straighten out the mystery of why he wasn't up to his usual youkai recuperative abilities?

"Boy, is what you are saying a permanent condition?" The Taiyoukai deftly hid the unease he felt at having to ask that question.

Being nearly the same as a hanyou...that would be more than he could bear...

Souta grinned in reassurance, seeming to see past his icy facade just as adeptly as his sister did. "No, don't worry. Given enough time and rest your body will build up your white blood cell count on its own."

The dog demon breathed an inward sigh of relief.

Thank Kami for that!

Then another thought crossed his mind. "Boy, how long will it take for the cells to regenerate?"

"I'm not too sure," the boy shrugged while looking towards the window. "It all depends on how fast your body can make them I guess." He focused back onto the youkai's face. "If you were a human I would say at least a month, but being a youkai I have no idea."

Souta then thought of a way to get a better answer for the youkai. Snapping his fingers, he exclaimed, "I know! I'll ask Kagome to call Hojo when she gets up. He's a friend of hers that is in college learning to be a doctor. He'll probably be able to explain this better and get you a better time-frame than I can."

Sesshoumaru took the answer in silence, storing that information away to ponder over later. Instead, he decided to send the brat on an errand so he could think in peace over this new theory.

"Human, I need you to get me some food."

Souta rolled his eyes at the demon's high-handed manner.

'How did Sis put up with this guy?' he thought while standing, stretching his arms above his head.

"Alright, any preferences?" He arched a black eyebrow at Sesshoumaru.

The Taiyoukai frowned. "Anything but whatever she brought yesterday."

Souta smiled, chuckling. "Yeah, Kagome never was the best cook. Okay, Sesshoumaru, stay right there and I will be right back with some food for you."

"Fine," came his icy reply, watching as the youngest Higurashi left, his footsteps fading down the hallway.

Sesshoumaru turned to gaze out of the window once more, turning over all of what he had learned in his analytical mind.

If what this boy was saying was true, then these humans had a much better grasp on the workings of the body than those he had met in any villages he'd come across.

Maybe what Kagome told him wasn't a lie after all. Maybe he really was in the future...

It would explain the strange contraptions he saw all over place, in here and the 'bathroom'. Not to mention the food, scents, and clothes that were prominent everywhere.

These white blood cells the boy had just told him about sounded like something linked with the microbiologists that the miko had mentioned earlier to him.

Everything was starting to piece together. The advanced technology. The odd smells. All of the different things he had witnessed since waking in this strange place.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was willing to believe that he had been transported five hundred years into future Japan. A modern place that he had no knowledge of with nothing but the small girl to lead him about it without getting him in harm's way.

That was not an encouraging thought. . .

Sighing, the youkai settled more comfortably on his pillow, closing his eyes.

All at once, he found himself desiring the company of Kagome rather than her younger sibling. At least with her he could get some answers that he sorely wanted. Now he would have to wait for her to wake up before talking to the girl.

But Sesshoumaru was nothing if not patient. He would wait, and when she came back to him, he would figure all of this out once and for all.

Now, the only thing left was to survive a night with her irritating brother.

Kami, but he had no luck!


	10. Reassurance

A small girl who looked younger than ten, but older than five, sat upon the railing of an old wooden bridge throwing pieces of stale bread into the clear blue water below, her chocolate eyes smiling at the gold,white, and black fish that eagerly gobbled it up. Their long sleek bodies made the water they lived in cascade and splash, leaving gentle ripples around their flailing bodies that disappeared to the shore a short distance away.

The girl sighed, the action moving her whole upper body as though the weight of a very heavy burden rested on her tiny shoulders. Pushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, Rin looked down at the group of Koi eating their treat, wondering when her Sesshoumaru-sama would return.

A frown marred her small brow, her fingers tightening convulsively on the last crust of dry bread, crumbling it to almost dust in her agitation. Noticing the now mess of sandy crumbs, she brushed her hands together over the water, removing any vestiges of the food from her skin. Balancing on the edge of the hard curved wood she sat upon, she braced her palms along its edge, swinging her legs while looking up at the blue sky dotted with fat white clouds.

It had been almost a week since her guardian had left. Days in which she had eagerly awaited his return, each afternoon coming out to the large palace garden with its ornate bridge and Koi pond. Rin would sit out here in the cool Fall air and feed the fish, passing the time until she saw the familiar silhouette of Sesshoumaru flying on his youki cloud, his hair trailing artfully behind his proud figure.

Except each day past without any sign of the Taiyoukai, and she was now starting to get a little worried. In all the years she had traveled with him, she had never known the demon lord to not return when he said he would. Even all those times he would depart to chase after his brother or engage in a skirmish with Naraku Sesshoumaru would come back after two days, at the most.

However, two days turned into four and now tomorrow would mark it as the seventh going by without any sign of him.

She thought back to the day he had left, remembering how he had instructed her to stay within the castle walls, not to venture out farther than the palace garden she inhabited every day. Eager to please him, she had readily agreed, wishing him luck and to take care where ever he happened to be journeying to. He had offered his usual half-smile that more resembled a smirk, a trademark she knew meant he had heard her words and appreciated her concern.

Her guardian may not always express himself with words, but the little girl understood what he wanted to convey with the small gestures he displayed just as easily as if he had yelled it aloud. That was the gift of the young and animals alike. Since they didn't have the ready vocabulary to express how they felt or what they thought, they left it up to physical shows of emotion to show what they meant. Rin, having been mute when she was younger, was more adept at these silent exchanges than most, and could not have found herself a better companion than the Lord of the Western Lands.

Jaken had been told to stay behind to keep an eye on Rin, make sure she took her lessons and ensure her safety while Sesshoumaru could not be there himself. Of course the diminutive retainer had vocally objected, even going so far as to prostrate himself before his Lord and beg for him to take him along.

Sesshoumaru refused. Not that that had been any great surprise. The dog demon rarely, if ever, went back on a decision once he voiced it. Being a creature of deep thought and analysis it went without saying that the youkai studied each plan of action before acting it out. His desire for Jaken to remain behind while he completed his mission was no exception.

In all honesty, Jaken knew that his Lord could not be giving him a greater honor than the temporary guardianship of the little human. He knew that Sesshoumaru had come to view the child as one of his most valuable possessions, and the way he was so protective of the girl proved it. And really, he didn't mind being with Rin as much as he objected to the idea, after all the girl had saved his life on a few occasions.

That did not mean he didn't feel his rightful place as Sesshoumaru's loyal personal servant for so many years was now regulated to that of babysitter, a position he did not fancy all that much. Spending hours watching the human pick a bunch of colorful weeds only to be chased by the girl wielding a flower necklace she was determined to stick on him was not the toad youkai's idea of fun.

In fact, it more resembled his thoughts of what hell would be like . . . .

In the end, Sesshoumaru's will had prevailed and Jaken had sulked as he bid his master goodbye, the happy girl waving by his side as the Taiyoukai's figure disappeared towards where Inu Yasha's Forest lay.

It had taken all of the next day for Rin to get Jaken to even talk to her. Well, yell at her really, but still. Usually the little demon couldn't wait to berate her for something or other, followed by a soft smack on the cranium with his staff of heads. He was more like his old self now, but there was still a melancholy air about him, as though he couldn't fully understand why his Lord had decided to make him her nanny again.

Especially when there hadn't been any need to leave the Western Provinces in over a year.

Their little group had gone back to stay at the castle when it was apparent that Naraku had no intention of revealing himself until the last few shikon jewel shards were found. Since Sesshoumaru had no need for the stone, his main target the evil hanyou himself, he had informed them of their new place of residence and there they had been ever since.

Rin had begun her lessons on reading, writing, and anything else that a normal royal pup would receive in the Taisho household. She was being tutored by a nice older female owl youkai who had been the teacher to both of the Taisho sons when they were younger. Her name was Seiryn and she and Rin got along amazingly well. It was almost like the little girl had gained an old aunt, and the two of them could be found quite often spending time together outside of their studies either playing in Rin's room or picking flowers from the royal gardens.

However, even her friend was no where to be seen today. Seiryn had been called to attend a conference with the rest of the castle's staff to talk over preparations for some task or other.

Rin never paid much attention to what the other youkai did in the castle. Such concerns did not shadow the young, not when there were grown-ups available to handle all that. She was more interested in playing with the flowers or visiting Ah Un in the field leading from the garden.

Closing her eyes to let the weak sunlight pour over her upturned face, Rin's thoughts once again turned to the extended absence of Sesshoumaru. He had said he would return within two to three days, saying there was a personal matter that had been brought to his attention that he needed to take care of.

Now, with those assigned dates passing with no clue as to where the Taiyoukai might be she had started to worry.

Always before, when he had suddenly decided to go off on some task she had been confident that no matter what troubles the demon might face he would emerge the victor. In her youthful mind there was nothing her Sesshoumaru-sama could not do, and that included bringing back the dead.

He had put life back into her body, hadn't he?

Anyone who had the power to do that must be invincible.

Still, a nagging kernel of doubt had invaded her mind, settling in a disquieting ball of anxiety that nestled under her rib-cage next to her heart. Rin couldn't shake the feeling that something bad must have happened for Sesshoumaru to have been overdue this long in returning. Even her blind faith in his battle prowess was not enough to brush it aside as nothing more than a passing fear.

Perhaps she should ask Jaken...

The little youkai seemed to have an uncanny knack of reassuring her fears whenever she worried about the Taiyoukai. He would probably give her a few good wacks across the head with his staff, call her an idiot human for worrying about Sesshoumaru in the first place, and then launch into a lengthy speech about how his master was unbeatable and the most awesome youkai that had ever lived.

Grinning at the thought, Rin swung her legs back over the rail so she could jump down onto the solid bridge, bending her knees a bit when she landed so it would absorb the pressure of her stop.

She looked down with a grimace at the now wrinkled front of her blue kimono with its white sakura blossoms emblazoned across the left shoulder all the way down to her sleeve. Sesshoumaru-sama would not be pleased if he saw how unkept she looked in one of her best outfits. But she had worn it because Rin had thought he might be returning today, and she had meant to meet him in her best attire, let him see how grown-up she could be.

It might be a good thing after all that it looked like he wouldn't be making an appearance today...

Shrugging it aside, she hurried as fast as the constricting material would let her through the beautiful garden, streaking past blazes of colorful flowers and intricately groomed emerald bushes that resembled dog demons in varying degrees of transformation and stance.

Her wooden sandles 'clacking' over the lacquered steps that led up to the back porch, Rin kept traction as best she could on the highly polished boards of wood that made up the floors of the palace. Last time she had lost her footing she had ended up skidding into one of the shoji doors, effectively demolishing it and half of the doorway it was attached to. That had gotten her a good wack on the head from Jaken for that mishap and she didn't want a repeat performance.

Skidding around a corner, she narrowly avoided flying off the edge of the porch, running into the very person she was searching for, flapping her arms backwards in an attempt to slow her momentum.

Jaken's bulbous yellow eyes widened even more, his small beak of a mouth opening in a surprised squawk as Rin barreled into him, sending them both to the hard floor.

Damn that child and her lack of coordination!

Muttering a curse, he attempted to push her off him, managing only to make her giggle when his small clawed hands tickled her sides, which was the only thing he could reach.

Squeaking in indignation, he kicked at her, satisfied at the muffled 'oomph' that elicited from her when he made contact with her stomach.

At least he was getting her back a little for squashing him.

Trying not to laugh, Rin levered herself up into a sitting position, the ponytail on the back of her head askew and lopsided till it resembled her older hairstyle from when she first met the two demons. Grinning sheepishly down at the flattened toad youkai, she gently reached over and set him on his webbed feet, stifling another fit of giggles at the way he was trying to ineffectually fix his mangled hat.

The poor guy looked like he was going to cry.

Putting her hands together in front of her, Rin bowed at him saying, "Sorry, Jaken-sama! I didn't mean to run you over!"

Giving her a disparaging glare, he stuffed the damaged headgear into one of his voluminous green sleeves, picking up his staff of heads and hitting her on the top of her lowered skull.

"Stupid human girl! Watch where you are going! Sesshoumaru-sama does not need an unruly child running all over his palace!"

Nodding to pacify him, she winced a little when she sat back up, rubbing the now sore spot on her head.

"Yes, Jaken-sama. I will remember next time."

"See that you do!" came his disgruntled reply, the toad youkai eyeing her with disdain.

Really, but he could not figure out what his master saw in this girl! She was nothing but a menace!

"Jaken-sama, I came to find you to ask you something."

Inwardly groaning, he hoped it wasn't so he would have to go and play one of her games with her. He really did not feel like playing 'put the daisy chain on the terrified retainer' today.

"What do you want, girl?" impatience thick in his squeaky voice.

Rin frowned a bit, looking anxiously at him. "Jaken-sama, I'm worried that Sesshoumaru-sama has not returned yet. Do you think he is okay?"

He scoffed, looking almost like he wanted to give her another good smack with his staff of heads. "Stupid human, of course Lord Sesshoumaru is fine! Do you honestly think anyone could succeed in harming him? He is the greatest youkai that ever lived."

Rin grinned, breathing a sigh of relief. This was why she had come to see Jaken. He always knew how to lay her concerns over the Taiyoukai to rest.

Giving him a happy smile, she said, "Yes, you are right. I am worrying for nothing. No one could ever harm Sesshoumaru-sama."

Jaken inclined his head, relieved that she had taken his answer so readily without asking for more reassurance than that. In truth, he himself was beginning to worry a little.

After his Lord had left, Jaken had snooped around the palace in search of the answer as to why Sesshoumaru would leave so suddenly and with such secrecy. Usually, he would at least give his retainer an inkling of what his missions were about so that in case of an emergency Jaken could act accordingly. This time, however, no explanation had been forthcoming, and it had been up to the little youkai to seek out the elusive information himself.

When he had rummaged through a stack of letters on Sesshoumaru's table located in his sitting room, Jaken had come across one that had chilled even his cold blood. It was one that had no signature but bore the crest of someone that had a long unpleasant history with the Taiyoukai that was currently Jaken's employer. Even though he, himself, had never had any personal run-ins with the individual Seiryn had supplied enough tales of when Sesshoumaru was younger to let Jaken know this missive was not received with joy. Far from it, in fact.

He seriously doubted if anyone else in the household knew of the letter or what its significance had meant, even Seiryn considering she had not seen the parchment herself. Jaken, not wanting anyone else to get the same idea he had and snoop in his Lord's belongings, had taken the letter and hid it in his own quarters, knowing no one would dare enter the chamber.

Now, with his master gone for so long, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his extended departure, the little toad youkai couldn't help but feel the first stirrings of alarm either. It would seem Rin shared some of his emotions in that area. No matter what could be said of the troublesome human, it was clear that she loved his master just as much as he did.

A moment of comradeship spiked over his frozen heart, happy that at least he had found someone else in the huge household to share the misgivings of Sesshoumaru's absence with. He just couldn't let the girl know to what extent her worries might be actual fact and not fiction. The Taiyoukai would punish him harshly if he found out Jaken had worried the human for no reason.

Ever since that female had joined them he just never got the respect from his Lord like he used to.

But then again, did he ever...

Determined not to get into one of his self analysis on the relationship between him and his master, Jaken focused again on the girl who was still kneeling in front of him, smiling.

The sparkle of mischief in her big chocolate eyes was one that he knew all too well.

Eyeing her warily, he began to edge his way backwards, hoping to escape her evil clutches before she could drag him off.

As usual, he didn't make it. Damn his short legs...

Rin, happy again now that she was sure everything was fine with Sesshoumaru decided it was time to share some of her joy.

She leaned over and plucked Jaken up, holding him in her arms like she would one of the dolls she had gotten from Seiryn. He squawked again in alarm, trying to hit her on the head as she turned to run back the way she had come.

"Stupid girl! Put me down this instant! And stop running through the halls! Do you want to...ack!"

Jaken thought he was going to end up breaking his neck when she precariously ran down the smooth steps of the back porch, slipping on the last one and barely managing to catch herself on the hard packed earth below.

The green of his skin paled and his eyes were larger than normal, his mouth opening and closing silently in fright.

Rin cast the sickly looking youkai an apologetic smile as she continued her speedy gait towards the field by the bridge where she went to pick flowers.

"Sorry about that, Jaken-sama. I've been trying to learn how to run in these new shoes, but I haven't gotten it down yet."

The little youkai didn't say anything, still moving his beaky lips without a sound coming out of them.

Sesshoumaru was just not paying him enough to deal with this child...

Finally, finding the perfect little copse of pink flowers she liked so well, Rin unceremoniously dropped Jaken onto a pile of the soft blossoms, laughing when she saw him simply lay there gasping like a fish out of water.

"You just rest there, Jaken-sama. I'll go pick some flowers for you and then you will feel better." With that she hurried off, dropping down near a small batch of the vegetation, adding green grass stains to her already rumpled appearance.

Twitching where she had left him, the small toad youkai thought grimly, 'If serving Sesshoumaru doesn't kill me, then watching this human brat will.'

But still...that letter worried him...

'Lord Sesshoumaru, this Jaken hopes you are okay.' A happy squeal a few feet away made him flinch. 'Kami, I hope this Jaken survives without you here!'

Mrs. Higurashi picked up her daughter's huge yellow bag, putting a few articles back into it where they had fallen out onto the carpet when it had hit the floor.

Sighing, she put it behind the sofa, out of tripping range in case someone came into the living room. When Inu Yasha had first ran through their front door yelling for Kagome, she had been alarmed. Worried as to what could have gotten the half demon so upset that he would rudely barge into their home and demand to see her daughter.

From what she could gather, it had something to do with the fact that Sesshoumaru was currently residing with them, a fact the hanyou was none too pleased about.

This puzzled her. From the time they had his brother in their house, the youkai hadn't attempted to harm any of them. Mrs. Higurashi wouldn't have allowed him to stay as long as he had if that had been the case. But Kagome had assured her that Sesshoumaru wasn't out to hurt any of them and she had believed her.

When Kagome made an appearance shortly after all the ruckus had started, Mrs. Higurashi had noticed the silent interplay going on between her oldest child and Inu Yasha. There was a heavy current of discomfort and awkwardness running back and forth between them that led her to believe there was much more to the reason her daughter had been so distraught upon returning two and half weeks prior.

She had taken Souta and left when it looked like Kagome was handling the irrate dog demon fine, and went back into the kitchen. As most mothers did, she knew that there were some things that needed to be resolved where the two teens were concerned, and they were not about to discuss them in front of a parent.

After Inu Yasha had left, Mrs. Higurashi had frowned in displeasure at how her daughter ran upstairs in obvious emotional distress, hearing the loud bang of a door slamming a few minutes later.

Whatever had happened after she had left the living room had not gone well.

A while later, she had sent Souta up to go check on her. The younger sibling had returned about twenty minutes later explaining that Kagome had one of her migraines and that he had put her to bed in his room. He had said he would be taking care of their 'guest' until she felt well enough to take over the task herself.

Mrs. Higurashi had accepted the news with a nod, saddened that one of her children was in pain of any sort, but happy that the two siblings could count on each other for support.

She wasn't going to be around forever, and it was nice to know they would have one other when she could no longer look after them herself.

It had been a few hours since Souta had taken up some beef stew and crackers that she had made for Sesshoumaru, considering her son was no chef where the kitchen was concerned. No sounds could be heard throughout the house, save for those of her feet padding over carpet and the spray of furniture polish being administered over a wooden surface.

Polishing the low tabletop, she silently wondered how Kagome was doing and if Souta and Sesshoumaru were getting along alright. Since no one but her daughter had spent any length of time with the dog demon she hoped the two boys had found something in common to keep them company while they were stuck together. Perhaps she could help them out in that area.

Setting the oily brown rag on the now shiny surface, she rose and went out into the front hallway where the coat closet was located. Opening the door on silent hinges, Mrs. Higurashi stood on tip-toe and pushed a few brightly colored snow hats and mismatched pairs of knit mittens out of her way while her hands searched for something on the top shelf.

Brushing against an old cardboard box, she smiled while clasping it tightly and lifted it down, making sure to keep it flat so the contents wouldn't become misplaced and spill out the side. The old paper box was so worn from use that one side had masking tape that was peeling away from the corner adorning one side, the tips of once stiff cardboard frayed with age.

Balancing the long flat box on a forearm, she used one hand to wipe a thick layer of grey dust from its surface, sneezing a little when the dust particles floated in the air and tickled her nostrils. Scrunching up her nose, she looked down at the lettering labeling the container in bold black letters, turning and pushing the door closed with her foot.

'This should keep them entertained,' she thought, making her way upstairs to the half closed door of Kagome's room.

Shouldering her way into the brightly painted room, she smiled at the two males as her entrance brought their attention to her.

"Hello, boys. I thought you might be getting bored up here so I brought you something to pass the time." She walked towards them, smiling encouragingly at the silent but watchful youkai.

'My, but isn't he a handsome young man,' Mrs. Higurashi said to herself silently, marveling at how both brothers had the same amazing amber-gold eyes. Except this older brother had slitted pupils like a cat instead of the rounder human-like of Inu Yasha.

Souta smiled up at his mother, peering at the box she held with interest.

"Is that what I think it is, mom?"

The older woman nodded, grinning down at her son before handing him the dusty box. She wiped her hands on the white apron around her waist, taking in the half eaten tray of food she had sent up.

"Yes, it is." She cast Sesshoumaru a sympathetic look from her cinnamon colored eyes that matched her son's. "It can't be too fun stuck in bed all the time with nothing to do but talk. I hope this can distract you for a little while."

Sesshoumaru may not have liked humans, but that didn't mean he wouldn't afford this one respect. She was the mother of the child who was currently housing him after all.

"I am sure it will, madam."

She smiled, pleased that her little impromptu 'gift' would help relieve some of his boredom.

Souta was eagerly divesting the box of its top, withdrawing a folded black and white board with little squares of the two colors dotting its surface. He opened it and placed it flat on the night stand by the bed, making sure to hand the used eating utensils to his mother first. Laying it so that one half of the board faced the reclining dog demon, he then extracted a multitude of black and white figurines that were about the size of Sesshoumaru's pinky in length, each piece depicting a different shape.

Sesshoumaru eyed them with keen interest, not recognizing what it was he was seeing. It looked like a horse head with a bunch of weird knobs and a stone castle tower. He watched as Souta placed the black pieces that were identical to the white ones on the dog demon's side before doing the same for his own.

Putting the empty box onto the floor by his seat, Souta grinned over at Sesshoumaru's puzzled face and said, "This is a game called chess. You probably aren't familiar with it so I'll explain the rules to you. You'll probably like it though since it deals with strategy more than anything."

The Taiyoukai's expression cleared. 'Aw. A game of the mind then. This, he could do.'

Smirking, he told the boy in his usual icy tone, "Alright, boy. Explain it to me and then let us. . . play." That last word was not one he had used in a very long time. It felt odd on his tongue, almost like a blasphemy.

Kagome's mother watched the pair in pleasure, happy that the boys were going to have something to take up the time until her daughter got up. Although, in all honesty, that probably wouldn't be until tomorrow.

Turning to leave, she said over her shoulder, "Oh, Souta. I called your school and told them you weren't coming in today. I thought it would be better if I told them you wouldn't make it instead of your grandpa."

Souta rolled his eyes and smiled at his mother. "Thanks mom! Yeah, I don't think I want grandpa making up any phantom illnesses for me." He shuddered at the thought. "I can just hear what he would say now..."

Her laughter floated through the air. "Yes, grandpa has a ... vivid imagination. You two boys have fun. I'll bring up some dinner later when it's ready."

"Thanks mom! We appreciate it," came his grateful reply as he watched his mother nod her head in acknowledgment before she carried the tray out of the room.

Once she was gone, Souta turned back to the waiting dog demon, smirking.

"Alright, you ready to get your butt kicked at chess?"

The brat's boasting amused the youkai. The foolish child had no idea who he was dealing with.

Mirroring his smirk, he waved one clawed hand. "By all means. Proceed."

With that, Souta began explaining each piece and how it could move across the board.

Mrs. Higurashi walked downstairs with the tray of cold food, satisfied that she had found something to occupy the two males for the afternoon. Walking into the cheery kitchen, she placed the dirty dishes into the stainless steel sink, running hot water with a squirt of dish soap over them.

Immersing her hands in the sudsy water, she thought to herself, 'Now, if I could just help my daughter as easily as I did those two...'

Studies have shown that people who suffer from heavy mental fatigue coupled with a strong narcotic sleep so deeply that dreams don't find them. It is theorized that by putting such a strong drug into the blood stream of said person it infiltrates the nervous system and interrupts the natural firing of synaptic impulses in the brain, slowing the activity of the neurons interacting with one another, thereby not letting these small charges meet their destinations. An explanation highly scientific and considered fallible in the medical world.

Too bad normal never could be used to describe Kagome, and the supernatural considered the young miko its favorite plaything.

In the early middle hours of the night a young girl was twitching under the heavy fabric of a blue comforter. Eyes a soft blue-grey were shielded by thin pale lids, the lengthy lashes attached to them giving the impression of sickle-shaped tattoos gracing her high cheekbones. The cobalt orbs were moving rapidly in their sockets, her breathing ragged and uneven, resembling that of an out of shape runner. A light film of perspiration covered her brow, the thick strands of ebony hair quickly sticking to the damp skin.

With a half-yell of what sounded like fright, the young woman shot up into a sitting position, lurching forward while clasping the blanket in a white knuckled grip.

Kagome searched wildly around the pitch black room, slowly calming down as she realized she was no longer dreaming. Her heart was beating like a caged bird and adrenaline was still coursing thickly through her veins.

She took a shaky breath in. The terrible thing was she couldn't even remember whatever the nightmare had been about that she had been ensnared in. The terror filling her senses was the only thing filtering through her muddled system.

Wiping the back of one hand across her forehead, she breathed in and out slowly, feeling her heartbeat stop is frantic drumming to take up a more regular pace.

The clammy feel of sweaty flesh clinging to damp clothes became more noticeable when a cold draft slithered over Kagome, causing her to shiver in response. She swallowed with some discomfort, her mouth dry and lacking in moisture.

Blinking a few times to adjust her eyesight to the dark, Kagome got out of Souta's bed, stumbling a bit as the powerful medication still took effect in her body.

Arms outstretched in front of her, she groped around the small room, veering towards the right where she knew her brother's dresser would be. One palm brushed over the grainy surface of a drawer, fingers trailing upon the polished wood till they encountered a round knob.

Grinning in triumph, she opened the drawer and withdrew one of Souta's newer button-up dress shirts.

It wasn't like he wore them enough to miss them.

She then proceeded to leave the bedroom, still swaying a tad as she walked, looking more than ever like the drunken butterfly Sesshoumaru had once compared her to.

Kagome frowned, having trouble concentrating on any one thing. Her thoughts were scattered. Totally disjointed and making no sense what-so-ever. Any time she took the painkiller it lasted at least 24 hours, and during that time she rarely made sense. She operated instead off of emotion, blind instinct telling her what to do.

Right now those instincts were telling Kagome that they didn't like the feel of being in slightly wet clothes, so she made her unsteady way into the family bathroom that was the short walk from her brother's door straight across the hallway. Closing herself inside, she quickly ran a shower and shucked off her cloying shirt, pants, and underwear, goose bumps raising across her skin at the cold temperature of the air. She got into the bathtub quickly, the warm glow of the white nightlight was all the illumination she needed to bathe by.

Kagome almost fell back asleep while leaning on the white tiled wall, their cold ceramic surfaces going unnoticed by the half-conscious miko. The warm spray of the water massaging tired muscles was the only thing registering in her befuddled mind.

Kami, but she loved the wonderful invention called a showerhead. It was way better than sitting in a bathtub with a load of water that got cold after about twenty minutes.

A moment of coherency suddenly hit her, making her jerk away from her support to blink dazedly up at the silver showerhead.

It wasn't offering any answers as to why she was there. Her drugged mind had already forgotten.

Moving her head from side to side as though to clear her foggy thoughts, the miko quickly finished washing her body and long black hair, making sure to get all of the conditioner out of the raven tresses.

When she was done, she dried off using a huge beach towel she'd found in one of the cabinets. It was decorated with big blue dolphins, their shapes distorted and ugly to Kagome's hazy mind. They looked like they were grinning insanely at her...

Grimacing, she threw it in a sodden heap to land with a 'splat' on top of the wicker hamper, happy to be rid of the grotesque thing.

She put on what she could now see to be a dark wine-colored shirt with long sleeves. Kagome tried to slip the small plastic buttons through their respective tiny holes on the facing material.

She frowned in deep concentration, willing her blurry vision to focus on the stubborn round discs that seemed to defy every attempt she made to fasten them.

Many minutes later, after a few colorful curses she'd picked up from Inu Yasha filled the quiet of the bathroom, Kagome succeeded in buttoning the shirt, leaving a V that stopped just above her breasts.

Smoothing the material over her thighs, she fleetingly marveled at how grown Souta was now. The cuffs covered her hands completely and the scooped front and back of the garment reached almost to her knees.

The young woman giggled at her own image, her muddled mind finding the female in the mirror funny looking.

'Someone should really tell that person to get some clothes that fit,' she thought in humor.

Turning her attention to her toothbrush she then brushed her teeth, frowning at the desert dryness of her mouth.

It felt like she hadn't had a drink of water in a week!

Finished with that task, she then used the rinsing cup to drink three brimfulls of water, the cold liquid tasting like ambrosia to her parched tongue and soothing her throat.

Before leaving, she went to the bathroom (she had just drank down three full glasses of water after all) and then tripped quietly down the hallway to her bedroom, a place her instincts were telling her she was supposed to be.

Kagome didn't stop to think about why she had this feeling she just had to be in her bedroom. There was this half-formed notion that there was something in there she was supposed to be watching...or was it take care of? She couldn't recall and didn't much care to analyze it at this point anyway.

She was dead tired again and just wanted to sleep.

Opening her door a fraction, she slipped in, stifling a sleepy yawn behind one cuff covered hand. Dropping the appendage back to her side, her fingers splayed along her hip taking in the smoothness of the fabric, noticing with a frown that she'd forgotten to put on underwear.

Why would she forget that?

When no answer was readily forthcoming, she shrugged it aside and went over to her own dresser, taking out a pair of panties and slipped them on.

Satisfied that she was completely clothed, Kagome moved to her bed through the darkness of her room, half-lidded eyes registering the sight of a male outline slouched on her desk chair. Her brain disregarded the picture, all its attention focused on getting to the bed and under the warm covers.

Since the only light available was a sliver of watery moonlight peaking through her lace curtains, she couldn't quite make out what was taking up the majority of her bed.

Brow knit in confusion, Kagome stared down at what looked like a tall body with a shock of long silver hair attached to it.

'Who is that?' she thought while scratching her damp scalp in bewilderment. Her foggy mind told her it was nothing, probably a figment of her overtaxed imagination, and the young woman accepted the excuse.

Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome lifted the blankets and slid into her bed, almost purring in bliss at the warm cocoon of the flannel against her chilled skin.

Moving her feet against each other, her knee came into contact with something that felt much better than trying to generate heat using friction from her own skin.

It felt like a swath of fur that was softer than Buyo's had been as a kitten.

Enjoying the luxurious feel of this newfound 'heater', Kagome scooted closer to it, weaving her legs around it, putting the tip between the arches of her joined feet.

Sighing in sleepy happiness, she then threw an arm over the bare skin of whoever was in bed with her, barely registering the coarse feel of the gauze bandages lining their firm chest.

Rubbing her cheek against the pillow a few times, she exhaled deeply before falling straight back to sleep.

Soon, the sound of three people's relaxed even breathing filled the room. The two males had not awoken at the girl's intrusion, instead sleeping on, having no idea of their little invader who had made herself at home next to the youkai on the bed.

The wind softly whistled through the bare branches of the trees outside, a fat cat purred in sleep on top of a now white speckled black tanktop, and all residents of the Higurashi Shrine slept on in peaceful slumber.

Souta slowly rose through unconsciousness, awakening with a sluggish blink of his eyes.

Inhaling deeply, he stretched on the unforgiving chair, holding his breath until he was done.

Raking his fingers through his shaggy hair, he cast a cursory glance to the bed, doing a wide-eyed double-take at what he saw.

"What the hell?!" came his startled exclamation, shock plain on his youthful face.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, even going so far as to rub the heels of his palms into his sockets, in case he was hallucinating.

Nope. Not some crazy figment of his overactive imagination that he'd dreamt up after consuming too much soda last night.

There lay his sister, dressed in one of his best dress shirts, sprawled all over the bed with one bare knee poking out from under the blanket. It wouldn't have been such an out of the ordinary sight if there didn't happen to be a six foot something dog demon squashed up against the wall next to her. The poor youkai looked like he was trying to avoid any unnecessary contact with Kagome, even in sleep.

Souta smirked, seeing that she had somehow managed to maneuver Sesshoumaru onto his side till he was facing the two siblings, his arm at an awkward angle under the pillow.

Wincing, Souta thought wryly, 'That's going to hurt when he wakes up.'

Too bad no one bothered to warn the Taiyoukai that Kagome was not only known for randomly roaming when she took her medication, but also that when under the influence of said drugs the girl always slept in a messy fashion.

One morning their mom had found her draped at the foot of the bed, one leg hanging off the mattress and a pillow over her snoring face.

Now it seemed the unsuspecting occupant of her bed was made to suffer because he hadn't awoken when she'd come in there last evening.

Shaking his head at how ridiculously unorthodox their household had become since the arrival of the demon, he stood up to bend over Kagome, gently shaking her while calling her name.

"Kagome. Sis. Come on, wake up."

He got no response save for her to bat his hand away from her shoulder then roll over to snuggle into Sesshoumaru's side.

Arching a speculative eyebrow, he leaned away, unwilling to yell in order to get through to her. Climbing on the bed to pull her out of it was also out of the question.

Talk about sleeping like the dead...

Before he could think of another way to wake his sister up, a pair of amber eyes shot open to fix with sharp clarity on Souta's own.

'Oh great. Now I can't move Sis without Sesshoumaru finding out she was there,' he thought in irritation.

Offering the scowling dog demon a half-grin, Souta rubbed his hand on the back of his neck.

"Uh, good morning."

'Yeah, that sounded wonderful. Way to go, Souta,' he mocked himself.

Sesshoumaru looked down at the female nestled against his stomach and chest, biting back a curse. The infernal miko had slept next to him for the second night in a row, and this time he hadn't even heard her come in!

Where the devil had she come from? The brat watching over him yesterday said she was sleeping in his room, so how did she end up here?

Kami, but Fate had chosen to place him in the care of an insane family.

What the assassins hadn't accomplished these humans were doing an admirable job finishing.

Scooting up, ignoring the stabbing sensation of his strained arm, Sesshoumaru positioned himself till he was leaning in the corner where the wall and headboard bet. His messy braid he threw over one shoulder, the tip resting over his chest.

He regarded the boy standing nervously before him coldly, ignoring Kagome when she took advantage of his new stance by using some blanket as a pillow and wrapping an arm around his waist.

Damn, but the girl was more tenacious than seaweed ensnaring a ship oar. No matter how he tried to untangle himself from her she kept following, tightening her hold.

Maybe she was really part snake youkai and was attempting to constrict him...

The boy's young voice filled the air again, an apologetic look accompanying it.

"Sorry about Kagome. I forgot to warn you that whenever she takes those pills she has a habit of semi-sleepwalking. She must have woken up, changed into one of my shirts, and came back here."

One silvery eyebrow arched into the fringe of Sesshoumaru's bangs.

"And you just let her waltz in here and slip into bed with a man, brat?"

He wasn't about to let the boy know what had transpired the night before last. He was working on forgetting that himself...

Another nervous laugh broke from Souta's throat.

"Heh, heh. Well, uh. . . .that is. . . um, I sort of fell asleep shortly after you did. So I didn't even see when Kagome came in."

Ice dripped from the Taiyoukai's next question. "You fell asleep instead of remaining awake?"

Souta gulped, flushing in embarrassment while feeling like he was being taken to task by his math sensei. The man was a veritable tyrant.

Fidgeting, he answered guiltily, "Uh, yeah. I guess I did."

'Incompetence. The brat couldn't even stay lucid during his 'watch',' the youkai thought in disdain. Aloud he said, "Since you couldn't manage to do your job last night do you think you could handle removing your sister now?"

Nodding in earnest, Souta reached over to grab Kagome's shoulder, bracing his knee on the mattress and pulling on her with gentle force.

"Come on, Sis! Rise and shine. Time to get up."

The miko frowned in her sleep, clasping a firmer hold onto the perturbed youkai.

Rolling his cinnamon eyes, Souta said louder, "Get up Kagome."

Still no reaction.

Souta sat back, thinking it over for a moment. A sudden devilish spark ignited in his eyes.

Smirking evilly, he stood up and yelled, "Oh my goodness! Inu Yasha is here!"

That worked.

She pushed herself away from Sesshoumaru, turning around to sweep the room with frantic eyes while moving her mussed hair out of her way.

"Inu Yasha?! Where?! Sit boy!"

Her brother's laughter drew her attention and Kagome realized that there was, indeed, no hanyou present.

Eyes narrowing dangerously, she growled while leaping from the bed, intent on murdering her brother.

"Souta! That's it! You're dead!"

Dodging her lunge easily, the teenager laughed harder while running out the door, his "Glad to see you're awake, Sis" was soon followed by the slamming of wood on wood.

She stood in the center of her room, glaring daggers at where her sibling had escaped, curling her toes into the plush carpet while cursing Souta all the way to hell and back.

He'd nearly scared her to death when he had yelled that Inu Yasha was here. In the half-awake state of someone violently wrenched from sleep, the miko had assumed that the hanyou being present meant he was getting ready to attack Sesshoumaru.

Speaking of which...

Kagome felt a cool draft blow across her legs, goose bumps rising on the exposed flesh. Looking herself over, she realized in growing mortification that she was wearing nothing but her brother's shirt and had just come from a bed she had shared with Sesshoumaru.

Again.

The dog demon was going to kill her...she just knew it.

She stiffened, a blush staining her cheeks as embarrassment raced through hew now fully alert system.

Damn. Now how was she supposed to face him?


	11. Declaration of War

Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's piercing gaze boring into her back, making her very conscious to the fact that he was waiting for her reaction now that she'd realized the position she was in.

Irritation quickly replaced any lingering embarrassment. How dare he act like she had committed some heinous crime! She'd only slept walk, for crying out loud. It wasn't as if she had knowingly walked in here last night with the intent on sleeping beside the youkai.

The arrogant creature greatly overestimated his importance.

Tilting her chin at a defiant angle, she squared her shoulders and turned to stare straight into Sesshoumaru's frigid amber eyes. It took a lot of courage to keep her eyes trained as they were, especially since she wanted nothing more than to have the floor open up below her and swallow her whole. At least then she would have escaped from this predicament.

Putting on her best fake smile, Kagome asked casually, "How are you feeling today, Sesshoumaru?"

'My best form of defense is to ignore the problem completely. Maybe for the first time in my life it will magically go away if I do,' she silently prayed.

He gazed at her derisively, thinking, 'So, she plans on ignoring the fact that she crept in here last night.' It wasn't like she could use the same excuse that she had yesterday. The sadistic part of Sesshoumaru was waiting in anticipation, eager to see if she would maneuver her way out of this one.

Humans were such resourceful creatures when it came to ignoring the truth. They had a special knack for it.

He decided to humor her for the moment, catch her unawares by lolling her into a false sense of security.

"My wounds are healing fine. That is what your brother told me when he checked them."

Kagome nodded and kept talking, trying to distract his attention away from noticing how she was edging towards her closet, intent on putting some pants on. She wasn't an exhibitionist by nature.

"That's good. Pretty soon you'll be well enough to go home, and then Rin won't be worried any more," she chirped cheerily, extracting some boot-leg jeans from a wire hanger before turning her back to him and quickly slipping them on.

Thank goodness the shirt was long enough to keep everything 'essential' hidden. She didn't want to give the dog demon a show on top of everything else.

"I was told yesterday about a possible reason as to why I'm not healing properly and how I was able to pass through the well." Kagome turned her attention to him, her blue-grey eyes sharp with interest as he spoke. "You will tell me if what the boy said is true or not."

Nodding eagerly, she once more took up post on the chair, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest. "Souta? What did he say?"

Sesshoumaru related what her brother had told him, making sure to repeat exactly what was said so the miko could absorb every detail. When he was finished, the girl was cupping her chin in one hand, gazing off into the distance in deep thought.

"Hmmmm...," her eyes suddenly focused back on the Taiyoukai. Smiling, she said, "It sounds like it is all plausible. I mean it would explain why you're not healing correctly and why the well let you pass." She frowned. "But still...I am not too sure if that is the precise reason you can travel through the well like Inu Yasha and myself. I get this feeling that there is something more to consider."

He silently agreed. For though what the boy had told him seemed reasonable enough, there were still a few loopholes that needed further scrutiny.

"He mentioned that a person named Hojo could prove of some use as to figuring out how to get my white blood cell count production accelerated. Do you know of such a human?"

"Yes, I do actually. He's a good friend of mine," Kagome replied, smiling fondly at the mention of the boy who had bore a crush for her during their highschool years. Thank goodness he had given that up! She well remembered the days of random remedies and the constant excuses she was forced to give him when he would ask her out.

Souta suggesting that she get a hold of Hojo had been a pretty smart idea. Since he was going to college to be a doctor, he had to know more than any of them did about physiology and body functions. She would give him a call right now, so that way he could come over and shed some light on this little melo-drama.

Decision made, she rose from the chair and headed for the door, intent on going downstairs to retrieve the cordless black telephone. Hojo should be at his apartment relaxing since he had no classes on Saturday, his one day off.

The Taiyoukai frowned, unaware as to what the girl's plans were and why she was suddenly leaving the room.

Did the human ever make any sense? He was beginning to seriously doubt it.

"Human, where are you going?"

"Oh, I'll be right back. I'm just going to call Hojo and have him come over as soon as he can. Then he can check you over and give you a better answer as to how much longer you'll be stuck here." She waved a hand at him before exiting, leaving behind a contemplative youkai.

Yes, it would be best if he could leave here soon. If what the boy said was true, he had to get back through the well before he was completely healed. Otherwise he would be stuck here.

He shuddered in horror at the idea. 'Live here forever with Mistress Sunshine?!' The thought didn't even bare thinking about.

Kagome was currently in her kitchen flipping through her phone book, searching for Hojo's number. Finding the one she was looking for, she depressed the neon green buttons before cradling the phone to her ear with her shoulder, tapping her fingers in a rapid tattoo on the selected white page. A satisfying ringing filled her ear.

After about three rings, Hojo picked up, sounding like his usual cheerful self.

Kagome smiled, greeting him in a sunny voice. "Hojo-kun! Hi, this is Kagome."

A moment of silence floated through the bright kitchen before it was broken by a, "Yes, I am doing fine. How about you?"

Kagome set the phone directory down, leaning back against the doorjamb while she listened to his reply.

"That's good! Glad to hear your classes aren't giving you a hard time. Listen," she repositioned the phone on her ear before continuing. "I need to ask you a favor, Hojo-kun. Could you come over this morning for a little while?"

She smiled at his answer, a relieved sigh escaping her rosy lips. "Thanks so much! You don't know how grateful I am. So, does an hour give you enough time to get ready and get here?"

She laughed. "Thirty minutes? Even better! Thanks, Hojo-kun! I'll see you then."

Hanging up the phone, she replaced it back on its cradle to charge before skipping back to her bedroom, a light feeling overtaking her.

It had been a long time since she had seen Hojo. Ever since he went off to university the courses he was taking had made it all but impossible for him to stop by the shrine like he used to. Kagome had missed his company greatly, his easy-going nature proving an effective balm against Inu Yasha's insults.

She couldn't count the times she had come home from the feudal era fuming over something the hanyou had said, just to see Hojo a little later and laugh the tension away. The boy had become a great friend. One that she was glad she hadn't totally lost like her female ones after leaving highschool.

Entering her room, she informed Sesshoumaru that Hojo would be there shortly, helping him to the bathroom so he could get cleaned up. Today she was going to let him wash his hair since the long mane was starting to look a little on the unkept side. Days of lying in bed with it being ground against the pillow had made it frizzy on the edges, something she was sure Sesshoumaru was not happy with.

Kagome showed him how to operate the shower, telling him he was only allowed to use it to wash his hair. While he was getting the task done he was to place the plastic shower curtain over his waist, thereby keeping at least those bandages dry. The miko then told him not to worry about grooming his tail and hair, she would take care of that when he was done.

Sesshoumaru accepted this with a graceful nod of his head, secretly jumping for joy at finally getting the chance to clean his scalp and hair. He hated being anything but perfectly groomed.

Kagome didn't close the bathroom door all the way, instead waiting till she heard the youkai enter the bathtub before closing her eyes and quickly re-entering.

She ignored Sesshoumaru's sharp demand of, "What the hell do you think you're doing, girl?!" to blindly search the floor for what she was looking for. When her hands brushed silk, she grabbed up the material and fled from the steamy room, the Taiyoukai's curses ringing in her ears as she went.

Slamming the door shut on his tirade, Kagome opened her eyes and let out a, "Whew!" That was close. But, she had been determined to get his loincloth so the thing could be washed. She would just get one of the new pairs of boxers that mom had bought Souta yesterday. They should fit the youkai alright.

The miko left to accomplish her mission, putting Sesshoumaru's last piece of personal clothing in the washer before taking a pair of dark blue boxers from the package lying next to Souta's stack of clean clothes.

'He won't miss these,' she reassured herself while going into the kitchen to find a pair of scissors. With Sesshoumaru's tail to consider that meant she would have to cut a hole in the back of them.

Estimating how large of an incision to make, she finally made a good sized hole towards the elastic waistband, figuring if he needed to alter them he could do so himself. Putting her metal instrument away, Kagome went back to her room, opening the bathroom door soundlessly to drape the underwear on the knob of the door for him.

This time, she didn't get verbally reprimanded for intruding on his royal highness' bath.

Working fast, she shed the wrinkled shirt she was wearing, putting on a bra and green turtle-neck sweater. Brushing her hair, she finished up by putting on some deodorant that was in the same drawer as the brush had been. No need for the demon to give her one of his looks because he thought she looked messy.

She rolled her eyes and began straightening up the room, smoothing out the sheets on the bed and readjusting the askew comforter.

The Taiyoukai emerged from the bathroom just as she was fluffing up the pillows, a cloud of steam following him out of the muggy room. Kagome kept her attention on her chore, saying over her shoulder, "Did you find the underwear I put in there for you?"

She gasped and spun around when his icy voice came from right behind her. She hadn't even heard him move across the floor! Of course, that could have been because her heart was beating so loudly from being nervous...

Craning her neck back, she locked eyes with him, swallowing.

Uh-oh. He looked like a pissed half-drowned youkai. Oh boy...

"Human, I do not appreciate being spied on while I am bathing. It is an insult I will not stand for."

She frowned up at him. "Hey! It isn't like I went in there for a peep show! I just wanted to give you some fresh clothes to wear so I could wash your other ones."

He arched his silvery brow, an arrogant tilt to his handsome head. "Oh really? And you call this," he indicated the boxers he had put on with a wave of his hand, "suitable attire?"

The miko gave him a look of wry amusement, her mouth quirking up on one side. "Sesshoumaru, what you are wearing now is more decent than the thing you were using before." She patted him on his shoulder where the arm was missing, trying to calm him. "Besides, I got you silk and everything! Doesn't that count for something?"

Was the girl serious? No one could be that dense! Many youkai had seen the Taiyoukai in the mood he was in now and had promptly fled for their lives. Instead, this overly energetic human was petting him like he was an overwrought dog that needed calming.

He didn't know whether to be insulted that his intimidation tactics never worked on her, or amused that she was attempting in her own way to sooth his injured pride.

He sighed, letting the matter go. It wasn't like she would quit bothering him if he continued arguing with her. She would just spout one of her insane remarks that made no sense and then consider the matter settled. At least this way he was preempting any of that.

Stepping out of her reach, he moved around the miko to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving his tail to trail down the side of the mattress, his soaked hair resting over his good shoulder.

"Girl, just get on with drying my hair."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed while complying, coming back moments later armed with two big green towels. Sitting in her chair, she quickly set to work on white damp fur, having it pretty much dry in minutes. She then moved on to his long hair, sitting to the side of him and rubbing the silver strands vigorously between the folds of terry material.

By the time Kagome was finished, he was a lot dryer and looked more like his usual prideful self instead of the soggy dog demon from earlier. She quickly brushed out and braided his locks, giving him a light pat on the head as she stood up to deposit the used towels in her hamper.

She was going to have to ask her mom to do the laundry soon. Her small hamper was overflowing with clothes now...

Sesshoumaru's pointed ears twitched in annoyance at the caress she'd placed on his head before leaving. The girl insisted on treating him like some pet she had taken in off the streets. At this rate he would never know what being respected felt like ever again...

Where was the groveling Jaken when he needed him?

Getting fully into bed, he sat up like he usually did during the day, covering his long legs with the blanket she had provided. His clawed fingers drummed on the soft fabric, making small indents each time he made contact with it.

The sound of a loud chime resounded throughout the house just as Kagome was exiting the bathroom, a bright smile lighting her pretty features at the noise.

"Hojo-kun is here!"

Her excitement was not shared.

The dog demon pushed down a flash of what could have been jealousy. Could have been, if he cared that is. Which he didn't.

That was what he told himself anyway as he watched the girl race to her bedroom door and open it to reveal a young human male. The boy was a few inches taller than the girl, brown hair and kind brown eyes shining from a round cheerful face. He pushed down another wave of the foreign emotion when she promptly launched herself into the smiling boy's arms, the both of them laughing as they hugged.

Pathetic. Such public displays of sentiment were revolting.

Disengaging from their embrace, Kagome grabbed her friend's hand and tugged him into her room, exclaiming in happiness, "It's so good to see you again! I've missed not having you around."

Hojo chuckled, his warm eyes running over the girl he had adored as a teenager with fondness. Squeezing her fingers lightly, he replied, "I've missed being here! But you know how college can be. All that studying, preparing for exams it leaves me no time for anything else. In the future I'll try to come by more often."

Kagome's smile turned a little sad, the light in her eyes dimming as she withdrew her hand from his. "That would be nice, Hojo-kun. I hope you can."

He frowned, noticing how much thinner and worn the girl looked. She had a mature air about her that spoke of recent trials that had resulted in heartache. He wondered if it had anything to do with Inu Yasha.

Yes, Kagome had told him all about her adventures in the Sengoku Jedai a few months after their graduation. Funny, but when it no longer looked like he was pursuing her as more than a friend, she had opened up about her time spent in the other era. At first, he had been skeptical. Worried that one of the illnesses she'd suffered had affected her brain. Kagome had explained to him how all the times she had been absent she wasn't sick at all, but looking for some jewel called the Shikon no Tama that a hanyou named Naraku was looking for.

A lot to swallow, but he believed her. There had just been too many mysterious things that had happened concerning the young woman for him to disregard anything she said. She'd even shown him pictures of the guy she traveled with, Inu Yasha. The Polaroid snapshots Kagome had taken showed a young male, maybe mid twenties, with long white hair, fluffy ears, and big gold eyes. Not to mention one small portrait that had shown the half demon holding what looked like a humanoid fox by its tail, yelling at it.

Things in feudal Japan looked awfully strange and unlike any history books he had ever read. But then what did he expect? You didn't read a chapter of history to see what demon was ruling where.

Speaking gently, he said with concern, "Kagome-chan. You look tired. Have you been working very hard in the Sengoku Jedai?"

Shaking her head, she turned away from him, instead moving to stand by Sesshoumaru. "No, I'm fine. Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. You know how insomnia sometimes pops up out of nowhere." She tried to laugh it off, the sound grating and hollow to her ears.

Hojo, knowing Kagome wouldn't say anything unless she wanted to, let the issue alone. Moving his eyes past his friend, he saw a long-haired man lying on her bed, glaring at him coldly. The look sent a chill down his spine. The guy looked like he wanted to kill him, and Hojo hadn't even met him before.

There were certain physical similarities that could be compared to Inu Yasha, though. Such as the color of hair, the amber-gold eyes, and not to mention the tail peeking out of the blanket. This person had to be one of the youkai that Kagome was always telling him about. From the looks of him, a very powerful and arrogant one.

Hojo noticed the white bandages lining the youkai's lean chest, the stub of where one arm used to be painfully obvious in his half-clothed state.

Turning his attention back to the girl standing to the side, he asked, "Does my being here have something to do with him?"

Kagome mentally smacked herself for getting offtrack like she had. 'Focus girl!'

"Yep! Sorry, I haven't introduced you yet." She went to make the introductions, standing between the two, looking back and forth between them. "Hojo, this is Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands in feudal Japan. Sesshoumaru, this is my friend, Hojo."

"Hello," Hojo said in greeting, the friendly air not leaving him at the way the Taiyoukai just regarded him silently with cold menace.

Kagome scowled at the demon, surprising Hojo when she dared to scold him.

"Sesshoumaru, where are your manners?! I called Hojo here to help you. Don't start behaving like Inu Yasha."

That last sentence gained her a growl and a death glare from those eerie luminous eyes. One which his friend completely ignored, instead turning to smile apologetically to Hojo as she motioned him forward.

"You'll have to forgive him. He's been cooped up in here for days and doesn't take too well to being stuck in our time. You can't really blame him."

Hojo nodded in understanding, giving the irritated youkai a sympathetic look. "Aw, I see. No harm done. Don't worry about it." He turned to Kagome, arching a brown brow in inquiry. "So, what did you need?"

She indicated the injured deg demon with her hand. "Umm , a few days ago he was injured before falling through the well. Normally, he would have healed completely by now since demons have way faster regenerative power than humans. But, he's been healing almost as slowly as one of us, and we think it has something to do with lack of white blood cells in his system. He was sick with something resembling the flu a while ago that had him down for a week and half."

Hojo watched the youkai during her entire monologue, studying the healthy color of the 'patient' and the crystal clarity of his hard eyes. He looked solid enough to the human boy, but he would have to see those wounds before saying anything definite on the matter.

"I see. Well, the first thing to do is let me see the wounds, that way I can see how much time he has to go before he's all better." He moved towards the bed, leaning over the youkai to begin pulling at the gauze.

Sesshoumaru growled again, directing a threatening scowl into the startled boy's face. He didn't like the scent of this boy. Not that it was unpleasant. The youkai just didn't like him. The brat looked like some kind of happy-go-lucky idiot.

Kagome laughed nervously, gently pushing Hojo aside so she could finish what he started. "Let me do it. He's used to me any way." She gave the discontent Taiyoukai a warning look, silently telling him to cooperate.

He twisted his head to stare at the wall, preferring that to her disturbing gaze.

With practiced movements, she divested the demon of his bandages, removing the ones on his legs as well. When she was done, Kagome scooted down the bed till she sat near his knees, being sure to move his tail out of the way so Hojo didn't accidentally trip or step on it. She would hate to see how Sesshoumaru would react then...

Hojo went straight to work, examining the lacerations, a wrinkle of concentration marring his brow while he lightly pressed around the cuts with gentle fingers.

It looked like they were almost finished closing, actually. If Hojo was correct, the youkai had only about two more days to go before being 'whole' again. Even the wound on his leg looked like it was coming right along, the stitches, although not exactly surgeon quality, looked like they could be removed soon.

Certain that he had seen all he needed to, Hojo straightened away from the injury, meeting the questioning eyes of Kagome. Smiling in reassurance, he said, "Well, as far as I can tell he should be completely healed without any major lasting effects in a couple of days. That is what the med books I've been studying say anyway. At this rate, the cuts will seal soon. He may have tender muscles for a few days afterwards, unlike a human who would have to take months of physical therapy, but he should be fine."

Relief spread through Sesshoumaru. Finally! This meant he could leave this place soon.

Why then, did that thought not bring the amount of joy he had expected?

The girl sitting beside him moved her fingers in nervous patterns on the mattress, slight distress blanketing her expressive features.

"You mean, in two days he will be healed all the way?"

Hojo nodded, wondering why the news didn't seem to cheer her up like he had thought it would. "Yes, that is what I think."

She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she looked towards the silent youkai who had been watching Hojo throughout his exam. Her voice was quiet when she said, "I guess that means we had better take you back through the well then. If what Souta said is true, then if you are healed completely you won't be able to get back to the feudal era."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head, wondering why the miko sounded so sad. Shouldn't she be happy to finally be rid of him? It wasn't like she had invited him there in the first place.

He had a feeling he would never fully understand this human...

Hojo regarded his friend closely, his perceptive eyes picking up on the small interchange between the two. On second glance it looked like there could be something going on here. What that precisely was he had no idea, nor with the way Kagome's relationships tended to be so complicated did he want to find out.

Looking down at the glass face of his gold watch, Hojo muttered an apology. "Sorry, Kagome-chan, but I have to go. My mom is expecting me to stop by for lunch today and I promised I would meet her in about twenty minutes."

She gave him a warm smile, standing up and walking him out of the room to the front door downstairs, keeping a hand on his shoulder the whole while.

"I understand, Hojo-kun. Thanks again for coming on such short notice. I really do appreciate it, and so does Sesshoumaru, though he doesn't show it that well," she joked, bringing a smile to the boy's lips.

"No problem. Any time, Kagome-chan. I'll try to come by and see you more often, though considering it sounded like you were going back down the well I might hold off on trying to get a hold of you right away." He bent down, putting his black tennis shoes on, straightening his jean pants over the tops of them. Standing straight, he looked down at her with a friendly grin, the dark circles under her beautiful eyes more apparent in the light of the afternoon sun. Smudging one with his thumb as though to wipe it away, he told her, "Get some sleep, okay? Don't go right away without some rest first. Otherwise you'll be the one who is sick and then what would your patient do?" He winked at her.

Kagome giggled, shaking her head at the idea. "One can only imagine." Giving him a swift hug she bade him goodbye, waving at him from the doorway until his black car was out of sight.

Stretching, she yawned behind her hand, feeling suddenly exhausted. Maybe if Hojo hadn't mentioned the fact that she looked tired she wouldn't be feeling it now.

She trudged upstairs, her feet heavy like lead each time she took a step.

Returning to her bedroom, she sat heavily in the wooden chair, slouching. She kept her eyes fixed on the place where Sesshoumaru's tail was draped down the side of the bed, not daring to look at the youkai it belonged to.

Kagome was silent for a moment, a little lost, a little desolate. "At least now you know when you can go home. Which just happens to be within a day," she said, attempting to fill the awkward silence with something that would make one of them happy. Returning to the feudal era meant returning to Inu Yasha. And where Inu Yasha was, heartbreak and Kikyou were sure to follow.

He studied her down-bent head, something strange in his eyes. "I need to get back to my castle at once. Free myself of any distractions— miko-born maidens, to be exact wielding lethal bowls of soup— so I can figure out who was trying to kill me."

She tried to brighten her mood, telling herself that it was because he wanted her safe, that was why he wanted to be away from her so soon. "You needn't be afraid for me."

He sighed. "You will persist in draping me with virtues I don't possess. It's a most tiresome habit. You are purely incidental, girl. My interest is in this coil I've become caught up in. You see, I never could resist a puzzle. And this one grows more intriguing by the moment."

He was talking about his own life, about being hunted, stalked by assassins, youkai who were willing to possibly betray him, to murder him if it ended up that he actually was closely acquainted with him. Which was indeed possible. Yet his voice was as calm as if he were discussing the guest list for an upcoming festivity.

She might even have believed that his heart had turned to stone, as he so obviously wished she would, were it not for the one tiny flaw in his facade. The echoes of his desperate cries for his mother, and the tiniest hint of concern that had played about his mouth when she walked out of her room alone to confront his enraged brother who might have come to kill him.

Kagome looked at him, the youkai turning away from her scrutiny. But she didn't have to look into the handsome planes of Sesshoumaru's face to see that he was a little unsettled by their upcoming parting as well.

Restless, Sesshoumaru got out of the bed, startling the girl sitting on it as he left the comfort of the soft sheets. He paced off a few steps, grateful for the burning pain in his wounded leg. It almost distracted him, seared away the unfamiliar feelings this woman unloosed inside him. She was a plague of emotions, virulent enough to be contagious even to him. And he damn well needed to be rid of her.

"Get your things together at once," he bit out, trying to ignore her incessant chipping away at the tempter he'd almost forgotten he possessed. "We're leaving. Now." He lanced her with a frigid look that should have left her quaking.

Her lips thinned, but that couldn't disguise their softness, the ripe smudge of strawberry pink against the fresh cream of her skin. "We've discussed this before," she said. "We are not leaving until tomorrow morning. Your wounds need one more day of healing before we leave and set out for your castle."

"You mistake me, girl. I am not asking your permission. I am giving you a direct order."

Blue-grey eyes peered back at him, so unimpressed by his most chilling glare it was downright embarrassing. "Those youkai who are looking for you could be anywhere. Don't you think we should wait until you are one day stronger? Be reasonable, Sesshoumaru." No other admonishment could have insulted him more completely. His temper stopped nudging him. It shoved. Hard.

"You dare to preach reason to me? A lone woman who picked up a half-dead youkai after he'd been cut down by unknown assailants? And then, as if that wasn't crazed enough, strode out to meet that youkai's angered half-demon brother when she was armed with nothing but pathetic faith that all would be well?"

He was appalled by the tension underlying his voice, the obvious knotting of his muscles. Signs that all but screamed the woman was fraying his nerves. Stunned at such an unheard-of display, he forced ice crystals into his voice. "I am not accustomed to being defied. You will do as I command."

"Or else you will do what? Flog me? Maim me horribly? Poison me to death with your claws?" She reached out and patted his arm. "Don't worry, Sesshoumaru, there will be plenty of time for that once you are well again."

It took every bit of his will not to grind his teeth— a most annoying habit that he wished he could indulge in. "Woman, do you have any idea who you are dealing with?"

"Quite a clear one, actually," she tossed back a wisp of raven hair, thrusting it into the mass of waves tumbling about her face in disarray. "You remind me of someone I spent a great deal of time with last spring. That was a battle of wills to rival anything you can muster, I assure you."

"You underestimate me."

"You underestimate him! I called him Icarus— you know, from the Greek myth about the boy who made wings from feathers and wax, then flew too close to the sun. The wax melted, and he plunged to his death. But I always thought it must have been wonderful soaring while it lasted."

Sesshomaru clenched his jaw. "Do I look as if I have the slightest interest in mythology at the moment?" he asked very carefully. "It's a pity this Icarus didn't throttle you and same me the aggravation."

"It would have been rather difficult for his talons to reach about my neck. Icarus was a bird of prey I tended. A boy had broken his wing with a rock near our shrine, and the bird was a most reluctant patient. He decided it was time for him to go free long before he was properly mended. When I objected, he spent the rest of his convalescence sulking in his cage."

"You dare to compare that bird to. . . " Sesshoumaru began, incredulous, then stopped, glaring. "I do not sulk." Devil if his cheeks weren't burning with an angry flush for the first time in twenty-odd years! Perhaps murder was his only option! Damn the woman! Her eyes were actually laughing.

"Sesshoumaru, the similarities between you and Icarus are quite unmistakable. I regret to inform you that you are ridiculously used to getting your own way— by fair means or foul, I would wager. But this time you have met your match. You'll find me unmoved by threats or tantrums or fits of the sulks. I know this is difficult for you, but my decision is for the best, I assure you. You might as well resign yourself to it." The empathy in her face was ruined by the slightest hint of amusement and, worse still, understanding.

How dare she presume to understand him! He'd spent a lifetime twisting himself into an enigma.

Most aggravating of all, the woman was right! It would be foolish to venture out where the assassins might be waiting. But that was a risk he was willing to take, not because he was so eager to ferret out the potential traitors who stalked him, or because he was eager to reach his castle, but rather because he would have charged the devil's own army to get away from her.

Why display such unseemly haste? For the simple reason that the woman was driving him mad. Not since the man who shadowed his past had anyone or anything raked at his nerves this way. He hadn't allowed it.

But something about Kagome made him feel closed in, as if the air had become too thick to breathe, not unlike the way a falcon must feel, imprisoned by the bars of a cage, a mocking voice purred inside his head.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Being jerked back to the present was a most annoying sensation.

"I know you are not accustomed to taking advice, but I'm going to suggest this to you anyway." Her voice lilted with soft music, yet was more resolute than that of any besieged youkai he'd ever heard. "I've been snarled at, snapped at, and bitten more than once, all to no avail. It would be far more practical to use your energy to get well rather than to attempt to bully me into changing my mind. But it is your decision."

Was the woman actually patronizing him? Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho? Something hot and uncomfortable knotted in his gut. Anger? Uncertainty? Maybe a little of both.

He could scarce believe it. Her eyes met his directly, no fear, no distrust. Didn't the woman have the wit to realize what he was?

No. She had a clear enough picture. Her observation echoed in his mind: "used to getting your own way by fair means or foul." But she was determined to defy him.

So the woman wanted to cross swords with him, did she? She thought herself a worthy opponent? Fine. He'd never been able to resist a challenge. After all, he'd been schooled by the most ruthless demon alive.

'But how best to defeat her?' He mused for a long moment; then his eyes narrowed. Of course. There was only one thing to do. Make his stubborn guardian angel anxious to be rid of him as he was to be rid of her. He had no intention of letting her actually escort him all the way back to his castle. That was something he had said to pacify her.

Yet she was unaffected by the sharp wit and the cold glares that had always been his most finely honed weapons. There had to be another way to break Mistress Sunshine's resolve. How could he horrify her so completely that she would abandon her high principles, happily dump him on the other side of the well, and hurry back to his idiot half-brother at breakneck speed?

Sesshoumaru turned toward her, his gaze snagging on the rosy curve of her lips. Generous and inviting, they shone, glossy in the light of the sun peaking through the curtains. He would wager his soul that those lips were as untouched by a man as the thorned ivy tangled along his castle walls.

What would happen if he tasted them?

It was a despicable plan. Made more loathsome still by everything she'd done for him. He actually felt a twinge. Fortunately, his conscience was so out of practice it was easily silenced. He didn't really intend to ravish her, after all, only scare her a little. And whatever his motives, she would benefit from the results as well. Be safer. Released from the betrayal he was embroiled in, a deadly game in which each move might be the last.

Come to think of it, his plan was fitting, somehow. Poetic justice. She seemed so smug, so certain she understood every secret corner of her the wounded creatures' hearts she'd attended. It was time to discover whether the lady had any idea what it felt like not to be the savior but the prey.


	12. Manipulation

Kagome studied Sesshoumaru in silence, taking in the obstinate set of his chin, the steely look in his beautiful eyes. He looked like he was gearing himself up for a battle.

She had the sinking suspicion that the one he viewed as his adversary was none other than her.

What a happy thought that was. But she wasn't going to let him undo all the work she had done to get him back to normal. Well, normal for the arrogant Taiyoukai of the Western Lands that is.

However, the stubborn youkai could think again if he was entertaining any ideas of side-stepping her decision. There was nothing that could sway her to let him leave today.

Firm in her resolution, she crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at him impassively.

Yep, there was nothing he could say or do to make her change her mind.

Sesshoumaru stared at the young human who was regarding him so stoically, her face devoid of any emotion. He was all but set in his plan of action. It was perfect. For him at least. The dog demon just didn't like having to use such extreme measures of...persuasion to get what he wanted, which was to depart from her side posthaste.

But looking into her calm eyes, another idea came to him. One that might work just as effectively and would not involve any real contact between them.

He mulled it over in his mind, weighing the pros and cons of it. Testing it for any flaws that she would see through.

Yes, it might work. It would work.

Slouching his shoulders a bit in an attempt to look dejected, he turned his head so he could gaze out the window, putting on a wistful expression in his profile. If it was one thing he knew about the miko it was that she had a soft heart. He should be able to play off this.

Schooling his voice into the right amount of desolation, Sesshoumaru said, "I suppose you are right. It is just that Rin has been left at the castle for over a week now. She was expecting me home days ago, and now that I haven't shown up I am sure she is worried."

He glanced at her under his silver lashes, gauging her reaction to his little acting job. From the way her brows were knit in concern, it seemed to be working nicely.

Triumphant that he would get his way, he continued on, lamenting, "I really do appreciate how well you and your family have taken care of me, but it is time I went back home. Rin might need me."

Kagome got up and came to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, never noticing the victorious glimmer shadowing his amber orbs.

Knowing he had all but won, he bowed his head in mock sadness and pressed his advantage home. "I just. . . .," he swallowed audibly, the next few words costing him both in pride and the hardest for him to say. "...I miss her."

That did it. The girl made a soothing noise and patted him lightly on the back, he could all but smell the guilt coming off her.

Humans were so easy to manipulate. As creatures guided by their emotions instead of reason, it wasn't too difficult to play on their feelings to get what you wanted. You just had to be consummate at acting to do it.

She felt terrible. Kagome had completely forgotten about the little girl he was guardian of. Now she was assaulted in waves of guilt for not having thought of the child before. She had assumed that Sesshoumaru only wanted to get back to the feudal era so he could go hunting for the person who had sent assassins out for him. It had never crossed her mind that he might actually be lonely and miss the company of his ward. Maybe even Jaken too. The youkai had to see something in the ugly little toad in order to have kept him around this long.

Kagome couldn't say no now! Not when his reasons for wanting to return were so noble. She sighed heavily in her mind, a little depressed that she would end up facing Inu Yasha and the others a day earlier than planned. The promise she had made to escort him home still stood, though. The girl refused to let him loose on his own while he was still injured, left to be hunted down and possibly slain before he could reach the castle. She didn't need his death on her conscience along with everything else.

Leaving his side, she made her way towards the door, intent on at least getting a few things done before going back. Such as getting the Taiyoukai some new clothes. She'd have to take the money from her last few Christmases and birthdays so she could buy something from an antique store. That would probably be the only place that would have anything to what he normally wore.

'There goes my tiny savings,' she thought with a pout. But since she was the one to ruin Sesshoumaru's clothes in the first place it was only right that she replace them. They might not be tailored to his exact build, but she was sure she could find something suitable.

Lost in her thoughts, she said absent-mindedly, "Alright. We'll leave later this afternoon. Just rest until I get back, okay? I have to go out and buy you some new clothes and pick up a few supplies for myself. Souta will come back up here and keep you company."

Sesshoumaru inwardly grinned, but outwardly still looked hopeful at her words. As though he hadn't been sure that she would allow him to leave. "Really? Thank you, Kagome. I am in your debt."

She grinned at him, winking as she said, "Hey, it was no problem. Let's just hope that while we travel to your castle we don't run across those youkai who were chasing you. At least not until you are a little better." Opening the door, she stood on the threshold a moment, before adding on her way out, "Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. You'll get to see Rin again soon."

Once she was gone, he smiled wickedly to himself. That had been too easy. Even the little pang of his own conscience berating him for abusing the trust she had in him couldn't dim his joy at getting his way.

Finally, he would be far away from her. No more searching glances. No more waking up with her latched onto his side. No more horrible food he had to choke down just to pacify her. Yes, it would be like leaving jail.

He ignored the way that didn't satisfy him as much as it was supposed to, instead focusing his attention on the young boy that came into the room.

Souta was carrying the box containing the chess set under one arm, smiling in greeting when he saw the Taiyoukai standing by the window.

"Kagome said to keep you company while she went to a couple of stores." Holding up the box, he smirked. "I thought I would give you a rematch since you won by luck last time."

Sesshoumaru gave a smirk of his own, hobbling back to the bed and taking up his customary spot on it. "Believe me, brat. It wasn't luck but skill that beat you yesterday. But, if you are so keen to visit defeat again then I am not going to stop you."

The boy chuckled, rolling his eyes expressively while placing the board and pieces onto the night stand. "Okay, Sesshoumaru. Whatever you say. Let's see what you got this time around."

The dog demon chuckled darkly, moving his pawn forward. "As you wish, boy."

Soon, the two of them were both lost in the game of strategy, forgetting everything around them except for attacks and counter moves. Neither of them gave a second thought to Kagome, too lost in their game of wits.

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip, indecision in her blue-grey eyes as she fingered the soft material of the haori sleeve.

This was the third antique store she had visited since she had set out this morning, and if she found nothing here then Sesshoumaru was going to have to wear one of her grandpa's shrine outfits. Something she highly doubted the great Lord of the Western Lands would lower himself to do. Her grandfather was a foot shorter than him for crying out loud.

The old man behind the counter watched her with interest, wondering why one so young would have come into his shop in the first place.

The girl looked like she should be in a mall, looking in all of those trendy stores to spend her money on new shoes and gaudy shirts. However, she had insisted on looking over the old silk haori and pants set that was pinned on the wall behind the long oaken counter. What the girl saw in the piece, he had no idea. Really, he had only purchased the thing on a whim, thinking it would look authentic and impressive spread out on his beige walls, giving a good backdrop to the ancient samurai swords with their eel-skin pummels.

She picked up the outfit, holding it in front of herself, eyeing the length and cut critically. Judging by how the hem of the pants drug the floor by a few inches, she thought it looked like it was the correct height for the demon's long frame. The shoulder width seemed wide enough for his broad shoulders, the long navy and silver sash draped around the waist able to cinch it in enough around his lean hips.

Really, it was because of the color scheme that she liked it so well. When she had walked through the glass door, the old brass bell tinkling on her arrival, her eyes had immediately been drawn to the ornate cloth tacked on the wall. The other knickknacks of dainty sake cups, beautiful kimonos and stately swords had held no interest for her. She was totally focused on the piece of history hanging behind the counter.

Laying it to lie flat on the glass-topped wood, she tapped a finger against her chin, looking at the pricetag.

Damn. If she bought this for him it would take all of her money. That would mean no buying more ramen for her backpack.

But then, she shrugged. Why would she need to buy that any more? It wasn't like she would be traveling with Inu Yasha and the rest of them. At the very least not for a month or so. By that time she could always come back and get more from her house, sure that her mother would have stocked up on the cheap noodles by then.

Decision made, she stared resolutely into the wizened old man's brown eyes, saying firmly, "I'll take this."

The old man regarded her closely. "Are you sure, miss? This doesn't really seem like something a young pretty girl like yourself would want or need."

Kagome blushed at the praise, shifting uncomfortably while replying, "It's for a friend. He...collects these."

He eyed her with open speculation, his gaze sharpening skeptically. "An expensive gift for a 'friend'." He shrugged his bony shoulders, taking up the clothing and folding it with care. "But then, you young people move at a different pace with 'friends' than we did as children."

She blushed even redder, knowing exactly what the old man was thinking. Biting back a groan, she thought, 'He better appreciate what I put myself through for him. Just to get him something to wear!'

Wrapping the neatly folded garments in brown paper, he tied it off with a piece of yellowed baling twine and added up the tally on his ancient looking cash-register.

Kagome was certain she had seen a picture of one of those in her history books...

Handing over the wad of bills this had cost her, she smiled while taking up her package, waving with a grin as she left the shop. "Thank you!"

Walking briskly down the crowded streets of Tokyo, Kagome hugged the bundle to her chest, bending over it as a strong gust of wind blew through her hair, tossing it into mad tangles around her. Her cheeks were now red from the cold rather than her previous embarrassment, her nose numb from being out in the frigid weather for so long.

Thank goodness the shrine happened to be only about five blocks from the little shop. She'd hate to have been stuck out in the open more than she had to be. Even the thick black jacket failed to fully block out the biting wind, cutting straight through to chill her very bones.

Teeth chattering, she ran up the stairs, puffing out giant white vapors into the air, her fingers white knuckled around her purchase. The last thing she wanted was to drop the damn thing and have it go sailing back down the stairs. Who's idea was it to make so many steps up to the temple in the first place? They should be shot!

Finally reaching the top, she half bent over, gasping for breath and coughing a little. Now her lungs felt frozen along with everything else, her throat dry and parched. Kagome just wanted to get into the nice warm house, drink a tall glass of water, and then relax for about a half hour before setting out.

Although, considering it was Sesshoumaru who was to be her travel companion, she doubted if she would get that break she wanted. Yet another thing the brothers were in accord with. Pushing those around them to match their demon stamina. Someone needed to let them know that the 'weak humans' had to take a break once in a while. Otherwise those 'weak humans' would walk their way right into an early grave.

Her breathing now back to normal, she straightened and made her way across the yard and into the house, giving the Goshinboku a cursory glance as she passed it. The tree brought more forcefully home to her that in but a matter of maybe an hour she would be seeing the hanyou that used to be attached to it.

It did not fill her with a comforting feeling. Far from it, actually. The girl bolstered her courage with the knowledge that she would be leaving with Sesshoumaru, so she shouldn't have to deal with the half-brother all that much.

Coming into the warm entryway, she removed her blue tennis shoes and placed them next to the larger ones of her brother, padding in socked feet to the kitchen.

First she needed a drink, then she could take the dog demon his 'gift'. Gulping down the refreshing liquid, she wiped one hand over her mouth and set the glass on the yellow tiles. Gathering up the clothing, she went upstairs to her room, eyes widening in surprise when she saw her brother and Sesshoumaru engrossed in a game of chess.

Most of the pieces were on the sides of the board, just a few of the black and white figurines left on the checkered surface.

Coming to a stop by her brother's shoulder, she looked down at the board, noticing with a smirk that Sesshoumaru's dark knight was compromising Souta's ivory queen. It looked like the youkai had already won.

Souta glanced to his side, smiling in surprise at just noticing his sister there. Sesshoumaru remained silent, having heard the girl come in the front door, her scent permeating the room as soon as she stepped foot in it. She was holding a square package wrapped with brown paper and tied with old frayed string.

The supplies she had said she needed perhaps?

Kagome bopped her brother on the head with the object in her hands, grinning at his affronted look.

"Hey, what was that for?" He rubbed the spot on his head as though she had bludgeoned him.

"Call it a little payback for earlier," she chirped, smoothing out the creases in the paper.

Her sibling's laughter filled the air as he stood and moved away from her and Sesshoumaru, intending to escape before she could wack him again.

"Okay, okay. Now we're even." He glanced at the dog demon. "Thanks for the game, Sesshoumaru. Too bad we couldn't finish it, but it was probably lucky for you seeing as how I was winning and all."

The Taiyoukai gave him a flat look.

"Heh, heh. Anyways, see you two later! It was nice meeting you, Sesshoumaru. You should come back again sometime. Oh, and Kagome, take care over there, okay? Take it easy and stay out of trouble," he cast her a serious look, waiting for her nod of acknowledgment before departing.

Turning her attention to the youkai, she held out the bundle, her eyes not quite meeting his.

"Here. I got you some new clothes since I was the one who ruined them in the first place."

He inclined his head in an arrogant nod, taking the wrapped package from her. Setting it down on his lap, he said calmly, "Thank you."

A smile flitted across her lips, a sign that she was pleased that he accepted it.

"It's the least I could do." She rubbed her hands down her jean clad thighs, saying, "Well, I had better let you change." A pile of clean folded clothes caught her attention, a piece of silk catching her eye. "I see mom already washed your...underwear. So you should be all set. I'm going to get a few more things from the kitchen and then we can set off as soon as you are ready."

Sesshoumaru stood up, towering over her, causing the girl to take a few steps back. He pretended it didn't bother him, the way she moved away from him so quickly. Clasping the new clothing in one hand, he started to make his way to the bathroom.

"I will be ready in moments. Please, have the courtesy to do the same, girl." With that he began rummaging through the once neat pile, throwing her shirts and pants all over the floor.

For someone who professed to hate disarray, the youkai was very adept at creating it.

Rolling her eyes, she didn't even bother to answer before leaving him alone.

Kami, but those brothers were going to drive her insane.

Going into the living room, she took her over-stuffed yellow pack from behind the couch, looking through it to make sure everything was there, including the shikon shards and medical supplies. It would not do to be out in the countryside without anything to tend wounds with. Especially with how the demon lord was attracting trouble lately.

Confident that she had all the essentials, she put in a few more rolls of gauze before fastening the top closed. Hefting the heavy weight onto her shoulder, she went towards the staircase to make sure Sesshoumaru's new outfit was suitable.

A silent gasp left her lips when she spotted the Taiyoukai standing proudly at the top on her landing. His long silver hair was a smooth river down his back, his tail wrapped in its customary position around his shoulder. She also saw that he had his grey armor back on. He must have found it in her closet, along with his black shoes. She had managed to save those when she had undressed him that first time. But what really made her stair in awe was the way the colors of his clothes looked on him. When she had imagined what it would look like in the shop, she hadn't nearly done the image justice.

The silver and navy blue outfit made the color of his eyes and hair more noticeable, the markings on his face darker. The intricate design of swirling thin lines of silver splashed over one shoulder looked a lot like his youki when he used it to fly by. Even the sash around his waist looked good with the two black handles of his swords secured there.

Shaking her head to bring her back to reality, she put a false smile on her face, saying in a happy tone, "Ready?"

He nodded once, descending the stairs slowly so as not to jar his wounded leg more than necessary. The heavy strap of his armor bumped against his cut shoulder, but it was a pain he could bear. He was leaving after all. That was incentive enough to put up with veritable torture.

Stepping down to stand beside her, he watched with an inward smile as the girl once more swept appreciative eyes over him. He had to admit the clothes she had gotten him were good quality and a decent fit. Not something he might have picked out himself, but it would do.

Waving his hand towards the door, he said in a deadpan voice, "Shall we proceed?"

Kagome grinned in answer, calling through the house as they made their way towards the door, "Mom, grandpa, Souta we're leaving now! I'll be home when I can! I love you guys!"

Her family's faces popped out of various doorways, the kitchen, living room, and family room. Her mother hugged her quickly before giving Sesshoumaru a kind look.

"We were honored to have you in our house, Sesshoumaru. I hope you get well soon, and please, keep an eye on my daughter for me."

The dog demon didn't say anything, instead inclining his head at her words. He didn't want to make any promises he could not keep. He already was going to have to go back on his word about having Kagome travel with him. Besides, his idiot half-brother could watch over the human.

Souta waved from his spot by the living room door. "Take care Sis! Tell Inu Yasha I said hello. See you later, Sesshoumaru."

Kagome answered for him this time. "I will, Souta. Do good in school, okay?"

Her brother rolled his eyes, deciding to go back to watching tv instead of talking about school.

Her grandfather said nothing. Just glared balefully at Sesshoumaru in silence while watching his granddaughter leave.

Kagome wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

With a final wave, she put on her shoes again and left, a silent Taiyoukai walking beside her. Shivering a little at the sudden drop in temperature, she readjusted the hefty bag on her back, tightening her fingers around the straps.

She really was not relishing the idea of seeing Inu Yasha again. Especially when it had not been her original plan to go today. But she couldn't blame Sesshoumaru for wanting to get back home to the more relaxing company of his ward. She knew it would make her anxious to be housed with strangers while she was sick.

All too quickly, at least for Kagome, they came to the well house. Opening the old rickety door, she went inside, the dog demon following close behind her. Once again, they were enshrouded in darkness as the door closed behind them, the air much colder within the small confines of the room.

Shivering again, she walked down the steps with care, part of her dreading going back through the well. Last time she was in the feudal era it had not ended happily.

Turning to Sesshoumaru, she told him, "Grab my hand and then we'll jump in, okay?"

He arched a silver eyebrow in the darkness. "Why hold hands?"

"Because, just in case your more healed than we thought the shikon shards should be enough to get us both through no matter what," she reasoned, searching for his hand until her fingers laced with his clawed ones. His palm was warm, heating up the chilled flesh of her own, his long claws resting lightly on the back of her wrist.

Turning back to regard the well with solemnity, her small hand squeezed his as though looking for reassurance.

He had to consciously stop himself from applying pressure back. Once they were on the other side of the well he planned on leaving her anyway.

Clambering onto the side of the well, they sat on its edge, perched preciously above the pitch black abyss.

"Alright, let's go," she said while leaping off.

He followed, watching in some amazement as a bright flash of blueish light filled the bottom of the well to envelope them. It was like nothing the youkai had ever seen before. Apparently all that talk about being in the future was real.

Glancing to his side, he saw the hard lines of the miko's face, set in an expression like those he had seen on soldiers' marching to their death.

Turning away from it, he closed his eyes and let the light surround him, happy that he would soon be back where he belonged.

Too bad that ever since meeting the miko at his side his plans never did seem to bear fruitation.


	13. Reunion

Kagome dropped her backpack to the grassy ground with a soft 'thud', inhaling deeply, taking in the sight and scent of Japan from over 500 years in the past. It was just as she remembered it. The same tall green trees, the leaves beginning to turn brown now that Fall was fast approaching. The sky still shown as blue with a few fat white clouds sailing across an azure ocean of atmosphere.

Yep. It looked like nothing had changed since she had left two and a half weeks ago. Nothing to show that a young heartbroken girl had departed from this world, her footsteps leaving imprints in the soft grass they trampled, her tears watering the dry ground. It was nothing but a memory. One that only she would carry.

Pushing away her depressing thoughts, Kagome squared her shoulders and stood next to Sesshoumaru, leaning back to rest against the hard wood of the Bone-eater's Well. The Taiyoukai had remained silent since they arrived, his face an expressionless mask, his body straight and proud. But then, she hadn't really expected him to say anything anyway. It just wasn't his style to indulge in idle chit-chat.

She heard a rustling nearby, the faint pounding of multiple feet hitting ground, the slight tinkling of brass rings hitting in a soft rhythm upon the staff that bore them. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw the youkai beside her stiffen, his head taking on the arrogant tilt she had come to know so well, a light of battle readiness in his amber eyes.

The girl turned her attention back to the approaching party, hoping that the hanyou amongst the group wouldn't start a fight as soon as he spotted them.

She really didn't feel like standing between the two brothers, especially when one was known to be a little hotheaded in battle, having the tendency to swing that lethal fanged blade of his wildly at his opponent.

Kagome didn't think being the recipient of the Kaze no Kizu would be that good for her health.

Folding her jacket-encased arms across her chest, a subconsciously defensive gesture, she stood away from the well, standing beside the dog demon with a placid look gracing her young features. She wanted to prove to Inu Yasha that she was mature enough to handle his choice, that the pain of letting him go still didn't haunt her every waking moment.

This would be a ruse that would be the hardest to pull off in her short lifetime. A small part of her was actually glad to have Sesshoumaru standing there beside her, his corporal presence offering her battered emotions the support they needed to carry this through. She knew the Taiyoukai wouldn't want to linger long before setting out for his castle, which ultimately meant she also would not have to remain with the friends she had come to care so deeply for.

A part of her felt guilty for wanting to leave them so badly. But it wasn't like it was them personally that she wanted to avoid. No, it was the half demon and his chosen mate that had the miko wanting to do nothing more than to flee right then and there before ever setting eyes on them.

Kagome was determined, however, to prove to herself that she had the courage and strength to endure this. After all, she had spent all that time in her own era to come to terms with this. She shouldn't need to keep hiding, even if that was precisely what she longed to do.

Thank goodness for that bargain she had struck up with Sesshoumaru. He might not know it, but the dog demon had given her the perfect excuse for taking a little more time away from Inu Yasha and Kikyo, and for that she would be eternally grateful.

It was that soothing thought she held onto as she saw a flash of red and white right before Inu Yasha stopped but a few feet from her. His golden eyes swept over her swiftly, looking for any sign that she was anything but well. He then turned to glare at his half-brother, the gold of his eyes hardening to a flat metal color, his mouth set in a thin line.

Shortly after, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara and Kikyo ran into the clearing, not stopping until they were surrounding the other three.

Kagome kept herself from looking at the woman she was reincarnated from, instead focusing her eyes on Sango and Shippo. The kit let out a happy squeal seconds before barreling into her chest, her arms reflexively closing about his tiny body to keep him from tumbling to the ground. A happy smile lit her pretty features, the first real one she had indulged in since the whole fiasco started.

Running her fingers gently through his red hair, she snuggled close to him, the prickle of tears stabbing at her eyelids. Taking in a shuddering breath, she gave him a bone-crushing squeeze, realizing just how much she had missed the little kitsune.

Shippo squeaked but didn't protest, happy to have Kagome back after missing her for so long. It almost felt like he had lost his mother again.

When she pulled back, he puts his small hands on her cheeks, patting them lightly while he smiled, his mischievous green eyes gazing into her damp blue-grey ones.

"Kagome! I missed you so much. I'm so happy you finally decided to come back," he said, his young voice thick with adoration.

Rubbing one of his pointed ears, she blinked back the moisture in her eyes, grinning down at him. "I missed you too, Shippo. Sorry for being gone so long. Will you forgive me if I give you some chocolate and crayons?"

One tiny hand went to his chin, a mock look of heavy consideration shadowing his face. "Hmmm….I don't know. You were gone a long time." Suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him, he asked, "What kind of chocolate?"

Chuckling, she set him down before rummaging through her over-stuffed pack, withdrawing two king-sized bars of Hershey's with almonds. She smiled in fondness as the little fox demon squealed in delight, snatching them out of her hands to greedily begin opening his presents. While he was busy peeling the foil wrapping apart, she also took out the small box of crayons, setting them on the ground next to him, a chocolate covered smile Shippo's form of thanks to her.

Standing again, she then turned to stare at Sango, the other girl blinking back her own tears at seeing the girl that had pretty much become her sister since the time they had traveled together.

Giving the demon exterminator a trembling smile, the girls suddenly flew at each other, hugging tightly.

"Kagome-chan! I missed you so much. I was worried about you." She pulled back, regarding her friend seriously, her hands holding Kagome's upper arms. "When Inu Yasha came back and told us that you were taking care of his brother, I was scared that something might happen to you." She ran her dark eyes over Kagome, taking in how tired looking, but otherwise fine the miko was. Releasing her, she said, "But it looks like you faired alright in the demon's company." Sango gave Sesshoumaru a glance from under her lashes after making that comment. The Taiyoukai still unnerved her.

Miroku came to stand beside the two women, smiling gently at Kagome when she turned towards him.

"Kagome-sama. It has been a while." As usual, the monk's violet eyes shown with an understanding light, one that made Kagome want to burst into tears right then and there.

Out of all those in their tiny group, Miroku was the one who was usually overlooked as nothing more than a perverted monk that couldn't keep his hands to himself. But underneath that lecherous façade was a man of deep compassion. A person who saw more than he let on, his intuitive gaze and understanding demeanor the cause for more than one instance in which Kagome had told him of her problems. She knew that for all of Miroku's faults he was the most open-minded out of them all, even more-so than Kagome at times. The young man took things in his stride, usually acting as the voice of reason in instances when tempers ran high or someone in the group needed emotional support.

In short, he was the advisor and court jester among them. Someone that not only offered a shoulder to cry on, but supplied comic relief when their nerves were stretched to the breaking point. He was always optimistic, always trying to lighten everyone else's mood, while he himself lived with a deadly reminder of his own mortality within the palm of his hand.

Kagome didn't say anything to him, instead reaching over to pull him into a tight hug, the embrace startling him, his violet eyes widening before he wrapped his own arms around her. The long sleeves of his robes covered her back completely, the black swath of her unbound hair trapped beneath the heavy fabric. He silently returned her embrace, running his fingers through the hair at her temples, much as Souta had but a few days before.

She did not worry about any wandering hands. Miroku had a knack for knowing when that type of behavior would not fit the situation, this being one of those times. Shielding her shadowed eyes behind alabaster lids, the miko breathed in slowly, steadying the tumultuous emotions roiling within her. The last thing she needed was to suffer a break-down. She had already done that days ago and didn't want to revisit the unpleasant experience again any time soon.

"Thank you," she breathed out unevenly, the words so low even the two demons had trouble hearing them.

The monk frowned in confusion, asking just as quietly, "For what, Kagome-sama?"

The grip of her fingers tightened on his back, her nails digging into the cloth till he felt them indenting his skin. He felt something twist around the region of his heart, a pang of sadness that the girl he held, who had risked her life countless times to save his own, was so upset.

Her next words caused a lump to form in his throat, his purple-hued eyes darkening in sadness.

"For being you. For being so understanding. For forgiving me when I just left you guys without an explanation." Her voice cracked at the end, the tears she had stubbornly pushed down trying to rise to the surface again.

'Damn it! Note to self: emotional reunions right after a serious heartbreak were not conducive to staying dry-eyed,' she thought, angry at herself for being so weak.

Kami, but she felt pathetic.

Miroku smoothed the fringe of her raven bangs back from her forehead, leaning away till he could see her face, the lids lifting from her eyes so he could see the earnest regret and guilt in them. Smiling down at her, his stare full of the reassurance she so desperately was searching for, he cupped her face between his armor-covered hands.

"There is nothing to forgive. Everyone needs a break now and then, Kagome-sama. We understood when you had to leave so suddenly, and we don't blame you for it."

She caught Sango's nod from out of the corner of her eye, hope and gratitude blossoming in her heart that her friends could accept her so easily. She really was lucky to be associated with such people.

Relaxing the hold she had on the monk, Kagome gave him a shy smile, color suffusing in her once pale cheeks. She suddenly became acutely aware of the probably speculative stares she was no doubt getting from the two brothers, self-consciousness making her step out of her friend's arms quickly.

Miroku seemed to understand, retrieving his staff from Sango. Funny, but Kagome had been completely unaware of it missing when she had hugged him, her whole focus centered on apologizing for just abandoning them without telling them anything.

The Taijiya and monk stood side by side, Sango in her usual pastel kimono, the large bone Hiraikotsu slung over her back and the fire cat perched on her shoulder.

Kagome hoped that after Naraku was destroyed those two would finally decide to hook up. They really did make the perfect couple, Sango's boomerang proving the most effective device for bringing Miroku from his less then wholesome actions. If ever there was a woman made who could keep that man in line, it would be her.

Scrubbing her gritty eyes with balled fists, Kagome sniffled a bit before dropping her arms back to her sides, putting on a brave smile for her friends.

Sesshoumaru was still standing in the same spot she had left him, his stoic mask taking in everything without betraying any of his thoughts. Kagome wondered if he was disgusted at the little display he had just witnessed, or if maybe even his frozen demon heart was moved at such open devotion between people.

Most likely the former rather than the latter.

Bolstering her courage, she turned with a fixed cheeriness on her countenance, saying with a happiness she didn't feel, "Inu Yasha! It's good to see you too." Stealing herself, she turned to the woman who looked so alike but dissimilar to her. "Kikyo. How are you?"

She saw the hanyou stiffen, his sharp eyes seeing clearly through her act as though the miko was shielding herself with tissue paper, transparent and fragile. The priestess held her gaze, something almost like sympathy flashing in her deadened eyes before it was gone.

Kikyo's voice was calm and smooth when she answered. "I am fine, Kagome. I trust you faired well in your own time?"

The bitter part inside Kagome snipped cattily, 'Like you care!' but aloud she said with false cheerfulness, "Oh everything was fine! Sesshoumaru was a superb guest and I always love seeing my family." Even to her own ears it sounded weak and put on, totally failing in the genuine department. Inwardly wincing, she ploughed on. "Did you guys find any shards since I left? I know Inu Yasha said you didn't have any luck before he came to my era, but did you run across any since then?"

The dead priestess regarded her closely, something resembling self-mocking humor lining her coldly beautiful face. "No. Inu Yasha has made sure that we stayed here until you returned. He was worried about your safety with his half-brother so close to you."

Kagome gulped, turning to raise an inquiring brow at the hanyou. Inu Yasha turned his white head away, staring off to the side while crossing his arms over his chest and muttering a, "Keh."

The miko smiled. Yep, some things never changed. The half demon fessing up to any show of outward caring was one of them.

Reaching over, she put a palm over his fire-rat hide covered forearm, applying gentle pressure to the corded muscle beneath. His golden eyes met hers, a little troubled and wary. Holding his eyes with her own, Kagome said, "Thanks for the concern, Inu Yasha." Releasing him, she stepped back to stand at Sesshoumaru's side, the closeness of her stance not going unnoticed by Miroku or the half demon.

Sesshoumaru looked at the girl next to him, staring down at the top of her raven-colored head, his amber eyes guarded.

He was beginning to grow impatient. The human would have plenty of time to reminisce and bond with her comrades after he left. His presence was more needed else where, his castle being the primary location.

Kagome, innocent to the demon's pondering, squared her shoulders and looked at all of her friends with something bordering on apologetic determination. Her eyes swept the group, coming to stop and stare straight into Inu Yasha's golden orbs. His expression became increasingly alarmed at the way she was looking at him, his arms untwining to lay at his sides, his clawed hands fisting.

He had a bad feeling about whatever it was she was going to say next.

Clearing her throat, Kagome began in a steady voice, "I have to tell you guys something. I hope you understand my decision and won't think too badly of me for it." She watched, as Inu Yasha got more anxious, his white ears twitching backward and forward sporadically, showing his uneasiness. Calm reason seeped throughout her body, taking the place of the emotional upheaval of before. She had a plan of action and meant to follow it through. It was the right choice. It had to be. "I've promised Sesshoumaru that I would accompany him back to his castle."

A chorus of objections arose through the group, the most vocal being that of the kitsune and hanyou. Sango stared at her in wide-eyed confusion; Kikyo stared at her with indifference, and Miroku's violet eyes shown understanding. He had a pretty good idea why their friend was leaving again. He just didn't know why she would choose the Taiyoukai as her travel companion.

"What do you mean you're going back with him, wench?! Are you crazy?!" Inu Yasha's yell blotted out Shippo's "No! You just got here!"

She raised one slim hand, effectively stopping any further complaints from the two. Ignoring the young kitsune that jumped on her shoulder and hugged the side of her neck, she said with resolution, "I am going. I made a deal with Sesshoumaru and I plan on keeping it."

Inu Yasha eyed his brother with anger, asking in wariness, "What kind of deal?"

She sighed heavily, giving the upset half demon a smile meant to reassure him. "Inu Yasha, don't worry. I promised him that if he let himself rest until I wanted to come back then I would escort him home."

Sesshoumaru stiffened next to her, his pride affronted at her words.

Her escort him? Was the human trying to make him angry or did she just have a special knack for it?

Holding back from strangling the girl, he instead turned his attention to the trees in the far off distance, deciding in his mind when he would tell the girl she was not going to be coming with him.

About a half mile out should be fine. That way she would still be close to his idiot half brother and wouldn't come across any trouble before joining back up with them.

Inu Yasha snorted, looking at her as if she had sprouted horns on her head. "Yeah right! That jerk doesn't need you to walk him home, Kagome. The bastard can fend just fine on his own."

Kagome tensed in anger, the force of it surprising her, making her blink a few times in confusion.

Why should she get so angry on the Taiyoukai's account? It wasn't like the hanyou was bad-mouthing he boyfriend or something. But that didn't make her feel any less mad. She had to physically stop herself from sitting him.

Reigning in on her temper, Kagome leveled a serious gaze at the irate half demon, the look in her eyes making him take an unconscious step back.

Kagome usually got that look just before he made a nice life-sized crater in the ground, getting acquainted with the dirt and grass. The white ears on his head flattened to his skull, trepidation flashing in his eyes.

"I made a promise, Inu Yasha, and I am not going back on my word. Besides, you don't need me here right now, you can find shards just as easily with Kikyo's help." She was very proud of the way she said all this without a hint of bitterness or pain in her tone. That should win her an Oscar.

Realizing she wasn't going to send him face first into the earth, he looked between his brother and Kagome, bewilderment showing clearly on his face.

"But, why? Why go with him? He's a Taiyoukai, for crying out loud! He doesn't need a human to keep him 'safe'."

She sighed in long-suffering, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Trying to get her point across was giving her a headache, and Sesshoumaru just standing there doing his best impression of a tree wasn't helping matters any. The arrogant male could at least explain what was going on!

Dropping her hand to rest on one hip, she told the hanyou, talking slowly as if to a dense child, "I am going with Sesshoumaru to his castle. I will be gone until I make sure he is safely back where he needs to be, then I am coming back. The reason I am going with your half brother is because his wounds are not fully healed yet and I would feel responsible if anything happened to him." Everyone remained silent as she continued, taking in the seriousness of her tone and facial expression. "Please, try and understand. I won't be in danger and this is something I need to do. Just trust me, okay?"

Not waiting for an answer, Kagome bent down, hefting the yellow bag onto the shoulder that wasn't occupied by the kit. Putting her hands around his furry middle, she hugged him to her for a moment, feeling his tiny fingers twist in the fabric of her jacket. Pulling Shippo away from her, she ignored the way his claws clung to the cotton material, his big green eyes already welling up with tears.

Handing him to Sango, she went back to stand beside Sesshoumaru, putting her arm through the other strap till the pack rested entirely on her back. Ignoring the crying kit, she cast them all another apologetic gaze, trying to convey how sorry she was to leave again so soon, but also how determined she was to follow through with her decision.

Miroku stepped forward, Sango close behind, as they took turns in giving the miko a hug, the taijiya regulating the upset kitsune onto the shoulder opposite Kiarara, the fire-cat mewling at the baby demon with sympathy.

Retreating to their previous spots, both humans keeping a wary eye on the demon close by, Kagome watched them fondly. At least they were proving to be understanding about the whole thing.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan. We'll take care of Shippou while you are gone," Sango said with a sad smile, once more cradling the kit in her arms.

Miroku nodded. "Yes, don't worry, Kagome-sama." He smiled. "I'm sure you won't be gone that long. Perhaps a few weeks at the most?"

She inclined her head, an answering grin tilting her lips. "Yes, it shouldn't be much longer than that."

Inu Yasha grumbled under his breath, his arms once more coming to rest crossed over his chest, his eyes hard.

"Fine. Go then. Do whatever you want, you always do."

Sesshoumaru inwardly grimaced. How embarrassing that he was related to someone who was grown and still behaved like a petulant child. It really was annoying.

He heard the girl beside him sigh in exasperation, her patience wearing thin at his half brother's constant mood swings.

"Inu Yasha…..," her eyes were a little sad when they rested on him, her mouth pointed downward at the ends in an unhappy frown. She had known he would take it the hardest. The hanyou never seemed to let anything go easy for her.

Her eyes suddenly fell on the necklace draped around his neck, the white teeth and brown beads standing out with painful clarity against the red material of his clothing. Lips tightening, she clenched her hands around the worn straps at her shoulders, making up her mind as she eyed the rosary.

Kagome began walking towards the half demon, her hands releasing the straps to reach out towards Inu Yasha. His eyes fixed on the approaching girl, wariness shining in their depths, his ears flattening again when she lifted her arms, her hands moving towards his neck.

Ignoring his nervousness, she took the necklace up in one hand, running the tips of her fingers over the rough surface of the beads, the slick hardness of the fangs. Kagome stared at the captured necklace, her eyebrows arching downward in a slight scowl.

Inu Yasha watched her closely, his nose taking in the fresh scent of apples that always surrounded her, the smell more pleasing to his nostrils than what he had inhaled recently.

He didn't understand why she would find the rosary so interesting. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it before. Hell, she had pretty much placed it there to begin with.

The hanyou was caught unawares when her gaze rose to meet his, as though she had felt him staring so intently at her. The fingers holding the necklace stayed in motion, sliding the small orbs over and under the fragile digits, stopping every once in a while to rub gently over the sharp point of an ivory fang.

He took in the pink softness of her mouth, tracing the winged dark slash of her eyebrows, coming to finally rest on the fathomless depths of her blue-grey eyes, feeling himself getting lost in the crystal pools.

"Kagome…." The whisper escaped his throat, the sound of his own voice startling him with its gruffness, the caring it held. Blinking, Inu Yasha broke out of his momentary stupor, once again regarding the miko in front of him closely.

Why was she still fumbling with the damn rosary?!

A hardness blanketed her usual soft eyes, the fingers that had been almost caressing the necklace suddenly grasping them in a fist, her other hand coming up to copy the action.

He gulped convulsively. 'What the hell was she doing?'

The half demon was starting to feel something close to panic seize him. He didn't like the way she was looking at him….

"Inu Yasha….I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago," her quiet words made him even more worried, afraid of what she was going to do. His white ears were flicking like mad in his ivory hair, the soft appendages rotating in distress.

"Ka—Kagome…" he said her name again, sounding a little fearful this time.

She smiled, the gesture not reaching her eyes. "Don't worry, what I am about to do should make you happy." Kagome turned her attention the what her hands held, taking in a breath before slowly starting to raise the jewelry from his neck, intent on removing it from him.

No longer did she want the hanyou to be tied to her just because of some stupid subduing spell. It wasn't her place to use it any more.

Inu Yasha felt anguish take hold of him, realizing what she meant to do. He grabbed her wrists in a tight hold, stopping them at their spot by his chin, knowing that his grasp was probably hard enough to leave bruises on her pale skin. He sensed his brother stiffen, the way the Taiyoukai's full attention was now focused in a narrow-eyed glare on the two of them.

Pleading shone in his golden eyes, the half demon's face mirroring how hurt he was. "Don't," his voice was a forceful whisper laced in pain, causing Kagome to stare with a puzzled frown at him. He swallowed again, feeling like there was something thick stuck in his throat. "Pl—please,…. leave it."

Kagome gazed at him in indecision, confused as to why he wouldn't want her to finally remove something that had caused him discomfort time and again. She had thought she would be doing the half demon a favor by divesting him of it, but it seemed like he would be upset if she did. He looked on the verge of crying as it was.

"Why?" She whispered, trying to understand.

He didn't offer her an answer, instead continued staring with pleading at her, asking her without using words to leave the rosary on his neck.

It was one of his last reminders of her, and he didn't want to lose it.

When she realized that he wouldn't reply, she sighed, letting go of the beads till they fell back to their original place, looking docile and harmless.

Sesshoumaru relaxed when Inu Yasha's hands fell from the girl's wrists, his keen eyes taking in the red marks circling the delicate flesh like manacles. He wondered why the sight bothered him so much.

Deciding this little melo-drama had played out long enough, the Taiyoukai stepped forward till he was standing next to the miko, ignoring his glowering half brother to stare into her upturned face.

"It is time to leave," his icy voice floated through the silent group.

The others had stood by quietly, watching what was transpiring between their two friends with sadness. They had understood what Kagome's gesture had meant, just as they also knew that Inu Yasha's reaction to it spoke volumes as well.

Miroku glanced at Kikyo, frowning at the way her eyes remained blank, no feeling showing in them at all. It was just unnatural to be that detached from everything, even if you were a walking corpse….

Kagome nodded, taking up residence next to the youkai as he began walking towards the west, where his lands lay.

He didn't bother to look back. There was no one there he wanted to catch a last glimpse of anyway.

The girl, however, turned to wave at them, calling out, "Bye you guys! I'll be back soon! Take care and don't get into too much trouble, okay?"

They all waved. Except for Inu Yasha and Kikyo, who were now standing together, watching them depart silently. Shippo was clinging to Sango, but managed a little wave of his own, looking like he would have wanted nothing more than to follow Kagome.

Miroku called, "Don't worry, Kagome-sama. We'll miss you, so please, hurry back."

She smiled, yelling back one final time before following Sesshoumaru into the woods. "I will! See you guys later, and good luck with the jewel shards."

And then, they were gone. The thick trees blocked any view of her friends, the thick foliage seeming to close off the place where she had passed through to follow the Taiyoukai.

Facing forward, she blinked away the tears threatening for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon, the outline of Sesshoumaru turning into a hazy blur as moisture invaded her eyes.

Damn it, she would not cry! She would not!

Sesshoumaru smelt the salt of her tears, silently willing them away. It wasn't like she wouldn't see them all again. Besides, she would be going back to the little group sooner than she thought. He only had to inform her and it should brighten her mood.

Kagome sniffled, the hazy blur turning into a foggy blotch of ivory against blue and green.

He heard the girl sniffle, a small grimace forming on his handsome face. Kami, but she had better not start crying!

She took a deep steadying breath, ordering her wayward emotions to organize themselves.

She would not cry, she would not cry, she would not cry…..

The first few hot drops of salty water slid down her face.

'Aw hell,' she thought just before bursting into full out sobs.

Sesshoumaru sighed in defeat. This human never did do anything he wanted her to, and this was proving no exception.

Raising his amber eyes heavenward in an uncharacteristic gesture, he silently railed, 'What in Kami's name did he ever do to deserve this?'


	14. Only Human

Sesshoumaru stepped over a log in his path and heard the girl stumble over it, the sharp scrape of jeans against bark grating to his already abused ears. She was still sniffling, the salt from her tears hanging heavily with them as they walked deeper into the forest, heading towards the west where his provinces lay. It was probably a good thing that they hadn't reached the designated half-mile where he would send her happily on her way, considering that was where the boundaries for the neighboring territory started. With all the racket and scent she was giving off, the dog demon had no doubt that there would be more than one youkai or lesser oni who would come to investigate. And since the thoughtless human hadn't even remember to bring her bow, she was now unarmed.

'Perfect. Wonderful. Absolutely spectacular!' he railed in his mind, skirting around a good sized moss covered stone in the path, moments later hearing a squeak just before weight settled into his back, jarring his injured shoulder.

He grit his teeth, biting back the curse that automatically came to his tongue while steadying himself.

Kagome quickly pushed away from him, stepping back a couple of paces, an apologetic look shadowing her damp red-rimmed eyes. She hadn't meant to fall into the Taiyoukai, but the crying had made her vision not as good as it usually was and she hadn't noticed the rock until it was too late.

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru," she said in a subdued whisper, rubbing fisted hands into her eyes to clear them.

The youkai glared at her, saying with frigid tones, "Human, are you so inept you can't even walk?"

Kagome groaned, letting her arms fall limply to her sides, gazing at the ground in silent misery.

He was right. Lately, she hadn't been able to do anything right. She couldn't get rid of this nagging doubt that some where along the line she had failed. Perhaps it was with Inu Yasha. Hadn't all the time and energy she had put into their relationship meant anything? Or maybe it was how she just up and ran away. Wouldn't a more mature person have just accepted what Fate threw at them and continued on, surviving? And then there was Sesshoumaru. She had helped him in her time era, but could she really offer him any assistance now? Especially since she was dumb enough to forget the only weapon she was any good at wielding?

Kami, but she felt terrible…..

He regarded her silently, a little surprised that she hadn't bothered to even answer him. Usually that type of comment would have gotten her to at least scold him for being rude. However, the miko just stood there, looking totally dejected, as though someone had just murdered her puppy right in front of her eyes.

Humans, they really were more trouble than they were worth.

Walking forward, Sesshoumaru came to a stop inches from her down bent head, towering over the girl.

"Girl, you will stop this useless mourning. It is not as if you have lost your friends. In fact, you can turn back and go join them now if you so desire."

Kagome scrunched her eyes closed, shaking her head in the negative. "No. There is no place for me there now."

He arched one silvery eyebrow. "Then why continue with this melancholy behavior? Why waste your strength on something that cannot be changed?"

Kagome sighed, seriously doubting that the youkai lord had ever known a time in his life where all avenues were exhausted, any attempt he might make a forgone conclusion of being futile. How could you? You had to be human to experience that.

"It isn't that easy, Sesshoumaru. They are my friends. I love them. Whenever I leave them it hurts and I can't be like you. I can't keep complete control over my emotions all the time," her words were soft, but he could easily hear them.

The Taiyoukai considered what she said in silence, warring with himself. Should he tell her now that he had no real plan of letting her escort him home? Or would it be wiser to let her accompany him the entire time?

Blast, but being with Rin must have made him soft….

She started in surprise at feeling the warmth of someone else's skin coming into contact with her chin, the gentle caress of claws passing over her flesh. Her eyes shot open as the pressure exerted against her mandible brought her head up so that the youkai could look down into her face.

The dog demon had never initiated any contact like this between them, always leaving it up to her to make the first move. To say she was bordering on shock would have been an understatement.

Sesshoumaru searched her glistening blue-grey orbs, taking in the sadness and surprise tinged in their depths. Speaking in a detached voice, he kept a hold of her so she couldn't look away from him.

"It is impossible for human beings to govern their emotions as impeccably as a youkai does. That is simply nature." He watched the flash of pain travel over her expressive features. "However, that does not mean you cannot take those emotions and channel them into a more fruitful venture than self pity."

Kagome stared deeply into his amber eyes, his words penetrating the fog of self-contempt she had lost herself in.

He was right. She would simply take all of the hurt, anger, and pain and focus it on one goal. It would help her to achieve what she wanted to accomplish, give her the stamina to endure whatever lay ahead.

The miko nodded in his grasp, understanding and something resembling gratitude shining up at him.

"You're right. Thank you, Sesshoumaru." A smile graced her red lips, the scent of her tears beginning to fade as they dried on her cheeks.

Releasing his hold, he stepped away from her, turning back to begin walking towards the boundary once more. The sound of her keeping close behind him filled his ears, the rustle of grass being trampled underfoot easily discernable to his superior hearing.

He frowned at his own weakness, the quick crumbling of his plans where this girl was concerned. It felt like no matter what action he thought to take the human had a way of preempting them, becoming the victor. The dog demon wondered how good she was at chess. If she played anything like she lived then she would be a formidable opponent indeed.

The afternoon sun shot sporadically through the treetops, odd shadows and light dappling the ground and their figures as they passed under them. Hours later the two silent companions began to notice a thinning of the foliage, the trees more spread out from one another, more light being allowed to filter down upon the forest floor.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped and stopped, smacking her forehead lightly with one palm.

"Oh no!" she wailed, giving the irritated youkai a frantic look.

Sesshoumaru turned to regard her with a frown of annoyance, his ears all but ringing from her yelling.

"What is it now, girl?" Impatience lay thick in his voice.

Kagome grabbed the straps of her backpack in a tight grip, gazing at him with self-incriminating eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I forgot my bow and arrows! Now how am I supposed to protect you if those assassins come back?!" She seemed truly upset by the idea, her weight shifting from one foot to the other in agitation.

"I already knew that, human. It makes no difference. The youkai who would want me dead could hardly be taken down by one human girl."

She frowned. "Hey! That's not true! My purifying arrows do a fine job of getting rid of youkai." Kagome felt a little insulted.

True, she was no trained miko like Kikyo, but she had helped Inu Yasha and the gang plenty of times.

He narrowed his amber eyes at her, saying in a low voice, "Forget it, girl. You have no need of the weapon while traveling with me."

Kagome scoffed, his arrogance making her roll her eyes.

"Please! If that was the case you wouldn't have been in the mess you were in when I found you in the first place!"

He growled at her, taking personal affront to her words, his tall frame stiffening.

'Uh-oh' she thought intelligently, remembering this wasn't Inu Yasha who she was talking to. No subduing rosary here to save her if she made him mad.

Laughing nervously, she waved her hands in front of herself in a calming gesture she had seen Miroku use often during a dispute. " Heh, heh. I didn't mean anything by it, Sesshoumaru. I'm sorry, it's just that I don't want to walk all the way to your castle without a weapon. If there was trouble and I could have helped I would never forgive myself."

The Taiyoukai believed her words. She was the type to take something like his death personally, seeing it as yet another failing in her life.

"Human, do you have any concept of what type of youkai are even plotting my death?" he asked in smooth tones.

She gave him a puzzled look. "No. But I would like to know about them if you could please tell me. Perhaps then I can keep a look out for them."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "Believe me, you would know them. I was being chased down by a group of snake youkai, that is why the lacerations had poison burns around them."

She gasped, shock written across her face. "But, why?"

His eyes became guarded, his long silver lashes lowering over his iridescent eyes, shielding them. "They were hired to assassinate me. By whom or precisely why even I have not figured that out. However, the reason I was anywhere near Inu Yasha's Forest was because I had received a letter about two weeks ago that told me of a traitor at my castle."

The miko gaped, clearly not expecting this kind of answer. "A traitor? Who sent the letter?"

His handsome features hardened, his lips thinning. "That is none of your concern. What does matter is that you are aware that by traveling with me you now put yourself in danger from enemies even I do not know the full identity of."

"That doesn't matter," she spoke with resolution and determination. "I would escort you home in any case, Sesshoumaru. The threat of being hunted down along with you doesn't bother me. I'm used to being sought after, remember?"

Aw yes, she was talking about the shards she currently held in her possession. That hanyou, Naraku, was constantly hunting for them and the miko. Now it looked like the care-taking of at least one of those objects was to be passed on to him for the following weeks.

He could hardly contain his excitement….

Realizing she wasn't going to let the issue of the bow and arrows go, he bit out, "Fine. I will go and retrieve the weapons for you. You are to stay here and not move from this spot."

She smiled in thanks, her earlier worries gone. "Thanks! Don't worry, I'll stay right here." She stared at him with interest. "Are you going to fly or walk?"

He gave her a disparaging look. "Girl, if I could fly don't you think I would have simply done so and gotten home quicker?"

Kagome blushed in embarrassment. That really had been a stupid question. "Sheesh! It was just a question."

He ignored her, turning around and blending into their surroundings like he was a part of them, his ability to disappear with that silvery hair amazing the miko.

How did he do that?

Shaking her head, she glanced around at the place she was stuck in for who knew how long, waiting for him to return. She had a suspicion that this was how Rin felt every time the youkai went off to battle Inu Yasha, nothing but having faith in his return sustaining her to remain where she was.

Sighing deeply, she scuffed her blue tennis shoe in the dirt, idly humming a song to herself.

A stab of awareness, a sudden chill feeling in the pit of her stomach made her freeze, her hands convulsively tightening on the old straps.

She sensed a strong demon. Perhaps a pair of them. They weren't carrying any shards, but their powers were enough that she could feel their presence before they even arrived.

Looking towards where she felt the familiar pull, Kagome caught the tiniest glimpse of a flat green meadow stretched out just beyond the last few lines of trees but mere feet from where she stood.

Indecision coursed through her system, the girl chewing on her bottom lip while thinking over what to do.

Should she go out there and meet them?

There were actual nice demons out there, like Kouga for example. And maybe whoever they were would be kind enough to help her and Sesshoumaru.

But what if they were the assassins looking for the Taiyoukai? Would it be wise to go out there and meet them? Unarmed?

Yet, if she didn't leave her spot to intercept them Sesshoumaru might get back without being aware of them and the demons could attack him.

Making her choice, she squared her shoulders and started walking towards the meadow.

A glare of sunlight blinded Kagome for a moment as she slipped out of the cover of the trees, trying desperately not to reveal the bubble of panic lodged beneath her breastbone. She blinked, attempting to clear her eyes, half afraid of what she'd see. Yet what would it matter? She doubted assassins wore identifying uniforms, after all. She'd have no idea whether she confronted friend or for until. . . what? One of them leveled a sword at her?

Her surroundings swam into focus as she stumbled into the peaceful meadow, green grass dotted with grey rocks here and there. Two men ambled across the expanse of emerald covered earth, both garbed in outfits similar to Sesshoumaru's white silk, except theirs was colored in a deep maroon, a spattering of black sakura petals streaking down the left sleeve from the collar. They weren't wearing any type of armor save for a breast guard that looked like it was crafted from a lizard's hide, the shiny iridescent ebony scales shone with blinding light in the sun. Kagome also noticed the lacquered sheen of long scabbards at their sides, the ornate hilts protruding over the intricately designed sashes at their waists.

They were not men, she saw, but youkai in humanoid form with tall, muscular bodies, hard features and keen eyes. Intruders she would have to deal with in the Taiyoukai's absence.

Why had she demanded he retrieve a bow and arrows now? It would hardly benefit her if she was dead.

"Good morning to you, lovely," the one on the right stepped forward, his long black hair tied in a high ponytail, the strands flying about his lithe form in the breeze, his electric green eyes a startling contrast to his alabaster skin. A mild smile tilted chiseled lips, the flash of fangs momentarily present, the dark mauve teardrop gracing his forehead adding to his attractiveness instead of detracting from it.

Man, but demons had a knack of getting away with the most random things…

Kagome stiffened, struck by how utterly alone and defenseless she was against two powerful youkai.

Where was the dog demon when she needed him?

"'Tis terrible that such a pretty girl should be out roaming the dangerous countryside unescorted," the demon chuckled, giving her a teasing look from his eerie eyes.

"I can take care of myself just fine, but thank you for your concern." Kagome raised her chin defiantly, giving him a brave look down her nose at him.

She winced at the rising tide of masculine chuckles, the two demons sharing a look that spoke of amusement.

The younger looking demon turned his attention back to her. "You needn't take insult at my question, Miss." He grinned at her, showing a dimple in his left cheek. "We mean you no harm. I'm Shurin, a personal aide from the Taisho holdings in the West." He sketched a playful bow, the smile not leaving his handsome face.

She couldn't tell what type of youkai he was, no tail or other extra extremity giving her any clues. But then, the other one wasn't showing any outward sign of what species of youkai he was either.

Her voice was steady when she answered with, "I can't imagine what such 'fine gentlemen' could want in these hills then. Or with me, for that matter. I haven't trespassed onto the Western Lands so should not warrant any special notice." She waved a hand expansively while continuing. "There is nothing to be found here but stones, grass. . . . maybe a ghost or two."

"It may very well be a ghost we're seeking." The more imposing of the two demons stepped forward, fierce amethyst eyes studied her closely, his lengthy wavy deep purple hair hanging in a loose river down his back. What looked like a scythe stood on his prominent brow, a splash of blood red on ivory.

Kagome shivered, and she couldn't help wondering how many enemies he'd sent to the hereafter. Military might screamed from every line in the youkai's body.

Even the bones of his face seemed at war with the flesh that covered them. A stubborn jaw thrust beneath a hawkish nose, deep-set eyes overshadowed by a prominent brow. And a sizzling tension emanated from him, but try as she might, Kagome couldn't trace its source.

"Permit me to introduce myself," he said in surprisingly cultivated accents. "General Ryosuke Kaizon, of the Lord of the Western Lands army."

The other demon nodded, basically confirming what his comrade said.

"Shurin and I have been engaged in a most desperate operation these few days past. Lord Sesshoumaru has gone missing."

They were searching for the Taiyoukai. They had to be. She should have felt a rush of relief, told them to wait there, and gone to retrieve the enigmatic dog demon so she could hand him over to his fellow creatures. It was the only logical action. Except for Sesshoumaru's words from earlier, the ones telling her of a note he'd received informing him of a traitor in his midst.

She bit the inside of her lip, torn by indecision.

"As you know Miss. . . ?" he asked, arching one purple eyebrow over his slanted eyes.

"Kagome." Why did she feel as if she had given the youkai a piece of her soul? "Kagome Higurashi."

"Miss Higurashi." The general swept her a theatrical bow rivaling his partner's. "This area can be most hazardous to the health of a lone demon, even a Taiyoukai of Lord Sesshoumaru's caliber. An astonishing number of accidents can befall those who stray too far from the castle."

"Perhaps he went to visit a distant relative." She attempted to stall, praying that she'd get some sort of insight into the General and his comrade. "Or maybe your commander is safely ensconced in someone's house, sipping sake and tea, taking a break from the royal life."

Ryosuke's mouth hardened, his eyes narrowing, and in that instant Kagome caught a glimpse of what it might mean to have this youkai as an enemy. "I am a simple soldier, Miss Higurashi, given to far more practical answers to such mysteries. Your species, however, are an unruly lot, prone to acts of cowardice, cutting demons down with an assassin's blade, a sniper's arrow."

Kagome instinctively straightened her spine. "People can become most unreasonable when their homes are pulled down over their heads." It wasn't the wisest thing she could have said under the circumstances, but the words slipped out before she could stop them.

As if suddenly aware of his tactical error, General Kaizon twisted his lips into a grimace of a smile. "You're quite right, Miss Higurashi. I beg you to forgive my clumsiness. It is not a soldier's job to question his leader's policies in a conquered land, be they fair or foul. We are trained to obey orders. That is all."

That was true enough. And it disturbed Kagome when she heard hatred of youkai poured out more freely than sake about the hearth fires and crossroads. She didn't like anyone holding that much negative energy and emotion for anything. Well, except maybe Naraku. True, the demon rulers had been known to be brutal, ruthless, in their dealing with humans. But sprinkled among the seasoned warriors who carried out their orders were fresh-faced young lords from all over Japan, driven into fighting by the need to survive. Inu Yasha was an exception. He'd somehow managed to live on his own without being killed within his first few years.

And youkai like General Kaizon and Lord Sesshoumaru were the ones who commanded them to fight each other. Kagome's stomach tightened with loathing.

"Miss Higurashi." Shurin stepped forward till he was a few feet from her. "We are really quite pressed to find this demon. He is a most remarkable Taiyoukai, and a brave one." The youkai's handsome face grew so earnest that for an instant Kagome considered spilling out the truth. Yet, as if of their own volition, her eyes flicked to the rugged features of General Kaizon.

"I. . . . I don't think I can help you," she said.

Had she lost her mind? Sessoumaru was due back any moment, still injured, probably desiring to have his own physician look at him. Who could predict whether or not all the traveling would cause a relapse, the muscles taking longer to mend.

"Perhaps we could speak with your husband? He might have seen something you missed?" General Kaizon eyed the way she had come from in speculation, clearly not thinking her to be completely alone, taking in the large travel pack and the odd clothes the girl had.

"My. . . ." Kagome took a step back, fumbling for an answer while plucking at the frayed material of one strap. Why was it that this time era always thought a girl her age should already be married? "I have no husband."

Something ugly sparked in the youkai's glowing eyes. "You are alone? Absolutely no one else traveling with you?"

The words raked across her nerves. Fool. Stupid fool! To let such a creature know she was utterly vulnerable.

The imposing demon surprised her with his next request. The randomness of it throwing her.

"Perhaps you would be kind enough to loan me your flint set to start a fire tonight. These forests are intolerably cold and damp during this time of year." He paced another step forward, ignoring the way Shurin gave him a puzzled frown, his amethyst eyes probing into her blue-grey ones. "Doubtless you have one inside your strange bag."

Kami, what was she supposed to do now?!

Sesshoumaru was still missing, which at this point she thought was a good thing, these two youkai now knew she was all by herself with no means of defense, and the more intimidating of the pair looked like he knew she was lying about knowing the Taiyoukai's whereabouts.

Frantically, she searched her mind for an answer, thankful for the small favor that at least they didn't seem to be a type of demon with an advanced sense of smell. They would have caught Sesshoumaru's scent a long time ago.

The miko scrambled for something, anything that might hold the demon at bay. She didn't want him any closer to her than he already was. "I'm sorry but I am afraid I lost my set a few miles back. I was on my way to a friend's house to ask to use theirs when you stopped me."

Okay, so that sounded pretty weak, even to her own ears. Kami, but this just wasn't her month.

Ryosuke's gaze sharpened as though he sensed a weakness in her story. "A young girl traveling alone, unarmed, and without proper provisions?"

"Yes! I- I mean, no!"

'Yeah, that sounded great. Way to go, Kagome,' she silently jeered at herself.

Swallowing, her blue-grey eyes locked with the General's, as she said calmly, "What I meant was, yes. Yes I'm traveling alone. However, I am not completely unarmed." Leveling her best haughty look at him she went on. "I happen to be a miko. A very powerful one, so I don't need an escort. As to my supplies, I already told you what happened."

They both retreated a step, eyeing her warily. The thought of being purified was not an appealing one.

"A miko?" Shurin echoed uncertainly, and Kagome knew she'd struck her mark.

Her acting skills were getting a work-out lately…

"Yes, that's right. I'm a miko that trained under Kaede near Inu Yasha's Forest." She managed an arrogant stance that she had picked up from Sesshoumaru. "Perhaps one of you would like a demonstration, to assure yourselves that I'm telling the truth."

Panic streaked across their faces, their fear almost comical. "No, madam. We - we need to get on about our mission." The General was already edging away, watching her hands carefully.

"But, gentlemen, surely-"

Shurin looked uncertain, his young face leached of all color. "I suppose we should-"

"Shurin, no!" General Kaizon gripped the demon's elbow. "We have more pressing matters to attend to, orders to follow." Ryosuke moved back farther, half dragging Shurin with him. Even from that distance, Kagome could see sweat beading his marked brow.

"Good day to you, Miss Higurashi, and thanks for your time," the General called.

And then, they were gone. Their enhanced speed taking them from the clearing faster than her eyes could follow.

Her whole body trembled, her knees buckling as she sank onto the soft cool ground, wondering if her heart would ever stop racing.

Wrapping her arms about her middle, Kagome stared out over the deserted field, numb with shock and relief.

How long it was, she couldn't be certain, before the soft sound of grass being trampled underfoot reached her ears. She looked up to find Sesshoumaru standing by her kneeled form, a bow and quiver of arrows held in his hand, his focus fixed where the two demons had been. The miko noticed he was using the curved wood almost like a cane, leaning on it for support to relieve the pressure on his sore leg. Yet something that almost smacked as amusement was playing about his white lips, his unfathomable amber eyes surveying the direction in which the youkai had gone.

"You astonish me, human. A tidy bit of lying, that was. Of course I would have seen right through it."

Damn the demon for being entertained at her expense! She'd probably just shaved ten years off her life, so heart-stopping had that experience been!

"Please forgive me!" she snapped. "I haven't had much practice!"

His eyes widened in surprise as he glanced down at her stressed face. "Have I offended you? A thousand pardons. Your performance did well enough for our visitors. I could hear what went on- even I was a bit impressed."

She glared at him, standing so she could poke an accusing finger into his chest, making sure to aim for the section above the armor.

"You were there the entire time?! And you just let me face those two by myself?!" Kagome wished she really was the miko she'd claimed to be. Purifying the arrogant dog demon was sounding very tempting. "Ugh! I probably should have told them you'd be back soon, so you could go with them!"

"You could have been rid of the inconvenience of taking me home," Sesshoumaru added for her.

Heat flooded Kagome's cheeks at what he'd insinuated. "I didn't mean it like that! I just. . . . I still don't know why I didn't tell them you were here. You'd be far safer with those two escorting you home."

"More likely I would have been dead," the Taiyoukai said quietly, his gaze serious. "And so would you."

Kagome started, staring at him with round eyes. "But. . . they were soldiers. Youkai who said they served the Lord of the West. They spoke about how brave you were. They said the whole castle is combing the area."

Sesshoumaru grimaced. "I see. It might have been interesting to ask the demons exactly why, and what moved them to search in the direction of Inu Yasha's Forest."

She continued to look at him with eyes of incomprehension. "They were desperate to find you," she pointed out.

"Kagome, when I left the castle, not a solitary soul knew where I was going. These youkai knew exactly where to hunt."

A stark chill surged through Kagome's veins. She pressed a trembling hand to her lips. "Kami, you're right! The only ones who could have known. . . . "

"They had to be involved in luring me out here to be ambushed." His voice was accompanied by a regal nod of his silvery head.

She swallowed hard. "Then those y-youkai. . . they intended to. . . to murder you?"

"Not necessarily. They might be merely pawns sent here by whoever was responsible. But whether they intended to kill me themselves, or unwittingly lead me into the clutches of this elusive enemy of mine matters little. The result would have been the same. Another unsightly hole in the clothes you bought me. Most distressing after you worked so hard to find them," his tone was calm, sounding like they were discussing the weather rather than his brush with murder.

"When I think of h-how close I came t-to telling them you would be right back. . ." she stuttered in guilt, pressing one hand against his chest, over the spot she'd abused previously, as if that soft shield could somehow prevent an assassin's sword stroke from finding its mark.

But there was no scorn in the Taiyoukai's amber eyes, only surprise at her touch, and the tiniest quirk of a smile of understanding. "You couldn't have known. Even so, you didn't tell them. You even managed to turn them away. Your talents continue to surprise me, girl."

She didn't look pacified by his answer, an unhappy frown still on her lips.

"Maybe they left this time, but they're still out there. They'll still be searching. It's quite a few miles to your castle, along lonely deserted roads. Plenty of time to find you. And even if I do manage to get you back to your holding in one piece, you'll still be in danger. Who's to say someone won't creep into your quarters in the middle of the night and -"

"Don't let your imagination run wild, human. I rarely sleep. All those years of campaigning and roaming the wild."

Her expression became earnest, the hand on his chest tightening its grip in the material of his haori. "But you have to close your eyes sometime! It would take but a heartbeat."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, those uncanny eyes probing with the greatest delicacy, one silvery brow arched in surprise. "So much passion, Kagome Higurashi," he said softly. "Such righteous indignation. A veritable samurai in skirts, you seem."

It should have been mockery. It wasn't.

"May I tell you something?" For an instant he seemed as if he would drop the bow to touch her cheek, but at the last moment, he leaned again upon the flexible wood. "It is dangerous to let yourself care so much. There are far more brutal ends than the swift piercing of a sword thrust. The piercing of the heart, for example, by hard reality. The death of innocence and tenderness is painful indeed. I would not have you take such a risk on my account."

She turned her face away, her raven brows arcing down in a scowl. "I would care about any creature who was being hunted. And I would rather feel that pain than be dead inside."

"Comfort yourself with that thought if you wish," Sesshoumaru spoke in icy tones, stepping out of her reach. "But remember that I warned you." He limped a few steps out into the clearing, the late afternoon sun bathing him in an orange glow, staring again to where the two youkai had stood.

Her voice floated across the space between them, his sharp ears picking it out easily.

"Tell me, who were the youkai that came here? You do know them, right?"

Sesshoumaru turned his head, gazing with steady calm into her own troubled orbs.

"Does someone really know anyone? Let us just say I am acquainted with General Ryosuke Kaizon. A demon of unlimited military brilliance, born to grace the annals of history like a modern-day god of war- at least in his own estimation."

"Were they your friends?"

"Give me credit for better taste, girl. If I ever did stoop to make a friend I would have much too discerning taste to saddle myself with someone like General Kaizon and his cohorts." His voice was laced in condescending mockery.

"But the other one, Shurin. He seemed like he genuinely was worried for your safety," she tried to give him some hope that he was not completely without allies.

The Taiyoukai smirked at her. "That young youkai? Don't mistake the normal characteristic of his heritage as real concern. You see, Shurin is a rain youkai and they have a tendency to over express themselves where emotions are concerned."

The miko frowned in thought, absorbing this new piece of information. "So Shurin is an elemental youkai. What about General Kaizon?"

A stoic mask replaced the smirk, his amber eyes hardening. "Ryosuke is a dragon youkai, the son of one of my father's friends. He has been in the service of the Taisho family for a long time, even before my father died. I saw no reason to dismiss him once I took over leadership."

"You don't like him," she stated rather than asked.

"I have no attachment to anything save logic and intellect. The General does his job so I keep him in my service."

Kagome came to stand in front of him, saying with conviction, "If I believed that was true, I would feel very sorry for you. But it makes no sense that you would take care of a little girl, save her life, unless you cared."

"Ah, stubbornly optimistic to the end. I wish you would quit attempting to look for some good in me. The only result will be eyestrain." His beautiful eyes mocked her.

Why was it that his words hurt so deeply?

"I wonder why it bothers you so much," she said, her chin bumping up a notch. "Maybe you are afraid I might find something you've overlooked."

He narrowed his eyes, remaining silent in the face of her accusations.

Suddenly, Kagome's shoulders slumped in weariness, the fight draining out of her. She was just too tired for this.

Her voice was quiet when she said, "At least now you know who your enemy is."

The Taiyoukai cast a contemplative look out over the area, his handsome face resembling marble in the fading light.

"It would seem so at first glance," Sesshoumaru replied, his tone completely noncommittal. "I've little doubt the good General wishes me dead. Were it merely a blast in the back I'd have no trouble believing he was one of the assassins. However, that he'd have the intellect, the guile, the patience to carry out a scheme cunning enough to fool me- that is hard to believe indeed."

Kagome just stared at him, saying nothing. What could she say? All she knew was that somehow she had went from nursing a broken heart to becoming embroiled in royal intrigue with the arrogant dog demon she was traveling with.

Yes, she was now thoroughly convinced. She had to be Fate's favorite toy.


	15. Pawns

Under the cover of darkness, a small figure draped in a black cloak silently sprinted across a gravel path, their shoe-encased feet making no noise as they stepped quickly upon an ornately crafted wooden bridge. Coming to an open area that led into a large grass covered field, the person hesitated, its hooded head moving from one side to the other, as though searching for something. They stopped suddenly when they could make a large black shape in the distance, chocolate eyes squinting in the low lighting, trying to focus on the object. A happy grin tilted lips, a flash of white teeth briefly seen within the folds of material, before the little intruder ran with precision towards what they had found, making sure not to make too much noise on the soft grass.

As the person drew closer the once blurry blob became more discernable. Two scaled heads, identical to one another, rose from their spot of lying on the ground, a soft growling emitting from both throats. Coming to a stop right beside the two-headed dragon, the figure pulled their hood back, revealing the smiling visage of a young girl with her hair up in a ponytail. Putting out her hands, she giggled as the youkai snuffled at her palms, the same growl filling the quiet night air, their usual sign of greeting to their visitor.

"Ah, Un. How are you two doing tonight?" Rin smiled while asking, giving each of the creature's heads a soft pat.

The dragon looked at her with a question in its eyes, obviously curious as to why their Lord's ward was out so late to see them.

An almost guilty look came over her young features, a blush rising to her cheeks. Rubbing Ah's ear fondly, she whispered, "I know, I'm not supposed to be out here." Un nodded his head in agreement at her words. "But I need your help." The dragons' eyes sharpened, always alert to whatever needs the human they protected might need to be met.

A heavy sight left her small body, a frown of worry creasing her brow. "Sesshoumaru-sama has been gone for too long. I know that Jaken-sama said he would be fine, but I can't stop feeling as though something bad has happened." She raised pleading eyes to the youkai. Putting her hands together in a prayer pose, she gave them her best wide-eyed innocent stare she could. "Please, please take me to go find him?"

Ah and Un looked at one another, a silent conversation seeming to pass between them. Rin stayed as she was, holding her breath, her stomach roiling as she waited for their answer. If this failed she didn't know what she was going to do.

She had tried to do as Jaken said and keep the utmost faith that nothing could harm Sesshoumaru. But now, that little seed of doubt and fear from a few days ago had grown to all out panic to find the Taiyoukai. It was after she had heard from Seiryn that some of the castle's demons were out looking for the dog demon that she had made her choice.

So she had waited, biding her time until nightfall, then dressing quickly in an extra durable and warm brown kimono, Rin had slipped on her winter shoes, grabbed the black cloak that had been a gift from Seiryn for her good grades, and went out to find Ah Un.

If these two turned her away Rin supposed she would have to just set out on her own, although that idea was not palatable at all. But she would do it, if it meant she could find her Sesshoumaru-sama and help him.

Finally, after what seemed like forever to the little girl, the dragon youkai's heads turned at the same time to nod, granting their permission.

Letting out the air she had been holding, she threw her arms around them, hugging the dragon tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried happily into their scaly hide. Ah nibbled at a piece of her hair affectionately, grumbling lowly in his chest.

Pulling away, she quickly clambered onto their back, their rough scales digging into her thighs and leaving imprints. Rin pushed the small discomfort aside. When she had set out to complete her plan there had been no way for her to grab the usual saddle and bridle for the dragon, so that meant she would have to go bareback. Nothing she hadn't done before, but it still wasn't the most comfortable way to travel.

Two heads turned to regard the person on their back, making sure she was securely positioned before moving. When she smiled and nodded at them, taking up a handful of silky mane to hold onto, the dragon faced forward and shot up into the pitch-black sky that was dotted with stars.

Rin didn't bother looking back at the slowly shrinking castle, knowing that doing so would only make her feel more guilty than she did already.

She could just imagine the all out chaos that would result from her sudden disappearance. Jaken-sama would be alternating between ranting about 'stupid humans' to preparing a groveling speech in case his Lord came back before the girl and he had to explain her absence.

Tightening her small fingers around the strands of hair, she grimaced, thinking regretfully, 'Sorry, Jaken-sama. I don't want to get you in trouble, but I have to find Sesshoumaru-sama.'

The dragon continued its flight across the cool fall sky, the blue flames on its feet and tail making the travelers look illuminated and otherworldly. Crouching down lower into the warm material of her cloak, Rin tried as best she could to block the icy wind from penetrating to her face.

'Please, Sesshoumaru-sama, be alright.'

During the same night, many miles to the east, a small group settled down for the night. A young woman who owned a giant boomerang, the weapon now lying next to her sleeping mat, pulled the coarse brown blanket tighter around her shoulders, shivering a little under a frigid gust of wind. A warm little body suddenly burrowed itself against her stomach, her inquiring gaze looking to see what it was.

Sango smiled down at Shippo, the kit already closing his eyes to sleep, his tiny hands fisted into the soft material of her traveling kimono. Kirara lay down by her owner's head, rolling up into a tight ball, covering her nose with her two tails.

Running nimble fingers through the fringe of the kitsune's bangs, the taijiya glanced around the campsite, the dancing flames of their small fire casting shadows on the occupants surrounding it.

Miroku sat over towards her left, leaning against a tree, head down bent and staff cradled in his arms. For a moment, she envied the weapon its nightly embrace, a small part of her that was still a romantic girl wondering what it would feel like to be held so securely.

Shaking her head, she pushed the errant thought away, turning her attention to the dark-haired young man in the red haori, his intense violet eyes staring into the flames as though looking for an answer to a pressing question. A sheathed sword was propped up against one shoulder, the old worn hilt resting against one smooth cheek. A young woman lay at to his side, the white top of her clothing showing out starkly in the inky night, her head turned away from the fire out towards the darkness of the forest.

Sango thought how ironically telling that gesture was, the fallen miko eagerly accepting the dark instead of the light. Even after being brought back to life Kikyou had delved into her more violent emotions, hatred and malevolence thick in her bearing. But the years had mellowed the once angered girl, till now with the steady persistence of Inu Yasha's devotion she was able to release the majority of her ill feelings for the hanyou. Yet, there would always be more comfort for Kikyou in the shadows rather than out in the midst of the brightest illumination. She was a creature born purely of malice, and as such would never again know the true feeling of comfort found within a lover's caress.

The taijiya felt pity for the priestess, but she also couldn't help the stab of resentment that ripped through her each time she saw her walking beside Inu Yasha, her eyes wishing they were seeing a different female in her place, one with stormy eyes and a quick smile.

But that would never happen. Not now at any rate. Kagome was at this moment traveling far away from them by Inu Yasha's Forest towards the Western Lands. Sango wondered if the girl, that was all but her sister, was faring well with the Taiyoukai, or if some misfortune had befallen her, either by his claws or someone else's. Being a youkai exterminator Sango knew how to read demons and what their behaviors were, including the more powerful breeds like Sesshoumaru that had the power to mask their true forms with a humanoid one.

True, even she had never met one quite up there with Sesshoumaru's caliber. Nothing seemed to faze the demon lord, his control icy and his power unquestionable. Just thinking about his cold eyes made a shiver snake up her spine, one that had nothing to do with the weather.

Inu Yasha's human eyes caught the movement, the orbs moving to quickly capture her own. A slight frown marred his brow as he asked, "Sango, something wrong?"

She shook her head against her pillow, giving him a small smile. "No, Inu Yasha. I was just wondering how Kagome-chan was doing."

His frown turned into a scowl, his hands tightening around the scabbard of Tetsusaiga. The voice he answered her with resembled its usual growling tone that he used when in hanyou form, surprising her a little at the anger it held.

"She's probably doing just fine, not even worrying about us." He turned his attention back to the fire. "Maybe, if we're lucky, she is driving Sesshoumaru crazy enough for him to send her back."

Sango frowned at him. "Inu Yasha…." She knew the half demon was in pain, but that didn't mean he had to be so vindictive about it. After all, he had caused this mess in a few ways. "You know Kagome is probably thinking about us right now. She worries about everyone here," her eyes turned to the sleeping miko. "Even Kikyo."

Inu Yasha glanced down to the woman at his side, one of his hands letting go of the sword to run it through her hair gently.

Lately, he hadn't minded when the night came that he turned completely human. His inferior senses allowed him a reprieve from having to block out the smell of what made the priestess what she was…..

A heavy sigh left his body as he returned his hand to its previous spot, his expression now stoic, his eyes grave. His next words were whispered so low that the young girl who was his only audience had to strain to hear them.

"I hope she is okay." A hard glint entered his violet eyes. "If Sesshoumaru hurts her….." he trailed off meaningfully, his lip curling in a snarl.

"If he wanted to do that he already would have, when he had the chance while in her time. No one there would have been able to stop him, so why wait till getting here, take her with him, if he intended her harm?" Sango reasoned to her upset friend, hoping the words would convince him and her.

Kagome….please prove me right in this….

The answer seemed to pacify the hanyou, his shoulders losing their tenseness and his eyes growing thoughtful.

"True," he replied softly, once more staring off into space with concentration.

The taijiya, tired and at last warm, stroked the little kit's back a few more times, falling asleep moments later.

Inu Yasha was lost in his own thoughts as he waited for the sun to rise, returning him to his full strength.

When Kagome had left, the look on her face….he had known he was losing her. But then, hadn't he initiated that himself? Pushing her away, taking Kikyou as his mate, all but yelling in her face how she was not who he wanted to be with?

His conscience badgered him over these facts, delivering blow after crushing blow to his already battered ego. Damn, but his self-esteem was taking a royal beating lately.

Speaking of which…..

He was surprised that his arrogant brother had agreed to that deal with Kagome. It just sounded so….unlike the demon lord. At least, the one he knew.

But then, who was to say that his dear half brother didn't treat the female gender with more consideration and attentiveness than he did the male half? Inu Yasha could never recall a time in which he had seen his brother with a female, except recently with the child that usually traveled with him. That in itself was odd enough for the hanyou to take in, but the protectiveness, the actual caring his cold-hearted sibling showed the child was just mind boggling to him.

Though, he guessed it wasn't as out of character as he was thinking. Hell, he did have the sword that his brother wanted. Of course his Sesshoumaru would treat him badly. The sword that their father had left them, a noble Taiyoukai that had left this world before Inu Yasha even had the chance to see his face. That thought still saddened the hanyou every time he thought of it.

He firmly pushed those depressing ponderings aside, instead turning his attention to what or who could have been powerful enough to not only injure his brother, but do it in such a way that even he took time to heal. That was almost unheard of as far as he knew.

The hanyou felt disquieted, a feeling of acute unease settling in the region of his stomach and writhing like a serpent.

He didn't think it was Naraku. He hadn't smelled anything that even came close to something that resembled the evil hanyou's scent. Instead, the overpowering odor of his brother's blood mixed with the flowery scent of his poison hung thickly in the air, a more putrid smelling acid also blending with it.

Inu Yasha had wondered then why a pack of snake youkai would be chasing down his brother, obviously intent on killing him. It made no real sense. As far as he knew the dog demon household held no grudge with those youkai, their relations fairly well maintained between all other breeds of demons out there thanks to his half brother's efforts. But then again, considering who he was the son of, who would really dare take on the power of the Taisho family?

No one.

Which is what made this attack all the more puzzling. And now, with Kagome at his half brother's side, she was drawn into the whole mess.

A realization that made the hanyou tighten his grip again along the scabbard, his knuckles white with tension.

If Sesshoumaru was weak enough that he would accept the help of a mere human girl, let her escort him home, then his condition must be more deteriorated than he first thought. The demon lord being not up to full strength meant there was no one who could protect the young woman if trouble suddenly found them.

Which it would. Kagome was a trouble magnet.

Now more worried than before, Inu Yasha turned his eyes to the black sky, saying softly, "Kagome…."

Kagome yawned behind one hand, her eyes blinking sleepily at her surroundings, taking in the small glen gated in on all sides with trees and thick bushes.

Finally, it looked like Sesshoumaru was going to stop for the night. Shortly after their conversation at the meadow they had continued on, the demon lord wishing to make his way home as quickly as possible. His pace had been grueling, even for someone like her who was used to the non-stop walking of Inu Yasha,.

The Taiyoukai's legs were a lot longer than hers, which meant twice as many steps, not to mention the hefty weight of the pack on her back. So by now Kagome's feet were killing her and the muscles of her shoulders were screaming a protest.

She grimaced, knowing that by tomorrow morning putting the backpack on was going to be murder.

Shrugging it off, she let it fall to the forest floor with a loud 'thud', not even bothering to check where it landed. Groaning, she rubbed her palms into her shoulders, massaging the tense muscles with harsh pressure.

Leaning her head back, she gazed up at the leaves that were blocking out the dark sky, hardly leaving enough space for even the dim glimmer of stars to filter through. As a result, their 'campsite' was shrouded in complete darkness, everything looking like nothing more than black blobs to her human eyes.

She turned her head to the side, catching a flash of white as the dog demon settled back against the base of a tree, his tail moving out of his way so he wouldn't sit on it. His swords he moved till they lay across his lap, in easy reach should he need them.

Dropping her hands to her sides with a sigh, the young girl made her way back over to her pack, coming to the conclusion that it was up to her to get something to eat. She seriously doubted if Sesshoumaru was going to offer to get her food, he had done enough just by retrieving a weapon for her. When Kagome had asked where he had gotten it, the Taiyoukai had leveled her with a stoic stare before mentioning something along the lines of a deserted battleground. Shortly after, she had tuned him out, not wanting to hear the rest. Sure, it was the warring era of Japan, but that didn't mean the miko liked using the utensils taken from a dead man's grasp.

Untying the bow and arrows from her yellow pack, she set them aside quickly, not wanting to be in contact with it more than she had to. Undoing the clasp that held the flap closed, she flipped it open and began rummaging through it, the almost non-existent lighting making her have to rely on touch to find what she was looking for.

After contact with many sharp objects, smooth surfaces, a few paper covered containers, she finally came across what she was looking for. Withdrawing the sleeping bag, she sat it down next to the weapon before diving back in to begin searching again. Humming a song she had heard on the radio before leaving under her breath, Kagome stopped and exclaimed a triumphant "Aha!" while taking out something in a foil bag.

The sound of chips moving about in their container filled the small glen, the youkai's sharp hearing picking it up easily, along with all the other racket the human was making.

Didn't she know how to do anything silently?

Kagome, completely unaware of the dog demon's irritation, rolled out her magenta sleeping bag, unzipping the top before sitting down on the slippery material cross-legged. Checking a side pocket, she took out a plastic bottle of water, setting that down next to her knee.

Sesshoumaru watched the miko's actions, his amber eyes seeing everything perfectly fine, even as dark as it was. He heard the sound of a package being ripped open as she tore into the bag of food in her lap, the smell of salt and vinegar assaulting his sensitive nose, causing him to wrinkle it at the sharp odor.

Holding her bag in one hand, Kagome looked over to the lounging demon, asking with a smile, "Do you want to share, Sesshoumaru? I know it isn't what you are used to, but it works."

He didn't bother wasting an icy stare at her, knowing she wouldn't be able to see it anyway. Instead, he directed his attention to a copse of trees off to the side, saying indifferently, "You know I do not like human food. Besides, I do not need to eat as often as a human does."

Rolling her shoulders in a shrug, she went to munching her chips, opening the bottle to take a swig from after the salt parched her tongue and throat. When she was finished, she balled up the empty bag and shoved it back into the pack, taking a last drink of water before replacing that as well.

Moving back to sit on her sleeping bag, she grimaced at her greasy fingers, looking about her as though for a towel before deciding to just rub them in the grass.

Ugh, but she really missed not being close to a hot spring. At least Inu Yasha managed to get them near one almost every night, knowing how much bathing meant to Kagome.

Maybe tomorrow she could ask Sesshoumaru. Throw a few hints his way….

Stretching, Kagome felt it was way past time for her to get to bed, her eyelids having trouble staying open. Yawning loudly, she bent over to untie her tennis shoes, removing them and her socks, wiggling her toes in the cold grass. She then took off her black jacket, wadding it up to use as a pillow before slipping between the warm folds of her sleeping bag. Since she was used to having a fire it was odd to be doing this all in complete darkness, the inkiness of her surroundings making her feel alone and closed off from the rest of the world.

Shivering at her thoughts, she maneuvered around a bit, unclasping her black bra so she could take it off. Sleeping with something that was under wire and digging into your skin was never comfortable, and the miko wasn't about to let maidenly modesty keep her from a good night's rest.

With a satisfied sigh she removed the feminine contraption, placing it under her jacket so she could put it back on when she woke up in the morning. Rubbing her feet together to create some warmth, she glanced over to the white spec that was Sesshoumaru, wondering if he was awake or asleep. Knowing him, he would be wide awake all night long, to keep an eye on things. Who knew when his assassins might decide to come back….

Breathing in deeply, Kagome let her eyes drifts shut, her face rubbing against the material of her jacket a few times, trying to find the perfect spot.

Yet, no matter how she tried to will her exhausted mind to sleep, it just would not quit working, a thousand different random thoughts flitting through her head. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she tried turning over, hoping that a new position might be what she needed.

No such luck. Her mind was still at full throttle and it was now giving her a bit of a headache.

Flopping onto her back, she opened her gritty eyes, trying to focus on the treetops, hoping staring at something for a while would make her brain settle down. But, after long minutes of getting acquainted with the shapes of the leaves overhead, Kagome gave up on that idea and decided to try something else.

Heaving a sigh, she turned her head to look at where the Taiyoukai remained where she had last seen him, his arm laying across his swords and his head slightly bent.

Watching him, Kagome began chewing on her bottom lip, the idea floating through her head taking a firmer hold as she continued to gaze at his silent figure.

'Oh, why the hell not?' she thought to herself while sitting up, pushing down the top of the bag as she did. Scooting out of the warm cocoon, she carefully picked up her 'pillow' and, clutching one hand around a corner of the bag, drug it over, nearer to wear the youkai sat.

Stopping maybe a half a foot away from him, she smoothed her blanket back out to lie flat, placing her jacket back in its spot before sliding into the still heated fabric. Snuggling in deeper, the miko felt her body begin relaxing almost immediately, the end of Sesshoumaru's silky tail trailing just into her line of vision. She watched the tip in half-awake fascination, her blue-grey eyes following the interesting way the individual strands undulated in the night breeze, going one way before suddenly switching to move in the opposite direction.

Sesshoumaru kept his still pose, not even changing his breathing pattern when he saw the girl get up from her spot across him from to suddenly move her strange bedding to lie beside him. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her get back under her covers, moving about before finally laying still. Within a few minutes her breathing slowed to a deep even rhythm, letting him know that she had fallen asleep, her heartbeat strong and slow.

Turning his silver head fully to look at the human lying so trustingly next to him, he wondered precisely when was it that keeping company with these inferior life forms ceased to annoy him. Even with Rin he hadn't felt this calm, always staying on high alert in case his young charge decided to wander off in search of some posy.

Caring for a child had certainly taught him many things. The first being to never take his attention off of them for a second. They had the uncanny knack of disappearing in less than the time it took to blink.

But now, here in the dark forest, with this young girl he felt….could it be peace? If not that exact emotion it was very close to it.

The scent of apples with a hint of vanilla filled his nostrils, the demon unconsciously breathing in deeper to fully take the scent into his body. He didn't know why, but every time he smelled the odor that clung to Kagome images of home came to mind.

Amber eyes still fixed on her relaxed features, Sesshoumaru thought over their progress so far, estimating that in about two more days they would reach his lands. He knew that the pace he set was hard on the miko, but she never complained, just kept on walking behind him humming in that horrible off-key way of hers.

More than once he had considered ordering her to be quiet, but quickly discarded the idea when he concluded that by doing so it would just make her want to talk directly to him. Her grating vocal displays were preferable to the multitude of questions and little bits of wisdom she would throw at him. Mistress Sunshine's philosophies on life wasn't precisely something he cared to learn about.

A frown wrinkled his marked brow as he then moved on to the matter of the two demons she had faced down today.

When he had smelled the familiar odors of Shurin and Ryosuke he had hurried back to where he had left her, almost certain the human had gone off to meet them. She just never did listen to him….

By staying back, perched on a high tree branch, the dog demon had heard and seen everything that had transpired between the trio. From the miko's bold statements to their resulting retreat because they believed her. Or at least, he knew that Shurin believed her.

The General, however, Sesshoumaru knew to be far too shrude to have completely fallen for that little ruse. More than likely he was even now thinking up a reason to come find the girl again, certain that she knew something he wanted to know.

He growled lowly in his throat, the noise startling him into silence.

Why did the thought of Ryosuke seeking the miko out cause such a reaction? It wasn't like this was Rin he was talking about, that ugly look in the youkai's amethyst eyes had not been directed at his ward. But his reasoning did not fully calm his inner turmoil, something familiar to possessiveness starting to take root in the Taiyoukai.

The demon mentally shrugged it away as unimportant.

It was just his personality to stake a claim on whoever or whatever was taken into his care, whether it be temporarily or permanently. He wasn't one to shirk responsibility, and right now the girl sleeping beside him was only here because she wished to make sure he made it home without incident, placing her own life on the line for his.

The thought made him restless, uneasy with the situation.

Sesshoumaru hadn't wanted to involve her in the first place, but here she was slumbering soundly beside him, completely oblivious to the possible dangers closing in on them. Her trust in him was becoming more painful to bear. With Rin, it was simple to not fail her, a child's mind seeing him as invincible. But with a grown woman, such as Kagome, he knew that there were more ways than one to come up lacking, and he had no desire to visit any type of defeat.

His amber eyes refocused on her when he felt delicate fingers wrap around the tip of his tail, a silvery eyebrow arching as Kagome drew it closer to her until it was flattened under her cheek, a smile now gracing her full lips.

Regulated to a living cushion. How degrading.

Letting out a sigh, he readjusted his back against the bumpy bark, relieving his shoulder of some of the pressure pushing in on the injury. His leg he laid out flat, moving his swords till they lay off of the wound completely. Even he was sore after that long trek today. Tomorrow, he would have to find a hot spring to soak in, have the girl remove the stitches. The lacerations should be healed enough that he would not need them anymore.

Bending his head back down, he closed his eyes while still being completely aware of what went on in the immediate area, a light breeze fluttering through the glen, lifting his silver locks to dance in the wind before settling back into place.

Yes, they should be able to make it to his castle within two days at the most, and then he would be rid of this human forever.

But then, ever since meeting the Lord of the Western Lands Kagome had rarely done anything according to plan. Too bad the Taiyoukai didn't take the time to remember this. It would serve him well to have later….


	16. If At First Your Don't Succeed

"Sugar, sugar, how'd you get so fllyyy...sugar, sugar how'd you get so flllyyy..."

Sesshoumaru tried to block out her singing, his ears twitching at how badly she massacred whatever random song she was calling out. It wasn't like she was yelling, but still, her lack of being able to hold a note for longer than a millisecond didn't bode well for her performance.

He doubted if he had to worry about any youkai coming to attack them. With her singing they would no doubt be running the other way...

Suddenly, she stopped, right in mid-sentence of whatever she was belting out, causing Sesshoumaru to silently thank Kami for the reprieve.

His happiness didn't last long, though, because a second later she jogged up to his side, her hands gripping the straps of her bag, her face upturned to watch him as she walked.

The Taiyoukai had a sinking suspicion she was about to try and engage him in conversation this morning, something the stubborn girl had been working at since waking a few hours before. He had made sure to be up and about before she awoke, not wanting to deal with her questions about why she was snuggling his tail, and more importantly, why he had let her.

"So, Sesshoumaru, what is your castle like?" she asked with a smile, interest in her eyes.

He didn't bother looking at her when he replied, "A stronghold. It has a large number of soldiers stationed there with a minimum amount of court followers. There is no need for such frivolous things in my household."

She rolled her blue-grey eyes, casting him a teasing look from below her lashes. "Aw, come on! Don't you like giving parties and such, what with all that power at your disposal? I mean, you have to at least throw some festivities in order to hold meetings between you and neighboring lords, right?"

His voice was icy when he said, "As I said, there is really no need for such immaterial things, especially not now considering how unstable some areas are being governed. It is more logical to have a vast army at your command than a sea of incompetent fools."

'Geeze, this guy needs to lighten up,' she thought with an exasperated glare.

"Kami, Sesshoumaru. I thought you got along well with all the other youkai. Why would you need to remain at a constant state of battle-readiness?"

Finally, he turned to give her a frigid stare, his amber eyes resembling chips of citrine. "Girl, do not comment on what you could not possibly understand." Gazing ahead once more, he dismissed her from his side, clearly conveying to her that he no longer wished to talk.

Pressing her lips together in anger, Kagome's grip became white-knuckled on her backpack, a scowl marring her brow. Gritting her teeth in anger, she couldn't keep herself from saying, "You know, you can be such a jerk."

Sesshoumaru immediately stopped, the miko nearly running into his back at the sudden stop of motion.

Kagome gulped and stepped back a couple of paces when he turned on his heel to glare down at her with menace.

Damn, where was that rubbing alcohol when she needed it...

She really did need to remember that this wasn't the hanyou but the demon that she was dealing with, and it probably wasn't best to antagonize him too much.

Still, she couldn't show how scared she was of the demon before her, and so straightened her shoulders and gave him a defiant look, her hands moving to rest on her hips.

"Human, you try my patience," he growled lowly at her. "Do not forget with whom you are dealing with. Even an inferior female such as yourself should be able to keep that in mind."

Kagome felt her anger rising, all the pain and bitterness she had pushed deep down within her writhing through her system. Stepping back to where she previously was, she looked up at him with her own disdainful sneer.

"And you should not forget whom you're dealing with." Her gaze turned hard with the force of her mounting emotions, two spots of color coming into her cheeks. "Do not merely pass me off as some incompetent little girl just because of my gender and origins. I am not only an intelligent young woman, but also have taken down my fair share of demons on my own, even managing to catch you by surprise on occasion, Lord Sesshoumaru." Her tone turned taunting when she said his name before continuing. "So don't underestimate me because of your archaic prejudice against my species. I don't do that to you, and I expect the same consideration!"

The Taiyoukai's expression became increasingly darker as she ranted on, his fangs flashing as he started snarling down at the enraged miko.

How dare she?! How dare this tiny slip of a human challenge him like this and expect him to do nothing about it! He hadn't been this angry in a long time, but where she was concerned he had a disturbing lack of control over his emotions. This was no exception.

Taking the last step that would bring them face to face, he said with quiet menace, "Apologize now, and I will not kill you."

A tremble of fear traveled over her spine, making Kagome look at him with uncertainty before smoothing her face back into an emotionless mask. A calm began spreading through her, the anger of before melting away to be replaced with a numb serenity. When next she spoke it was in gentle voice.

"If I offended you, I am sorry. However, I do not regret what I have said, just that it seems to have upset you." Tenderness masked her features, one hand coming up to lightly rest on his armored chest, trying to calm him. "Let's no fight, Sesshoumaru. We will just agree to disagree and leave it at that." A tired sigh escaped her. "Please?"

As he looked down into her exhausted face, the fire of before all but extinguished in her beautiful eyes, he felt an unaccustomed stirring in the region of his chest. Uncomfortable with the feeling, he stepped away, disengaging the hand she had on him, and said with indifference, "Apology accepted."

Kagome let her hand fall to her side limply, an unhappy frown drawing her ebony eyebrows together. She watched as he once more began walking away, silently following his proud form while becoming lost in her thoughts.

Why was it that she had gotten so angry at his words? It wasn't like his opinion mattered to her, did it?

Biting her lower lip, she watched the ground with a faraway gaze, obviously not seeing the grass and dirt they passed over.

Ever since she had taken in the youkai lord she had begun to realize that he wasn't the cold-hearted demon they had all assumed him to be. Not to mention the fact that he cared for the young girl that usually traveled with him, that had to speak for something in his favor. But something that Kagome noticed more was that as she continued to remain in his presence, she was beginning to like the dog demon. It wasn't because of how handsome he was, she had seen demons just as beautiful. And it didn't feel like that romantic sensation she would get when being with Inu Yasha. No, what this felt like was getting to know someone that was becoming a dear friend.

Which didn't precisely make any sense considering the youkai had done everything in his power to be as disagreeable and distant as possible. Yet, he had let her sleep by him more than once without threatening her life for it, and he did honor his word when he'd given it in her time era.

She supposed it was because with Sesshoumaru what you saw is what you got. Most of the time that is. Sure, there were times when he was no doubt scheming or planning in that steel trap of a mind he had, but basic things, like his character, never changed. Kagome never worried that suddenly he would start spouting insults at her for no reason before stalking off in a huff. She did not even give it a second thought that whatever he said he, in fact, meant and wasn't just giving her lip service.

So in a way, she was starting to think that she was really getting to know the demon.

Too bad she never did have the best skills as far as intuition went, especially where the brothers were concerned.

Sesshoumaru walked on in silence, not bothering to glance back and see why the girl had gone so quiet, instead happy for the small reprieve. When she had challenged him like that, acting as though she expected him to just let it slide, he realized how little she actually knew him. This thought was comforting, but not as much as it probably should have been. What she couldn't figure out with her intellect, the damn female had a knack of understanding him any way.

All at once, he was filled with the urge to totally disconcert her, to make her as uneasy and unbalanced as she seemed to make him from the first day he had become lucid in her room. No matter what he said or did, she continued to accept him, never questioning what he said, making it easy at times to fool her. What was also bothering him was his lack of concern whenever she touched him. He was beginning to wonder if by letting her touch him so often and without restraint that it was having an adverse effect on him.

The Taiyoukai feared that he was actually beginning to like the attention she gave him. Something that he would not and could not tolerate. He was Lord of the Western Lands, a Taiyoukai that was feared throughout the country. How damaging to his image would it be if others saw the deft way she handled him, always seeming to get her way even when she wasn't trying?

He had to drive her away, push her back so there would be some emotional distance between them. Sesshoumaru was almost certain that the girl was starting to see him as a, dare he say, friend? Putting his comfort before her own, tending to him selflessly while he was injured, doing her upmost to make sure he was comfortable. And while he was used to others seeing to his every need, the idea that he was becoming indebted to the girl, the has becoming more accustomed to her doing these tasks was disturbing.

Yes, he would have to make her want to keep herself distant from him, desire to be done with this little 'mission' as soon as possible so she could go back to her friends. Besides, he wasn't sure he could stand much more of her open insubordination, his natural demon instincts inflamed with predatory force each time she questioned his authority. He was a dog demon, after all, and one thing those type of youkai always established was a pecking order with those who followed him.

The miko just hadn't learned precisely where her place was. He would just have to prove to her that she couldn't challenge him and then expect to get away unscathed.

Glancing over his shoulder at her, he saw her head bent down, studying the ground she walked on, lost in her thoughts. Turning to face forward, he felt a pull on his stitches, reminding him that was going to have to find a hot spring sometime tonight, have Kagome remove the small pieces of thread from his flesh.

And then, it hit him. He knew exactly what to do to 'kill two birds with one stone', so to speak. If he used his original plan he had formed to gain her cooperation in letting him go, then he should not only get her to leave him alone until their journey was over, but also show her exactly how he saw her.

Nothing more than a female, a commodity that in this day and age held even less value than most men's horses. Not that he totally believed in that philosophy, but as long as she thought he did then it would work out fine.

A tiny smirk played about his handsome features as he stepped along the grassy path in the forest, changing direction slightly to where he knew a hot spring next to a regular stream resided.

Yes, he would take her by surprise, and fix this little 'emotional' problem yet.

Kagome continued on behind him, innocent to what he had planned for her.

She really did need to learn to pay more attention...

Sesshoumaru had always loved the hours before a siege— time to plan the perfect battle, play out the scenes in his head again and again until no lives would be lost to carelessness or flawed logic. Mistakes, costly at any time, were paid in battle with men's blood; or youkai in this instance. Yet this campaign was different. He'd never before given a damn about the effect the altercation would have on the enemy. Enemy. A blue-grey eyed woman with roses in her cheeks and stubbornness ingrained in every fiber of her being, stubbornness that had saved his life and tried his renowned patience.

With every moment that crawled past as the sun made on agonizingly slow arc across the Japanese sky, he found himself unaccustomedly edgy. He had to wait, of course. Be patient.

Only a fool would go charging in at once, brandishing either sabers of kisses. Kagome had a keen enough mind and an uncanny ability to uncover secrets in a person's eyes. If she got so much as a hint of what mischief he was brewing, she'd likely meet his amorous attempts with laughter or with a blistering scold.

Yes, he knew what had to be done, but in this case spontaneity was the key. It didn't take a great deal of plotting. Nor should it take an overabundance of loverlike skill to singe the hairtie off someone as innocent as Kagome. Just cup that soft, impossibly obstinate chin in the palm of his hand, lower his lips to hers and taste. . . . what? What would she taste of? Sweet milk and warm honey? The apples that she smelled like?

He grimaced. It didn't matter. He was only going to kiss her for effect, after all. Still, it had been a long time since he'd kissed a woman. He'd have to keep that in mind.

Even the kiss mustn't be too abrupt. He'd have to tease her with a hot look, tempt her with a brush of his hand against hers. And then he would level her with a lightning bolt of pure sensuality. That should send Mistress Sunshine diving for shelter. Especially when she came back to their little camp to lie near him, something she had done last night. He wasn't sure if it was because she was afraid or simply wanted to make sure he didn't run off and abandon her. So far when the miko had shared a bed with him she'd claimed to be there in case he needed her, treating him as an extremely large hound. He would wager that would be more difficult after he kissed the blazes out of her.

Impatience stirred, and he arched one silvery eyebrow in surprise at the sensation. He wasn't eager to kiss her, he insisted to himself. It was just that he had too much time on his hands at present. The Taiyoukai had been forever busy, strategizing, planning, working to unravel the secrets that lay in other youkai's minds. Sesshoumaru always believed he'd spent most of his life thinking. Strange to suddenly realize it wasn't true.

Here in this tiny glen he finally arrived at, there was a sudden silence, an unexpected idleness. The sense that he was no longer in control both baffling and appalling.

He watched as she set her pack down, a happy smile gracing her face when she heard the flowing water and saw the familiar steam of a hot spring just visible through the trees that surrounded them. The girl began digging through her over-stuffed bag, extracting whatever she was looking for.

The youkai sat at the base of a tree, resting his aching leg, ignoring the now humming human and turning his attention back to his thoughts.

This lunatic angel of his was far too adept at peeling away a person's defenses to peer inside them. It was one thing to be the probing intellect doing the analyzing. It was another altogether to have some wind-tossed, dewey-eyed little optimist regarding him with enough compassion and understanding to make him want to throttle her.

Kagome's probing was disturbing enough on its own. But equally surprising and unnerving was the knot that had tightened in his gut the moment she mentioned the names of the youkai who had sought him.

Ryosuke. There was little to astonish Sesshoumaru there. The dog demon had known from the first he would have to deal with the dragon youkai sooner or later.

But it wasn't Ryosuke that had disturbed him. He'd had plenty of enemies before and had never allowed that fact to trouble him. It was the presence of the second youkai that gave him an unexpected twinge.

Shurin.

"Were those youkai your friends?" He recalled the echo of Kagome's question and his own hard laugh of dismissal.

"Give me credit for better taste, girl," he'd scoffed. "If I ever stooped to make a friend. . ." They'd been nothing but careless words. He knew he never would call anyone by that name. But Shurin had been too thick-headed to realize it.

Sesshoumaru frowned at his thoughts. He'd all but drowned in the youth's hero worship when Shurin first became his aide. An awkward, fumbling teen who had an irritating habit of dropping things the instant Sesshoumaru entered the room. It wasn't an unfamiliar reaction— the Taiyoukai had always disconcerted those around him. What had unnerved the dog demon far more was the day Shurin had stopped dropping things. The day long ago when Inu Yasha had left the provinces of the Western Lands, and Sesshoumaru had let him go.

It had been futile to pursue the fight any further, the Taiyoukai had claimed. He had convinced himself that that was his reason for releasing his half-brother. Shurin had not believed it for a moment. And once the whole affair was over, no matter what efforts Sesshoumaru made to push the youkai back to a comfortable distance, he couldn't escape the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, the incomprehensible rain child also liked him.

Which was another reason he had to get Kagome to back off. He couldn't handle her, Shurin, and Rin closing in on his personal emotional space.

Even the promotion Sesshoumaru had arranged hadn't sobered the boy one iota. Hopeful as a puppy, Shurin had always hung about, and the dog youkai had had to shake him aside more than once, since dealing him a sharp rap on the nose lacked the dignity required in the Taisho castle.

From the instant he had scanned the note alerting him to a traitor in his household, the crest of the person he loathed above all others emblazoned at the bottom, Sesshoumaru had thought it was immaterial who had betrayed him.

Why did the mere possibility Shurin might be involved affect him so strangely?

Doubtless that was Kagome's fault too. All those sorrowful glances she'd given him beneath those absurdly long eyelashes. The soft ache in her voice, as if she grieved for his loneliness.

The woman should look to her own situation! She talked to animals, for Kami's sake! She wandered about the countryside with his idiot half-brother, in his opinion, totally defenseless. As unfit to be traveling about as a babe who'd toddled off into the forest. She'd left her home, friends, and a time era that probably looked after her every need, but considered herself fortunate, rich. Why? Because she dared to love everything and everyone with the same abandon, from a recalcitrant falcon to a shimmer of mist atop a hill? Because she chose to see what was good— even in a wounded youkai who had deadened his heart long ago?

Blast, had she meddled in his own mind so much these past days that he'd begun to sort through his acquaintances, searching for someone who might give a damn if he died?

If he had been such a fool, even in his own subconscious, then the arrival of Shurin had been well timed indeed. An appropriate reminder of why he'd always held himself aloof from his fellow creatures, completely unattached to anyone or anything. Even Rin he felt a certain reticence about.

The miko thought he was in pain because he'd been betrayed. But he knew the truth: no one could betray you unless you were foolhardy enough to care about them in the first place. Despite his small stumbles over Rin and Shurin, he was no fool, and not even the softest blue-grey eyes in Japan were going to make him one.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He started at the sound of her voice at his side. He turned his head up to see her standing there with fresh if somewhat threadbare blue towels draped over her arm, a bar of pink soap that smelled of flowers, and a change of the modern clothes she wore in the other hand.

"Is there anything I can do for you before I go down to the hot spring? I'll only be gone a little while."

Her cheeks were tinged with red, her gaze flickering away from his. She was going to bathe, Sesshoumaru realized with a swift surge of satisfaction. What more auspicious opportunity could there be to begin his siege? He would wait a little while, long enough for her to begin, and then. . . .

"Sesshoumaru?"

He focused on her face, hastily concealing any hint of the machinations going on inside his head. But she gazed at him with eyes so guileless, so soft with concern, that he felt as if someone had layered a fine coat of silt over his body.

"I hate to leave you alone." She hesitated.

"Go ahead. I'm used to it." Damnation if that didn't sound a trifle weary, almost wistful. The words, not his tone. He grimaced and said what he'd meant to all along. "I prefer it that way."

"I know," she replied, but something about her tone infuriated him. It was not as if she agreed with him but rather as if she knew some truth he wasn't ready to admit to.

He was still attempting to think up an appropriate reply when she started down the grassy bank to where a copse of trees sheltered a portion of the hot spring from view.

Graceful and light as petals caught on the wind, she glided along, rivers of dark orange sunlight streaming through the dark flow of her hair. She had none of the elegance of the worldly beauties who had graced Sesshoumaru's bed, none of the practiced perfection, and yet there were men who would think her even lovelier.

In place of silk she trailed an astonishing warmth, a vibrancy in her wake, as if even the sunlight couldn't resist that intangible aura she spun. Instead of jewels gracing her throat and wrists and the tender lobes of her ears, stars sparkled in her eyes. And her hands were scented now with attar of irises but rather with apples and vanilla and something far more rare: genuine compassion.

His hand knotted into a fist. Blast! One would think he'd taken that whip-lash to his head! He'd never been a demon to spin out such absurdities over any woman.

Why then, did he feel this strange fascination? This need to follow her with his amber eyes, this anticipation, waiting to see what she would say next? It was merely that the miko was a curiosity, he assured himself. A woman unlike any he had ever known.

He surprised a laugh out of himself, his injured shoulder aching with the movement.

A curiosity? The female was a damn maze that he could never find the end of.

Swearing under his breath, he surveyed the path she'd taken, realizing that sometime during his nonsensical reverie she had disappeared from view. Her scent still teased his nostrils, but the sight of her was gone.

Just as well. He'd given her enough time to settle into her abulations. Half undressed, wet and unwary, she should be vulnerable enough to his attentions. A strange brew of self-disgust and expectation stirred in his belly. Only because he would be meeting her challenge, of course.

In his head he imagined her bare feet padding across the thick carpet of turf, the grass growing damp beside the steaming water. He pictured how long it would take for her nimble fingers to remove the clothes she wore. Doubtless she would pause to study the face of any pretty wildflower that happened to perch on the hotspring bank. And Kami help him if some disobliging bird showed her an injured wing.

Better to get down there before the woman unwittingly outflanked him again!

Rising, Sesshoumaru straightened, limping gracefully as possible in the direction she'd gone, his wounds paining him after two long days of walking, wondering if he had ever looked forward to crossing swords quite this much?

Even injured, he was able to move with the stealth of a predator, a skill learned in his father's household, then perfected on scouting missions before battle. He intended to steal up as quietly as possible, give himself time to gauge the best angle from which to 'attack'.

But as the underbrush fell away before him, dappled shadows giving way to the setting sunshine spilling over the spring, he stopped, all thoughts scattering at the scene before him.

Kagome had flung herself into her bath with the same joy with which she faced everything else in her day, wholeheartedly, delightedly, abandoning any lingering fears on the mossy bank along with her modern clothes.

Clad in an odd black skintight outfit consisting of one piece of shiny material, it hugged every curve of her body from its thin straps over each shoulder down to cut in a high arc over her hips. At once, it covered all the 'essentials' while at the same time leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

She splashed in the water, hurling cascades of sparkling silver drops up in the air to rain down on her. Her freshly washed hair clung about her shoulders, and down her back, the thin fabric of the outfit molding her body like the hands of a lover.

Rosy patches of skin glowed at the exposed areas, the long graceful legs wantonly visible. A trim waist and full hips could be easily seen, and any male would have had to be a corpse not to feel a stirring in his loins at the desirable picture she made.

Perhaps he'd managed to deadpan his emotions, Sesshoumaru thought, but he still had an appreciation for perfection. Beauty. Yet Kagome's own brand of beauty was fashioned out of a dozen imperfections, flaws that should have made her unappealing, yet instead held his gaze prisoner, made the dog demon wonder exactly what it was that compelled him to keep looking at her.

Simple lust, Sesshoumaru reasoned with grim humor. The fact that he hadn't troubled himself to take a woman to his bed since returning to the castle with Rin. Even the icily controlled Taiyoukai's body needed release upon occasion, if only to keep himself from being distracted. Perhaps searing the girl with hot stares wouldn't take much effort after all. And yet. . . the sooner she surrendered, the better. Like all good strategies, there was danger in this one.

He was a youkai with a demon's needs.

And it had been a very long time.

She sensed his presence mere heartbeats before she saw him, a solitary figure, silver hair sunstruck to a color almost the same hue as his eyes. Blades of shadow and light hewed his face with the patrician arrogance of the first demon king who had set forth his royal foot upon the ageless hills of Japan. Bold, almost too beautiful for human eyes to see.

But a kind of defiance shaped the set of his jaw, an unfamiliar buzz of tension emanating from his lean body in waves that flowed around her, tightening about Kagome's heart.

She stilled, tried to suck in a deep breath, warm water that was quickly cooling in the dusk air running in rivulets down her body. She might have been a stray beggar maid confronting the god of water, her wet hair clinging in a sodden web to cheeks already burning with embarrassment, surprise, and something foreign, perhaps a little frightening.

Every time Inu Yasha had accidentally happened upon her bathing, she had been outraged, her modesty immediately demanding she yell a 'sit' at him. However, what she was feeling right now, besides embarrassment wasn't exactly anger.

Shoving away the ridiculous sensation, she started toward Sesshoumaru, afraid that something was amiss.

That was the only reason she could think of for him to seek her out. It wasn't like the Taiyoukai was another version of Miroku, trying to peak at her while she was bathing.

The youkai were returning to hunt him down, his wounds were paining him, while she stood there like a half-wit gawking at him. Those were but a few excused she could supply.

"What is it?" she asked, sloshing toward Sesshoumaru. "Is something wrong?"

But at that instant, her usual luck caught up with her. Her bare foot connected with an unstable rock, the skin slipping abrasively on it, twisting her ankle a bit as she began to fall backwards. Her breath went out in a whoosh, the loss of footing hurtling her backward. She crashed down, her mouth filling with a wave of choking water. Her backside slammed into the rock-strewn bottom of the spring, bruising her flesh almost as much as it wounded what little dignity she still possessed.

Sputtering, flailing, she fought to regain her feet, but the combination of slippery rock and sand made it impossible. Kagome might have succeeded in drowning herself, a very undignified way to die, except that a hard hand manacled her wrist, dragging her upright.

With her free hand, Kagome scrubbed her sea-weedlike hair out of her face.

Sesshoumaru stood so close to her that the heat radiating from his body penetrated her own chilled skin. His low chuckle astonished her, banished her fear that some calamity had overtaken them, yet tightened the net of embarrassment he'd trapped her in.

"Saved from an untimely death. And a most undignified one at that," Sesshoumaru said. "It seems we are even now, Kagome."

Her name. He'd merely called her by her name for the first time in a few days. But it had changed everything. A strange shiver coursed down her spine, not from the cool breeze against her wet skin but rather from the husky rumble of his voice, the hot brush of his breath against her cheek. She tried to swallow, but her throat was inexplicably dry.

"Sesshoumaru, wh-what. . . what you are doing here?"

"A fine way to thank your rescuer. Perhaps you need lessons in the etiquette of a damsel in distress. This is your cue to fall upon me in abject gratitude." He smiled. Her heart stopped. Kami above, she hadn't even realized the demon could smile. No one should be given such a lethal weapon to wield against a woman.

She was surprised by her reaction to him, the unfamiliar feelings that were coursing through her system. After all of the turmoil with Inu Yasha, Kagome had thought her wayward emotions would calm down for a while, give her some respite.

However, now it seemed far from the truth.

"I just. . . . I didn't expect— "

"Any company? That is obvious enough, considering your attire."

She skittered back a step, glancing down, agonizingly aware of the thinness of her bathing suit— all but transparent with the way it fit to her body to the youkai's all too knowing gaze.

Any modest, self-respecting woman would have chosen that moment to dive headlong into the water— if it had been deep enough to cover her properly. But Kagome was stunned to find herself standing as still as a woodland doe, surprised, curious, trembling just a little at the unexpected sensations rippling through her.'

Even with the hanyou, she had never felt this way. None of the uncertain attraction, for that is what she labeled it as. It was just a purely physical reaction to a handsome male, she tried to reason to herself. Giving her mind something to hold onto as to why, now, she would start to feel such things for the youkai.

She raised her own gaze to Sesshoumaru's face. Could there be such a thing as hot ice? The piercing amber of his eyes burned, iridescent and otherworldly. Innocent as she might be, she recognized that heat for what it was, yet she could scarce believe her own deduction.

Desire. Was it real? Or as ephemeral as the visions of tennyo she'd read about as a child?

She wasn't certain. She only knew that no male had ever looked at her that way before. Not even Hojo or Inu Yasha.

She scrambled to find her scattered wits.

"Was there something you wanted?"

You.

He communicated it without words, a thick pulse that entered her veins where his fingers were still circled about her wrist. He raised his gaze to hers, and she felt her breath catch as if she'd heard him voice the need aloud.

Her uncooperative brain wasn't doing its job to remind her that this was totally out of character to what she was used to. That perhaps she should beware his new attentions as something that bespoke of ulterior motives.

He cleared his throat, withdrawing his striped hand. She felt the loss of his touch as if he'd left a wound, and she realized in that instant how much she'd missed being touched.

Oh, her mother and Sango always greeted her with an embrace and a buss on the cheek. Other friends as well were quick to squeeze her hand. But she was on the road so much of the time that she was like someone thirsty, receiving only sips of water when she needed so much more to drink.

"You asked why I came down here," Sesshoumaru said, drawing her attention back to him. "I had hoped that perhaps you would do me one more favor. One of my greatest flaws is that I am somewhat fastidious. I'm afraid these last two days has left me feeling rather gritty, and a sponge bath is less than satisfactory."

Of course, that was why he had followed her. She should have anticipated that a youkai like Sesshoumaru wouldn't be satisfied overlong with her orders about his bathing in her time. "I should have realized that and offered to bring you down here, instead of indulging myself. I just didn't think."

"It's no crime, Kagome, failing to anticipate someone else's every need. I'm actually very glad you can't read my mind." He was mocking her, and himself. Yet she had sensed his thoughts a moment ago, and she'd been flustered and delighted and frightened by what she'd found there.

Even more surprising was the demon's other comment: "It's no crime, Kagome."

Was he merely teasing? Or had he actually known the truth? This Taiyoukai of ice, of logic and reason, who claimed to care for no one— was he the first person ever to unearth her most secret vulnerability, the thing that troubled her more than any other failing? That crushing sense of responsibility that had been a part of her for as long as the blue-grey of her eyes and the dimple in her cheek?

"Kagome?"

The low rumble of her name upon his lips startled her. And she looked up at him, heat stealing into her face.

"If you've got your balance, I'll let you return to your own bath. There is plenty of time later for me to make myself less objectionable."

He intended to leave. It was alarming to realize how fiercely she wanted him to stay.

"Sesshoumaru, please. I wouldn't want you making such a long walk again on your injured leg. Besides, we need to remove those stitches and I'm finished with everything except getting myself dried and dressed."

He arched one eyebrow. "You're certain?"

She smiled as best she could, pushing her embarrassment down. "Of course!"

His eyes were warmer than usual when he said softly, "Kagome, you're not to be trusted. You would say you were finished if you'd barely dipped your toes in the water if you thought someone else needed you."

She should have felt exposed— had it been possible to feel more exposed than she actually was, garbed in her bathing suit. Instead she was glad. Someone that might finally understand her.

"You have your choice, sir." She clambered out of the warm water, then crossed to where she'd lain the towels and her clothes. "Either I can help you with your bath, removing your stitches at the same time, or I can leave you to the tender ministrations of the rocks and water."

He watched her movements closely. "I much prefer you to the scenery," Sesshoumaru said as she grabbed a towel to wrap around her like a sarong, another she twisted around her hair like a turban. With her hair drawn away from her neck he saw what he had never noticed before. There was a line of claw marks, thin white scars, that marred her skin on a slight arc near her neck and shoulder. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, wondering who had given her such a deadly caress. Since it was too rude to outright ask, plus he didn't want her to think he cared, he decided to ignore it. "But your clothes, there is no reason to put them on and get them soaked on my account. I'll keep my eyes averted if you wish."

Ah, that was the problem. Wanton as it might be, some part of her wished to remain just as she was. The breeze teasing her bare legs beneath the hem of the worn towel, and this male's warm gaze upon her.

With Inu Yasha, she had never felt completely desired, as though when he looked at her he was seeing Kikyou and not Kagome. But with Sesshoumaru, there was no one else to compare her with. It made the purely feminine half of the girl feel beautiful to have a guy train his eyes upon her with unguarded want, her ego given a boost at the knowledge that she could affect someone like that.

"I think it would be— be best if I. . ." she gestured with one hand to the jeans, underwear, and sweatshirt on the grass.

"Ah, so you are capable of noble behavior, but I am not," he countered, inwardly pleased at how he was effecting the miko. This was working out better than he had hoped...

Her brow furrowed. "What on earth do you mean by that?"

"When I was injured you stripped off my clothing, bathed me, tended me, and I'm certain you observed all the proprieties you were able to." His voice floated smoothly through the air between them.

"Of course I did!" Came her outraged reply. It wasn't exactly the truth, and she was certain he realized if from the guilty fluttering of her gaze away from him.

The dog demon put on a look of inquiry. "Don't you believe me capable of the same courtesy? I am, after all, a youkai lord and royalty."

That irresistible light winked in his eyes again. "You wouldn't want me to feel responsible for soiling your clothing, would you? I would have to get down on my knees, beat it against the rocks to get them clean."

"You've never scrubbed anything in you life, I bet," she scoffed at him, turning to face him fully.

"No. Just think of the damage I might do to your shirt and pants, and the guilt I might suffer."

Why did it seem so strange? The smile, so beautiful, the effort she could sense in him, as he tried to infuse it with warmth. It made her heart ache for the pup she sensed beyond the brilliant amber of his eyes— a child who had never really had a chance to be.

'What had happened to him,' she wondered, 'to banish the little youkai in him so completely?'

She fingered the rough cloth of the towel for one last moment, then released it, deciding to just wear that to help him with his bath.

Was that triumph she glimpsed curling one corner of his mouth? She couldn't be certain.

He turned away, and all she could see was the back of his blue haori under the silver sweep of his long hair, the sharp protrusion of the bone armor he wore peaking out of a few strands and his soft tail beginning to undrape itself around his shoulder. The long appendage rested on the cool ground, curling around his shoe-clad feet.

She remembered the lacerations cris-crossing his once perfect skin. Why was it she was suddenly so certain that whatever scars lay hidden beneath Sesshoumaru's cool facade would not be so easily healed?

Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she crossed to where he stood. The demon wanted a bath. She should give him one, not waste time trying to pry beneath the mask he kept so carefully in place.

'At least, not until he's better able to defend himself,' a voice inside her whispered.

And yet she knew well enough that there were only brief times when the gate to the heart might be open, in wounded beasts and wounded people. And unless one stole inside at the exact right moment, that entrance could slam closed forever. Lost with it, the chance to heal.

But wouldn't a youkai as closed, as fiercely private as this one loathe anyone who saw pain instead of strength? Emotion instead of intellect? Vulnerability instead of invincible control?

Why should it matter so much how he felt about her? She would have him with her for only a little while. He was no Buyo to lounge about, tamed to her hand. He was wilder than her falcon, warier than the wolf she'd cared for, no creature to be kept near her side, content with her fingers stroking the rare silver of his hair.

Although, there was something inside him that called to her, something beyond her need to comfort, to heal. A facet of Kagome Higurashi she'd thought she'd left behind forever after hearing Inu Yasha's choice, sensations packed carefully with her hopes and dreams concerning the hanyou and herself.

That unique delight, that anticipation, that every schoolgirl cherished in her most romantic ponderings— emotions that could be ignited in the space of a heartbeat by a man's smile.

Absurd, these feelings. She was a grown woman with no illusions about the reality of her situation. Things like proms and boyfriends were lost to her. And even before she left her time to travel in this one, a male like Sesshoumaru would have been far beyond her touch. Ambitious, possessed of qualities of leadership that shone brighter than the silver of his hair, Sesshoumaru was a gifted Taiyoukai. He would need a wife or companion appropriate for gracing his powerful household. Kagome would be hopeless.

Even though these thoughts were totally random, something she would never have figured herself to entertain, she let herself indulge in them a little longer. It couldn't hurt to daydream.

Even if she weren't human— enough of a strike against her— she would have far preferred mothering homesick youkai fostered at his castle to courting the favor of pompous generals. She hated formalities that permeated the royal court of feudal Japan, and she wasn't sure if youkai followed the same set of rules for their own, but she highly doubted it would differ enough for her to accept it easily. And since she saw war in such an unfavorable light, she knew it would hardly be a view designed to aid in the advancement of her husband's youkai relations.

Kami, what was wrong with her? The demon had been cut down, and she'd tended his wounds. He wanted to be quit of her as quickly as possible. Once he returned to his real life, he wouldn't think twice about her except with a vague kind of puzzlement and perhaps a bit of gratitude. In years to come. . .

But how much time might he have? Weeks instead of years? Days? Hours? Worst of all, she'd seen the shadow of desolation in his eyes— enough to know that a part of Sesshoumaru might welcome death.

The thought haunted her, hurt her, filled her with tenderness and sorrow. When she turned back to him she struggled to hide her discomfiture in a flurry of activity.

It would not do for the dog demon to even guess at how farfetched her thoughts had gotten.

'Must be the stress,' she tried to convince herself. 'Anyone would suffer odd delusions after all that had happened in the last month.'

Her tone was businesslike when she told him, "Just take off your haori and armor and we'll make quick work of cleaning your upper half before moving on to your legs. We'll get this done before you grow tired."

Sesshoumaru stretched his acting ability enough to put a slight pleading looking in his eyes. "Can you help me? I regret the imposition, but the fastenings are difficult, since the wound in my shoulder objects being twisted in any way and I only have the one arm."

Such a reasonable request. And she sensed just how much it had cost him. Lord Sesshoumaru was not a youkai who would ask for help lightly— confess he needed anyone else for anything, even a task so insignificant as removing his armor and untying his haori.

Kagome should have felt warmed by even such a small offering of trust on his part. She shouldn't feel the flutter of butterflies' wings in her stomach. After all, she'd performed the task before.

Why, then, this sudden hesitation? This awareness of the pale gold expanse of his muscle beneath the thin layer of silk, the tingling of her fingers at the memory of how warm, how smoothly muscled his chest had been.

His voice startled her out of her thoughts. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I can manage it." Long strong fingers fumbled with the clasp at his side where one of the buckles to his armor was.

Regarding him for a moment, she asked confused, "Wait. How did you manage to get dressed at my house then?"

He glanced at her beneath his lashes as he finally managed to get the clasp undone. "I asked your brother to assist me."

Ah, that made perfect sense.

Trying to reach the other clasp by his shoulder, he winced, and Kagome could see how hard he tried to conceal it.

The evidence of his pain was like a sharp smack to her senses. Disgusted with herself, she went to stand inches away from him. She grasped his hand in her own. "Don't. I was just being foolish. I know it sounds silly, but you shrank when you were in my bed."

He looked at her, clearly not understanding what she meant. "I what?"

She blushed a little, knowing how odd she sounded. "You seemed smaller, somehow. More. . . . manageable."

For an instant something flickered in his eyes, a wariness, dismay, but it was gone so quickly she thought she must have imagined it.

He smiled again. "A word of advice, girl. You should think twice before using such adjectives in a male's presence. It could do irreparable damage to his pride to be described in such terms upon leaving a woman's bed."

Her cheeks stung, but she managed a smile of her own as she began working on the last buckle, removing it completely to set the armor at their feet. Next, she worked on the ties of his haori, quickly divesting him of that as well. Finally, all that was left was the white linen that he wore beneath everything, one tie at the middle all that was binding it to him. She reached for the soft linen strings, undoing the knot and pushing the soft material off his shoulders. Her pulse jumped as the tips of her fingers brushed the corded strength of his clavicle.

Her voice was a little unsteady when she tried to say in a joking manner, "You needn't worry. You are back in fine form now. Dashing enough to make any woman's heart skip a beat."

A moment of silence throbbed between them, and she could feel his gaze burning into the crown of her head.

"Present company included?" Low, so soft, were his words. She could feel them more then hear them, a sensual vibration of them deep in his throat.

"The state of my heart is immaterial," she said briskly, copying his usual tone. "You are the patient. My only concern should be tending to your wounds and getting you back to your castle." She rushed with taking off the rest of the undershirt, folding that and placing it in the neat pile of clothing at their feet.

"I suppose it should be," he mused, keeping his eyes trained on her. He was reveling in how uncomfortable he was making the miko. "But I find myself curious."

Why he would she couldn't imagine. Every brush of her knuckles against his bare skin sent her heart into a battle drum. She just could not understand how she could be feeling like this when she had just had her emotions ran through the ringer with Inu Yasha.

The words slipped out before she could stop them. "Sesshoumaru, did you stand too close to one too many yelling demons during combat?"

His brow furrowed in confusion. "What a strange question. Why do you ask?"

She looked at him with laughing eyes. Laughter directed at herself and the lack of control she seemed to have on her tongue today. "Because you must've suffered hearing loss if you cannot hear every beat of my heart."

She surprised a laugh from him, a sound full of astonishment and delight.

It braced her, calmed her at least a little, giving her the confidence to go on with what she was saying while helping him to sit down on an outcropping rock next to the hot spring.

"I assure you, you don't have to worry that you've lost your effect on women. Now, since we needn't pursue that subject any further, perhaps we can concentrate on giving you your bath?" She moved back into the water, her cold skin becoming warm as the heated liquid rippled about her thighs.

Turning, her throat went dry again at seeing the tawny gold of his skin, the rippling play of muscles there. Standing next to the rock he was perched on, she reached for his long hair, gathering it in one hand while leaning over to grab up the hairtie she had taken off when she washed her hair. Taking up the elastic green tie, she looped his silver locks through it a couple of times, until it was a messy half ponytail on the top of his head.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing outright, knowing that despite the Taiyoukai's seeming relaxed mood he would hardly enjoy being made fun of. It just looked so funny, seeing someone like Sesshoumaru sitting on a rock in nothing but his baggy pants, shoes, and sash that still had the two swords contained by it, his hair in disarray, a few tips sticking up at the back of his head like little horns.

Man, she wished she had her Polaroid camera now...

Turning her attention to the long slash across his shoulder-blade, she frowned a little while prodding the sides with gentle fingers.

"It looks like this one is going to take one more day before we remove the stitches. The rubbing of your armor against it has slowed down its healing process a bit."

He nodded his head, the same small horns bobbing with the movement, making him resemble a peacock. His profile was to her when he said, "Very well. Those can stay for the moment then."

Scooting around to face her directly, he took off his black shoes, throwing them next to the clothes that were already in a pile. Next, he removed the swords, propping them against the back of the rock he lounged on, in easy reach should he need them. In all honesty, he probably wouldn't. They were currently on the Western Lands, having passed into them sometime during the afternoon. The local odors let him know that any demons that frequented his forests were giving them a wide berth, easily recognizing the feel and smell of the Taiyoukai.

Working at the knot that held his pants on, he finally got it undone, standing to discard that last piece of clothing, seeing from the corner of his eye the way Kagome looked off the to side, color high on her cheeks.

He seriously doubted it had anything to do with the temperature of the water.

The soft folds of silk pooled around his feet, the youkai stepping out of the material completely, standing there in nothing but his loincloth.

It wasn't like she hadn't seen him like this before. The big difference was she hadn't been as underdressed and sharing a bath with said dog demon. It was most disconcerting.

Picking up the blue and silver garb, he put the sash and pants over with the rest of his garments, coming back to step gracefully into the water. It barely reached up past his knees.

Stepping gingerly on the uneven ground, Sesshoumaru made his way towards the side that Kagome had retreated to, noticing that as he had joined her in the hot spring she had sunk down to sit down, the warm water brushing to just below her shoulders. She still had the towels on, the one about her dainty form now soaked through. The one on her head was still relatively dry though.

Casting her a sly look, he came to stop right in front of her, asking with a quirked eyebrow, "Do the stitches on my leg look like they are ready to be removed?"

Her blue-grey eyes fastened on the wound, a slight frown of concentration marring her face as she leaned forward to prod the edges with a light touch. Smiling up at him, she removed her hands, saying happily, "Yep. Looks like we can remove those and you can at least sit in the water."

Nodding, he asked her to hold the skin next to the stitched flesh taut, using one of his claws to deftly slice through the thin thread. When that was finished, he plucked the frayed edges out of his skin, happy that the wound had closed completely, any burn marks from the acid gone to leave nothing but a pale thin scar. He knew that with his regenerative powers restoring themselves it would be but a few weeks until even that was nothing but a memory.

Like his time with the blushing girl in front of him, a passing thought that exited his mind as quickly as it entered it.

Kagome watched his tail floating on top of the water behind him, marveling at its buoyancy. It looked like a furry white snake writhing on the surface, some of it submerged while others were moving about lazily.

Sesshoumaru moved to sit down beside her, making sure to do it carefully so he didn't slip like the miko had earlier, his tail becoming completely submerged as he did. Positioning himself to where his injured leg was lain flat, he rested lightly back on the rough warm stones, a deep sigh leaving his body as it relaxed, the soreness of his muscles slowly ebbing away.

His little plan was progressing along quite nicely. He couldn't have asked for a better response from her, his acute senses having easily picked up the subtle difference in her scent as he seductively teased her.

Pretty soon, he would move in for the kill, and then, no longer would Mistress Sunshine keep trying to get close to him.

The thought did not fill him with the degree of satisfaction he expected.

Kagome watched the Taiyoukai settle into the water, some of the high color leaving her cheeks as she busied herself with retrieving the soap. Unfortunately, it looked like he was going to be smelling a little flowery after his bath, but at least he would be clean.

Grasping the mushy pink bar in one hand, she held onto it tightly, not wishing to accidentally drop it. If it did go under, she was not going fishing to get it. The dog demon could just stand searching for it on his own.

Turning to the side, she looked at his relaxed features, saying as calmly as possible, "Do you think you can manage everything but your back?"

Nodding, he took the soap from her, the tiny spikes sticking out of his hair again bobbing along.

Kagome had to pat herself mentally on the back for the job she had done on his hair. It offered comic relief to an otherwise tense situation.

While Sesshoumaru was busy cleaning off his body, she kept busy with rubbing her sore feet from underneath the water, the aching muscles still giving a twinge even after soaking for so long. At this rate, she was going to be in the water so long she was going to look like a prune.

Sesshoumaru ran the scented soap over his body, disregarding the fact that he was now going to smell like a bouquet. He had no doubt that Rin would be exceedingly happy at this.

Washing his tail, he caught a glimpse of Kagome massaging her feet underneath the hazy water, her tiny toes flexing, stretching the arches.

'From the slight grimace on her full lips they must still be paining her,' he deduced, lathering up a leg before dunking it till it was suds free. After repeating the action with his injured leg, he caught her attention by tapping one clawed finger on her bare shoulder.

She started, eyes widening in surprise as she turned towards him.

The girl must have been lost in her thoughts...

Giving her a small smirk, he handed the soap back to her, rubbing his fingers together in the water to get the semi-slimy residue off his skin.

"Could you please wash my back now?"

Nodding, she turned till she was facing sideways, waiting for him to put his back to her so she could start.

By now, dusk had given way to almost night, a deep purple sky with the first twinkling of stars just beginning to dot the blanket of darkness. The wind that would gently blow over them was getting increasingly cooler too, making Kagome shiver and move closer to Sesshoumaru.

Dog demons definitely gave off a lot of body heat, which was a good thing in her opinion. If she had to work on his back then the least he could do is act as heater until she was done. Sounded like a fair trade to her.

Facing away from her, he let a little evil smirk tilt his lips, picking up the sound of her moving closer to him till she was almost brushing up against him. Playing on the fact that the weather was making her desire to be near him, he moved his tail under the water till it laced around her waist, causing a soft gasp to escape her throat.

'Perfect,' he thought with an inward smile.

Kagome nearly fell over into the water when she felt the wet silkiness of his tail wrap around her, the tip gently brushing against her knees. The blush came back full force and her heartbeat began racing again. He had done this before, but then he had been unconscious, and she had assumed it was just something he did without knowing it, like a reflex in case Rin was with him and he caught her shivering in her sleep. Sort of a comforting gesture.

However, she felt far from comforted now.

Gulping, she decided to not even bring attention to it, just wanting to get this done with as soon as possible so she could eat, and go to bed. Traveling with the Taiyoukai was proving almost more nerve-wracking than being with Inu Yasha and the gang. At least with them she knew what to expect. But with Sesshoumaru... she was finding all of those earlier observations she had made, the ones where she thought she knew him, were becoming false.

She really did not know him at all.

Wordlessly, she worked up a thick film of pink suds on her palms, setting the bar of soap on a nearby rock before applying her hands to his back.

At the first initial contact it felt like she had seared her hands, the warmth of his skin transmitting a bit of a jolt to her system.

Silently berating herself for being foolish, she began to go over quadratic equations in her mind, distracting herself from how her body wanted to react to the dog demon's.

She didn't see the way Sesshoumaru was stealing glances at her from over his shoulder, frowning when he saw how preoccupied she was.

That wasn't going according to plan. The miko was supposed to be flustered right now, not looking like she was lost in some deep thought.

Slowly, he began to move the tip of his tail back and forth across the bend of her knees, making sure to keep it at a subtle caress that would seem absentminded from him. Another smirk of satisfaction marred his handsome features when he cast another surreptitious look over his shoulder, seeing that her eyes were now focused on his back as though it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

That was better.

When Kagome felt the brush of his tail against her skin, it brought her out of her thoughts, making her feel even more uneasy. Putting her full concentration on his bare skin, she quickly finished her task, before cupping warm water in her hands to rinse his back. She didn't want his shoulder getting any wetter than necessary.

"Do you want your hair done as well?" she asked a little breathlessly. She cursed herself in her mind, thoroughly disgusted with how she couldn't control her body's reaction. Damn, but this was ridiculous. Maybe it was because of all the overwrought emotions she'd expressed lately. Or perhaps it was just because she was still tired from walking for two days.

'Yeah, right.' She mocked herself. 'Just confess, you're lonely, and even Sesshoumaru is looking good now because you would like to feel close to someone.'

Not that she wanted to sleep with the dog demon. That kind of closeness she only wanted to share with someone she loved. No, the ache in her heart was more due to the fact that she felt so alone, especially after losing Inu Yasha. Nothing seemed to offer her any solace since then, except for spending time in the Taiyoukai's company. Surprisingly, it was his stoicism that helped her along, his steadfast determination to see a goal through once he had set his mind to it.

What she didn't know was it was that same thing she admired in Sesshoumaru that was part of the driving force behind his behavior right then.

"Yes, if you would," came his cultured tones, dragging her from her depressed musings.

Giving him a wan smile, she gently took his hair down, a little sad that her one form of entertainment had been taken away. The long cape of his silver mane cascaded down, the tips already well under the water.

She bit her thumbnail for a moment, regarding this new dilemma with a frown. This was going to be weird. How was she going to get his hair wet without dunking him under and getting his shoulder soaked? It wasn't like the shower.

His tail tightened for a second, the pressure causing the material of the towel to dig against her stomach.

Suddenly, the perfect solution hit her. Snapping her fingers, she grinned, the sharp sound causing Sesshoumaru to look over his shoulder at her, one silvery eyebrow raised.

Laughing a little, she told him, "Sorry. I was just figuring out how to wash your hair without getting you all wet." She reached up, undoing the little knot she'd made with the towel ends, undoing them and unwinding it from her body.

She tugged it out from beneath the demon's tail, the appendage not moving a centimeter to help her remove the covering. She instructed him to face forward and lean his head back a little.

A little confused, he did as she asked, closing his eyes in case whatever she was planning got water in his face. A few seconds later he felt the sodden cloth wrapped around the swath of his hair, warm waters dampening his scalp.

When she noticed that his eyes were closed, she felt brave enough to stand up in the water, self-conscious in her bathing suit, shivering as the frigid air hit her body. Gritting her teeth to keep them from chattering, she wrung the towel out while keeping his hair in it, wetting the locks completely, making sure to even take the long fringe of his bangs and run her wet fingers through them. She forced herself to keep from tracing the crescent moon on his forehead, the mark always drawing her attention to it every time she looked his way.

Hey, who could blame her? How many people did you see with a dark moon-shape on their forehead and they still managed to make it look natural?

Unwrapping the towel to reveal his wet hair, she set the towel next to the bar of soap, moving away to go get her bottle of shampoo and conditioner from the other side of the spring, where she had been previously.

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes closed, listening to her move about in the water, sending tiny ripples to lap against his sides.

Moments later, Kagome was back with a bottle of Pantene in each hand. Putting them next to the rest of the bathing utensils, she quickly set to work with the shampoo, long practiced movements making her get the job done with speed.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was trying to devise a way to follow his plan to the end, the last bit of his idea almost at the right moment to be executed. He could tell that the prolonged contact with him was taking its toll on her equilibrium, and if he was honest to himself, it was on him as well.

Remaining in a bath with a beautiful woman, especially since he had lacked female company for so long, was not doing good things to his self control. The more contact of her fingers against his skin was slowly chipping away at the wall he'd erected over his own desire, his cold analytical mind getting a little fuzzy around the edges from sensations he had not felt in a long long time.

Damn, he would have to end this quickly, or she would have somehow managed to turn this to her advantage, and she didn't even know what she was doing to him!

As the last few suds of conditioner left his hair, he let her put the wet rope of hair over his shoulder before straightening back into a sitting position. Breathing in deeply in order to calm himself, he saw that she was once more slunk down into the water, her lips a little blue around the edges from being in the cold air for so long.

He felt a little bad for that, but not enough to stop his plan of action. Now. Now would be the perfect time. She wouldn't be expecting it at all...

Wrapping his tail back around her, he ignored the 'Eep!' she made as he pulled her around to till she was facing him. Without the barrier of the towel, she was even more acutely aware of the soft fur brushing her bare skin, the tip of his tail now resting on her lower back where it was exposed, its light tapping distracting her from the fact that she was being maneuvered to how he wanted her.

Looking behind her, she tried to see where he was touching her, trying to think of something to say in order for him to release her.

A gasp left her breath when she felt her chest come into contact with his, her head swiveling forward, blue-grey eyes wide and mouth parted slightly in shock.

"Sess– Sesshoumaru. . . ." she stuttered, uncertainty thick in her voice, a little flash of fright lighting her eyes.

Bringing up his hand, he gently ran the claws against her skin, from her temple down to her chin. Cupping it softly, he slowly leaned down, watching her eyes widen further, a look of almost panic shadowing her pretty features.

Stopping but an inch from making contact with her lips, he spoke softly, reassurance lacing his tone, his tail making a soothing sweep along her back.

Kagome's heart was hammering in her chest at an alarming rate, fright mixed with a confusing emotion that felt like anticipation streaking through her system. She couldn't understand why he would suddenly want to bring her so close, her hands now pushing lightly against his chest, being careful not to hurt his shoulder.

'It was probably just that all the heat had went to his head, making him not his normal self,' she thought frantically, trying to rationalize what was going on.

But the amber eyes that looked with fire into her own were crystal clear, stark intelligence and sanity shining in their haunting depths, totally shattering her poor excuse.

When it looked like he was going to close that slip of space resting between them, panic seizing her body, Sesshoumaru suddenly stopped. She watched in bewilderment as his eyes narrowed, the youkai leaning back, inhaling deeply as he turned his head slightly up and to the side.

She had seen that same stance many times with Inu Yasha. It meant that he had caught the scent of something familiar and he was trying to figure out where it came from.

Kagome nearly fell back into the water when he stepped back from her as though she had scalded him, her feet barely finding purchase as the Taiyoukai started walking towards the spring rim, not even bothering to look back at her.

Indignation coursed through the miko, a part of her insulted that one moment he could look like he was going to kiss her and the next, he was walking off like nothing had happened.

What the hell was that all about?

Gritting her teeth in frustration, she followed him out of the pool of warm water, making sure to grab everything up before exiting. By the time she was standing on the freezing bank she was ready to go demand what was with is odd behavior.

Circling around till she faced him, she tapped one foot in impatience, her arms crossed over her chest, watching as he looked towards the sky and breathed in again.

Feeling like she would love nothing better than to strangle him with his own silver hair, she asked, a bite in her voice, "What are you doing?"

The golden flash of his eyes sparked in the night, turning down to regard her with its usual detached air. Anger mixed with ice in his voice when he said simply, "Rin."

Surprise made her stop tapping her foot, her arms uncrossing. "Rin? Here?" She looked about, as though expecting to see the young girl standing right behind her.

Focusing on her completely, he spoke in concise tones. "Girl, I need you to help me dress quickly. I will not have my ward catching me in such a state of undress."

Nodding in understanding, she hurried to help him get his clothing on, the cold night air and his higher body heat already drying his skin. Buckling the last clasp of his armor, she got the last dry towel she had, rubbing it over his tail and hair, till both were only slightly damp. With a few quick swipes with his clawed hand, Sesshoumaru restored some order to his hair, the thick mass trailing down his back in its usual graceful stream.

"I will be at the camp, awaiting my charge's arrival," and with that, he began walking sedately back the way he had come.

Kagome sighed in relief, still confused as to what exactly had transpired in the hot spring. First, he had caught her bathing, explaining that he only wanted her to help him bathe. Then, he had teased her, almost seeming to flirt with her. If that wasn't odd enough on its own, she then had to deal with him acting like he was going to kiss her!

Shaking her head, she quickly shed her sodden garments, shivering in the cold night, slipping on her clothes in record time. Padding on bare feet over the freezing ground, she made her way back over to Sesshoumaru, coming to stand next to him just as she heard an exuberant, "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Seconds later, a large two-headed dragon dropped down from the sky, the young girl on his back smiling at them.

Sesshoumaru inwardly growled in frustration. Damn, but these human females were going to drive him to insanity in record time. Now with Rin here, he was sure that none of his plans would go according to how they should.

'Yeah, right. Like they were before?' his inner voice mocked him.


	17. Contemplation

Kagome snuggled the warm little body closer to herself from under the sleeping bag, gazing into the flames that danced within the small fire pit just a few feet in front of her. The orange and yellow glow set her features in soft shadows, giving the miko a soft attractive quality to her pretty features.

Her hair was still a little damp, the cold wind from the outdoors making it feel like ice where it lay in disarray across her black jacket. Since the arrival of Rin she hadn't had the time, or resources, to get it any dryer than it currently was, and as a result she was worried she might catch a slight cold.

'Perfect. Just what I don't need,' she thought as a sniffle tickled her nose. Being sick and traveling along in the chill Fall weather did not sound like a good idea to her.

Her blue-grey eyes glanced over to where Sesshoumaru lounged against the tree he was sitting at earlier, his body too far out of the firelight's reach to shine upon it. Instead, the youkai was consumed by shadows, his amber eyes and silver hair the only things visible every once in a while. The great two-headed dragon was set up behind Kagome and Rin, sheltering the two females from the random gusts of wind that traveled through their camp, his long necks wrapped slightly around the top of where the girls lay.

She pulled the blanket up over her nose, trying to block out the less than pleasant odor of the scaled demon.

It smelled like it hadn't had a good bath in years. She wondered how Sesshoumaru could stand it, especially with his superior sense of smell.

Kagome silently vowed to give the dragon a good scrubbing before she left Sesshoumaru's castle. She didn't want Rin to have to smell like Ah and Un just because the demon didn't practice good hygiene. As it was, the little girl sort of reeked already, making Kagome let her nose back out into the open air again.

Baths for both of them then.

Sighing deeply, she thought back over what had happened as soon as Rin had arrived.

Sesshoumaru had looked coldly at the young girl who had scampered off her mount and to the Taiyoukai, promptly hugging his uninjured leg. Between her happy exclamations at having found them, and her ceaseless chatter about how worried she was, the dog demon had interjected to ask coldly, "Did I not instruct you to remain at the castle?"

Rin stepped away, looking abashed and subdued as she turned to stare at the ground, her small hands twisting in her rumpled kimono.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." She glanced a look of pleading at her guardian. "But I was worried when you didn't come back when you said you were going to!"

The same stoic mask remained on the demon's face, his eyes cold. "You doubt my abilities to take care of myself?"

Rin's chocolate eyes grew round, her voice turning earnest. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, it wasn't that!" She looked around helplessly for a moment, her movements in the soft cloth becoming more punishing to her kimono. Ah Un came up behind her, one of his great heads coming to nudge at the side of her face. The dragon youkai distracted her enough to where she wasn't so nervous in the face Sesshoumaru's disappointment. "I just wanted to make sure you were fine."

Kagome watched the interplay between ward and guardian, taking in how Rin was gazing at the Taiyoukai with trust, her small body relaxed in his presence. Adversely, the dog demon's shoulders were tense, his back straight and an arrogant tilt to his regal head.

Sensing that the small girl might need some assistance in dealing with him, she stepped forward, grinning down at Rin.

"Hello, Rin-chan. Nice to see you again."

She was rewarded with a giggle and a tight hug around her middle, the weight of the small body slamming into hers making the miko stagger a moment before catching her balance. Patting the raven-colored head, a sharp pang of sadness spiked through her, the actions reminding her acutely of a smaller auburn head she used to stroke as she was doing now.

Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru was watching them, a quick sweep of her eyes taking in the slight frown gracing his marked brow. Turning her attention fully to Rin, she pulled back, placing her hands on the small shoulders.

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat, Rin-chan?"

Rin smiled, giving an energetic, "Yes, Kagome-niichan." before following the miko over to her large pack.

Sesshoumaru stared after them, wondering when exactly he had lost control of the conversation. One moment he was in the process of berating his ward for scampering off in the middle of the night unprotected, and the next the young woman was stepping in and taking Rin off to cook.

He looked over to his dragon, his hard amber eyes and quirked silver eyebrow questioning the beast as to why it would disobey his orders to follow that of a child's.

The dragon youkai had the grace to avoid the Taiyoukai's gaze, instead ambling after the girls as Kagome packed away her bathing implements and began withdrawing strange objects from her world, along with plastic packages of food.

Scowling in annoyance at having been brushed aside by everyone present, Sesshoumaru limped slowly to where the miko was instructing Rin on how to build a proper campfire, telling the young girl what type of wood to gather.

Settling down in his previous spot, the demon lord watched as soon a cheery blaze started, illuminating the small area enough for the two humans to see easily in the dark. He didn't think it would do any harm for there to be a fire tonight, not since they were in his lands after all. Ah Un moved till he was positioned behind where the girls sat, laying down and watching the goings on with interest.

The dog demon leaned back further into the tree, the cold brush of the icy wind not bothering him at all. He ignored the hum of the two females chatter, tuning it out to instead take in the sight of the pair of humans that looked very alike now that he saw them close together.

It almost looked like Kagome had a miniature version of herself seated cross-legged next to her on that slippery maroon bag of hers. Oh, there were striking differences that showed they were not related, but there were still enough similarities that if someone didn't look them over closely, they could almost believe that Rin was the girl's daughter.

The thought unsettled him for some reason, making him frown and shift against the rough trunk, his armor rubbing his stitches, pulling at them.

Damn, but he couldn't wait until he could get those things removed. They were more trouble than they were worth.

Like certain females he could name. . . .

Kagome and Rin had their dinner done in no time, two steaming bowls of what the miko called 'Ramen' cradled in their hands. Again, the girl offered him some of her food, but he declined.

He didn't want to accept anything else from the human than he already had. The Taiyoukai felt enough in her debt as it was.

But he did notice that Ah Un had no such inhibitions, and watched with perplextion as the two-headed dragon gently ate from Kagome's proffered fork with some yellow noodles hanging from it. From the beasts' reaction, Sesshoumaru could see that he liked it.

After their dinner, Kagome tucked his ward into her sleeping bag, asking the child if she was warm enough before leaving to wash their eating cutlery, then coming back to put them away. The miko then proceeded to clear up the rest of the mess their dinner preparations had made, quickly restoring the small camp back into order.

Shortly afterwards, the young woman slid in under the blanket next to Rin, the small girl already asleep within its heated folds.

From the way Kagome shivered as a gust of wind flitted through, the dog demon surmised that her hair must still be wet. A fact that seemed to annoy him more than it should have.

Did the human have no regard for her own health? Or at least take into consideration how inconvenient it would be for him if she fell ill?

The thoughtlessness of humans truly did amaze him. . . .

Meanwhile, Kagome was settling in for the night, trying to gather as much warmth from the small fire as possible while unashamedly stealing what body heat she could from Rin.

It felt like it was going to turn to winter early this year.

Her thoughts turned back again to the hot spring, pushing their way to the forefront no matter how many times she had tried to suppress them this evening.

She just could not understand what Sesshoumaru could have been up to. Kagome knew that he had been acting out of character for the better part of the night, at least until Rin had shown up. At the time, she had put it down to weariness on his part, figuring that the dog demon must have been tired enough from traveling with is injuries to disregard the effort of putting his usual emotional shield in place.

If that was indeed true, then tonight Kagome met a male that could easily charm anyone. No matter if his intentions were evil or pure, she had no doubt that the Sesshoumaru she had witnessed tonight could easily find a number of willing victims to line themselves up for slaughter, his evil laughter probably sounding like music to their ears.

Shaking her head at the morbid vision, she stared at his still form in the shadows, wondering if she should approach him about what had happened, or not.

Chewing on her lower lip, the miko frowned, her eyes mirroring her unease. Perhaps what she should really focus on was her odd reaction to his sudden behavioral change. Even though she was finding out how little she knew the Taiyoukai, it was even more disturbing to know how tiny the fraction was the she knew herself.

Her response to his sudden closeness had not been what she would have expected of herself. Apparently, her body operated on its own, no matter what signals her brain was sending to it. While her mind had been almost in a panic at his actions, her body had felt a thrill of emotion at the feel of his hand, the caress of his silken tail.

Kagome had thought anything of that nature would have been reserved to Inu Yasha, and since he was no longer available that those feelings would then die out. However, tonight showed her something completely different.

She supposed part of it could be put down to loneliness. The miko had been entertaining feelings of that nature all day long, random flashes of Shippo's and Sango's faces skittering across her mind, making her yearn to be back with her friends.

Or maybe it was the way Sesshoumaru had looked at her when he showed up while she was bathing, his amber eyes liquid warmth in the setting sunlight.

Whatever the reason, she vowed not to let it happen again. No more helping mercurial dog demons bathe, and definitely no more letting her body run away with her. She wanted control over her life, not the constant iffiness it had been through the last three years. Kagome thought she deserved a small amount of stability to help calm her down. Hadn't she been through enough yet?

Kagome was beginning to feel a bit of regret at having swindled that promise out of Sesshoumaru, a part of her wondering if his sudden change in attitude was meant to disconcert her. His type of revenge for her making him drag her along, even when it was clear that the Taiyoukai didn't want to.

A spark of anger rose at this thought, her eyes now glaring at his oblivious form.

If he had initiated something like that, just to get her back for making him promise something that was for his own good to begin with. . . . .

The miko's fingers flexed convulsively in the fluffy blanket, her miko power rising a bit within her blood.

Calming herself down, she filled her mind with peaceful thoughts, making sure to put the wave of purifying power back under control. She didn't want to zap Ah Un by accident just because his owner was making her entertain thoughts of what the Taiyoukai would look like if she charged her hand and applied it to his white skin.

An evil smirk that oddly resembled Inu Yasha's crossed her lips. Kagome could just picture Sesshoumaru with his long silver hair puffed out in a frizz ball like one of the cartoon characters she used to watch as a child, his tail a lengthy bottle-brush behind him.

It was almost worth attempting.

But the vindictive idea soon left her, making the young woman's shoulders slump heavily against the ground she lay on.

She wasn't the type to willingly seek revenge on people. Not even if they deserved it. Naraku was different, but she still probably wouldn't go seeking out the evil hanyou if it wasn't for the rest of the group she had traveled with.

In fact, Kagome was finding it a refreshing change to not have to worry about searching for shards, with Inu Yasha bellowing at how slow she was going, and Shippo squeaking at the hanyou till he got a smack on the head for his troubles.

Not to mention it took her away from dealing with Kikyou, and that was always a plus in Kagome's mind.

She was brought from her musings by Sesshoumaru's cold voice floating through the air, her eyes focusing on him in the dark.

"Tomorrow, we will take Ah Un and fly the rest of the way to my castle."

Of course. She hadn't thought about how they could just hop on the dragon youkai's back and get to their destination in hours instead of another whole day. Which meant she would probably be leaving for Inu Yasha's Forest later that same evening.

Why wasn't that as comforting as it should have been?

"How long will it take for us to get there?"

He was silent for a moment, mulling over a time frame. "We should reach the holding at just past midday. Plenty of time for you to restock in supplies before heading out."

So he was eager to be quit of her, was he? Kagome frowned, trying to not acknowledge how hurt she was by Sesshoumaru's anticipation of sending her on her way. It wasn't like she was that bad of a person to be around, was it?

It looked like where the brothers were concerned she just struck out all the way around.

Sighing deeply, she readjusted Rin, her cold hair making her shiver again. With her head uncovered and exposed to the frigid elements it was making the rest of her body cold, even with the added heat from Ah Un behind her.

"Very well," she whispered, turning her back to him, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk any more that evening.

Her blue-grey eyes stared unseeingly at the shimmery green scales on the dragon youkai's body, their beautiful iridescence not impressing her at all.

Sniffling again, Kagome tried to concentrate on the up side of things, giving herself a pep talk on all the advantages of finally leaving the arrogant Taiyoukai's company.

No more insults. No more long silences. No more putting up with his arrogance or the way he would look at her as if she was some crazy old woman...

Then her heart clenched as she continued listing.

No more calming presence to her abused emotions. No more wise words when she needed them most. No one there to watch his back in a castle full of would-be assassins...

It was the last thought that made her stiffen. She had almost forgotten about that!

She couldn't leave Sesshoumaru and Rin at the castle on their own. Not when they could be killed at any second.

Again, she began chewing on her bottom lip, trying to figure out a way that she would have to stay on once they arrived at their destination tomorrow.

However, every scenario she came up with sounded feeble and false. His sharp mind would see right through her ploys instantly, probably earning her a scathing set-down for her troubles.

But there had to be a way!

She grimaced as her nose felt like it was starting to run, causing her to sniffle loudly. If this kept up, she might be able to claim she was too ill to leave, which might not be too far from the truth.

Which wouldn't help her plans at all! How could she look out for these two if she herself was stuck in bed sick?

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Kagome decided to let it be for tonight. She would think of something better tomorrow.

Hugging Rin closer to her body, she closed her tired eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would think of a way to stick close to Sesshoumaru, and not have the dog demon send her packing.

She would think of something. She was a resourceful miko after all.

Sesshoumaru's sensitive hearing picked up the exact moment when Kagome fell asleep, her breathing slow and even.

Regarding her slumbering form, he thought over how long it would take for them to make it to the castle tomorrow.

Given the weather and the extra weight the dragon would have to carry, they would probably make it there around midday, a few hours later than usual. At least he could get rid of the girl earlier than he had planned.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief, thankful that he was able to count down to mere hours before she was gone.

It wasn't that her company was abrasive. Not in the literal sense anyway. It was more along the lines of how she behaved towards him, the things she said, that made him want her as far away as possible.

Not to mention the fact that he was still being hunted. The last thing Sesshoumaru needed was another human he would have to look after. Rin had a habit of getting nabbed regularly enough by Naraku's henchmen, he didn't need Kagome receiving the same treatment from youkai within his own household.

The Taiyoukai convinced himself that she would be fine making the journey back to Inu Yasha on her own. After all, she did have miko powers. True, not fully developed or in control powers, but they were still there.

He frowned. Oh who was he kidding? The damn girl had a knack of finding trouble, and it was only by Kami's benevolence that she had survived this far. If she wasn't off on some fool's errand trying to help a wounded youkai, she was gallivanting throughout the countryside with nothing but a weak bow and arrows set and her faith as protection.

His idiot half-brother wasn't going to prove all that useful. Not with his new love interest taking up all of his time.

It amazed Sesshoumaru at how they could be related to one another, yet so completely different in personality.

Comparing the two was like holding up the moon to the sun. One was cold, pale, one side of their personality visible to the naked eye while the other remained forever cast in shadow. In control and distant. Always seeming to exude an icy beauty, something to be admired but never able to obtain.

Whereas his brother was like the sun, all burning energy and wayward emotions. He doubted Inu Yasha could hide anything for long, and the hanyou's temper had a way of reacting like solar flares, rising out from within him in great spurts, just to burn themselves out into a roiling lake of molten heat once more. And just as the moon changed its face a million times within the course of its existence, shining in random patterns down upon the face of the earth, the sun never changed its facade. With Inu Yasha, what you saw was what you got, but with Sesshoumaru there were a million hidden truths dotted in the shadows of his existence, and no light would ever be strong enough to penetrate their darkness.

Moving till the pressure was off his sore shoulder, he turned his attention to staring off into the blackness of the surroundings outside of the ring of light cast by the flames. He could smell Kagome's hair cleaning concoctions and flowery soap in his nostrils.

Damn, but he smelled just like her. All that was missing was the apples and that unique scent that was hers alone. Thank Kami he was allowed that small reprieve. He would have to bathe as soon as he got back to the castle. Sesshoumaru didn't think it was very Lord-like to be caught by your servants and soldiers reeking of feminine scents. Especially when he brought along a human woman that gave off those same odors.

A stray breeze came through the clearing, lifting long strands of his silver hair to let it dance about in the air. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the icy bitterness of winter beginning to linger in the air, denoting that this year it would be arriving early. Which probably meant an early snowfall as well.

Casting his amber eyes back to the sleeping trio, he absently wondered if an early snow did come, if the miko would be caught out in it, or have found her little group by then.

Not that it was really his concern, but he didn't want to be bothered with his enraged half-brother showing up on his doorstep demanding blood because the damn girl had managed to get herself frozen to death.

The girl was just inconveniencing him at every turn.

As was becoming the norm, his little plan of earlier was foiled...again. This time the culprit being another human female. Sesshoumaru finally admitted defeat, recognizing when he saw a losing battle. There was just no way that he was going to be able to use his ulterior machinations against this girl. No matter what he tried to throw at her, she seemed to dodge it gracefully, giving him a look of compassion the entire while.

The Taiyoukai comforted his bruised pride with the knowledge that after he fed the human, restocked her supplies, he could all but throw her out of his keep, thus ensuring peace in his life.

But still...the early warning of winter bothered him...

He heard her sniffle loudly again in her sleep, the sound causing a frown to take residence between his silvery eyebrows.

The dog demon watched her a tad suspiciously. It would not surprise him a bit if she suddenly came down with an illness. He wouldn't put it passed this particular human to conveniently get sick just so he was stuck with her presence even longer than he already was.

He ignored the way his heart seemed to warm at the idea, instead putting all his efforts on conjuring up disdain at the idea.

Absurd. She wouldn't be allowed to disrupt his life further. He had a castle to run and a traitor to look for. He didn't have time to take in a miko who would probably turn his well-run stronghold into a place for war orphans within a week's time.

He shuddered at the thought.

One small child was enough. Any more than that and he would end up going insane.

Squaring his shoulders against their support, he gave the sleeping girl an arrogant look of indifference.

No, she would leave tomorrow. No more delays or pretty little speeches would help her persuade him to let her remain. It was time for her to move on, back to his little brother, where she belonged.

He tapped his clawed fingers against his uninjured thigh.

Yes, he was set in his decision. Come the next day, the miko was to be gone from his sight despite any protests.

Kagome sneezed in her sleep, shivering a bit before hugging the blanket tighter to herself.

A pair of amber eyes darkened as they trained on her form.

Hell. It looked like her feeble human body was getting sick after all.

Sesshoumaru sighed into the darkness.

He had no luck. No luck at all where she was concerned.


	18. Arrival

There was something cold and damp snuffling against her cheek, causing Kagome to frown in irritation before turning onto her side, pulling the covers over her head as she went.

"Just another hour..." she mumbled in a hoarse voice before trying to fall back asleep.

She could already feel the scratchiness in her throat, the stuffed up feeling in her sinuses that was making breathing uncomfortable. Passing the back of one hand over her forehead, she was glad to feel that at least she didn't have a fever, which probably meant she hadn't an infection. Yet.

Now the snuffling was pressing in on her neck through the curtain of her hair, making her squirm and giggle. Rolling back to face the intruder on her rest, Kagome opened her eyes and peered blearily up into an enormous scaled face, its yellow eyes looking at her with interest.

Groaning, she gave a tired smile while reaching up to pat the demon's cheek, saying, "You know, it's a good thing that I am used to waking up in odd situations by now. Otherwise seeing a dragon youkai's face first thing in the morning might give me a heart attack."

Ah pulled back till she could see him and Un gazing down at her, Rin draped over one of their necks laughing at Kagome's comment.

Rubbing the heels of her palms into the sockets of her eyes, the miko tried to dispel the gritty feeling that lined her eyelids.

Yawning widely, she winced when the action caused her sore throat to pull in protest, her hand moving to cradle the spot as though she could take the pain away by sheer touch.

Ugh. It looked like that idea of telling Sesshoumaru she would have to stay with him a while longer because of bad health wasn't going to be a lie after all.

Sniffling, Kagome sat up jerkily, her muscles throbbing in pain, making her feel like a feeble old woman.

Who would have thought that spending one night in the open night air with damp hair could get you sick so fast?

Massaging her stiff shoulders, she looked around the small camp, noticing that Sesshoumaru was already standing next to the two-headed dragon with its tiny cargo. His amber eyes were devoid of emotion as they looked at her, giving nothing away as to what he was actually thinking.

Realizing that they were all waiting on her, she scrambled out of the warmth of the sleeping bag, the cold air and grey sky making her teeth chatter almost instantly.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't as non-feverish as she first thought.

Clenching her jaw to still the spastic motion of teeth hitting teeth, Kagome quickly rolled up her bag and put it away, making sure the backpack was securely closed before looking for her shoes and socks.

Finding them next to where her jacket and bra lay, she donned them with haste, getting up stiffly after retrieving her make-shift pillow from the cold ground. Blushing, she kept her eyes focused to the right of the Taiyoukai while mumbling an excuse to go off in the woods for a few minutes.

Not waiting for a reply, she hurried back to the hot spring where she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and put on her bra. After taking care of the rest of her morning ritual, she withdrew the hairtie she had used on Sesshoumaru's hair last night from her jeans pocket, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail. Feeling a little better, Kagome went back to the trio waiting for her, seeing that the dog demon was already mounted in the front with Rin at his back, her small arms wrapped about his middle.

Another gust of wind blew through the clearing, making the miko shiver again while she put on her jacket. Giving Rin and Sesshoumaru a tired smile, she grabbed up her pack before coming to stand next to Ah Un.

Biting her lower lip, she asked, "Um, do you just want me to get behind Rin?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, replying in icy tones, "Yes. If we have no more delays we should reach the castle within a few hours."

Nodding, she clambered onto the dragon's back, wiggling around once astride to try and find the spot where she would be most secure. Once settled, she hugged onto Rin's body while saying, "Okay, Sesshoumaru. Let's get you guys home."

A sudden jolt that jarred all of Kagome's joints was her answer as the dragon took off into the sky. Clutching Rin closer, she squinted her eyes against the bursts of wind that assaulted them once they had cleared the treeline. Soon they were well up into the cloudy heavens, the air much colder up there than on the ground.

Not even the protection of her winter clothing seemed to act as a deterrent against the weather's onslaught on the hapless girl. Her fingers were fast becoming numb and already her face was red and wind-whipped. Sniffling in misery, Kagome hunched down until her head was behind the little girl's, effectively blocking the windflow by half.

Sighing deeply, she swallowed painfully and tried to ignore how her body ached all over and how the constant rush of air made breathing difficult.

Kami, but she hoped this journey was over soon.

Sesshoumaru had listened to the girl's random sniffles all night long, the sporadic noises keeping him tense all evening. By this morning, he had seen how exhausted she looked, even in sleep, dark circles marring the space beneath her eyes like bruises. Her skin was an unhealthy pale color, and with his superior senses he could easily hear how the girl's breathing was heavier than normal.

He had decided to let her sleep in as late as possible this morning, hoping that the few extra minutes of slumber would offer a miracle cure. The youkai knew it was a foolhardy plan, but at that point he was almost desperate to find any way that would make her healthy without the need for her to stay at his castle.

As usual, Fate wasn't cooperating, and he could see as Ah Un woke her up that the human was ill. Kagome's movements were jerky and painful looking, her motions slow as though the tiniest gesture caused her discomfort. The Taiyoukai had seen ancient demons that moved with more grace than she had displayed in the morning light.

He ignored Rin's concerned questions regarding the miko, instead telling the child to get on Ah Un and prepare to leave. Shortly after he had gotten on the beast himself while waiting for the miko to return from her morning ritual. She looked a little better when she came back, a little color returning to her cheeks and her blue-grey eyes not as listless.

Determined to get back to his castle as quickly as possible, Sesshoumaru had instructed the girl to mount up behind Rin, setting out as soon as she did so. He told himself the reason he wanted to hurry home was so he could have one of his healers give the girl a brew that would cure her enough to leave. The damn medical demon had to be fully stocked up with remedies after the sickness of a few weeks ago.

Yes, it was just so Kagome could be on her way faster, and not her waning health, that made the Taiyoukai urge the dragon on faster, the scenery below turning into a green and brown blur.

Around mid afternoon the travelers touched ground in an open meadow that had a well worn dirt path leading towards one the most impressive castles Kagome had ever seen, in this age or in history books.

Even from the distance they were now walking from she could make out the clean grey of the walls that completely surrounded the keep, the red pillars and ebony shingles of the tiered roofs looking majestic and intimidating under the grey sky.

The palaces that Naraku had managed to commandeer were never this grandiose, this impressive. Tall parapets that ran the perimeter of the walls were dotted with various beings that had long glaives in their hands, the deadly blades sparking even in the almost non-existent sunlight. All the uniforms were the same color scheme of maroon with black sakura petals scattered down the left sleeves, the same as the ones that Shurin and Ryosuke had worn. Kagome couldn't tell what type of youkai the ones that were watching their small procession might be, but she was sure that no matter what breed most of them would hold a strong dislike for their master's human companion.

She wondered how Rin managed to remain in such a huge household and not be scared all the time. Probably the threat of the Taiyoukai's wrath was more than enough to deter any avid human hater to think twice before attacking his ward.

Too bad Kagome was sure that same policy would not be extending to herself.

Sniffling, she continued studying the large spread of Sesshoumaru's home, the feeling of awe overtaking her body masking her sore body's protests for the moment. The huge ornate wooden door they were coming to was big enough for a fully transformed dog demon to fit through comfortably, its arched edifice inlayed with more sakura blossoms.

The miko was beginning to notice a pattern in all that she looked upon. The same cherry blossom design was imprinted on almost every surface in one place or another, denoting to the fact that it was property of the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. The family crest was almost a calling card that one could use throughout the land, proclaiming who they were sworn allegiance to.

They finally came to a stop right at the large gate, two demons that were holding tridents moving forward to open the enormous door, their faces obstructed from full view by the helmets they wore. Pristine ivory horns sprouted from the sides of the headgear, the cheek guards coming into a swirling sweep down the sides of their faces to rest beside the corners of their mouths, two small white talons attached to each side. The only feature that Kagome could make out clearly as Ah Un passed them was their vivid intense eyes.

It always amazed her how all youkai eyes resembled living jewels rather than pieces of flesh. These two were no exception with one sporting a pair of attractive emerald orbs while the other gave her a cold glare from his crimson gaze.

Another shiver skated up her spine, and this time it had nothing to do with the cold she had come down with. Tightening her hold a bit on Rin, she focused her attention on the huge courtyard they had come in to. Large flat stones covered the wide expanse of open space the dragon youkai walked across, the pale rocks surprisingly clean for the amount of trampling they underwent every day.

In the distance she could see the green outline of what promised to be a beautiful garden, the end of an arced bridge also visible. To her other side were more huge buildings that were just as gorgeous as the palace itself. Oaken walkways gleamed with shiny cleanliness, the white shoji doors flawless in their dark frames.

But for all its stately beauty, Kagome also noticed how cold everything seemed. How very military and precise the keep was. In fact, it perfectly reflected its owner, and she couldn't help but question if the beautiful castle of the Taisho family had ever shown warmth of any kind to an outsider.

Soon, Ah Un came to a halt in front of a set of massive green marble steps that led up to the main house. More youkai dressed in uniforms were standing in a perfect line on each step, their bodies straight and proud, each cradling the same glaives she had seen on the parapets. They kept their faces in profile, no emotion showing on the portions of the features the miko could see, as Sesshoumaru dismounted from the dragon's back, Rin sliding off a moment later to leave Kagome wavering a bit on his back. The little girl ran up the steps and into the house, acting as if she owned the place.

Biting her lower lip, she grabbed the straps of her pack in nervousness, trying to decide whether she should stay with Ah Un and go to wherever he spent his time or follow the dog demon that was currently standing by the dragon youkai's heads.

When said youkai turned to cast an annoyed look at her over his shoulder, she quickly slid off of Ah Un's back, catching herself against his scaly hide to keep from falling to the ground. A blush covered her cheeks as Kagome let the feeling slowly return to her legs, the pins and needles stabbing her muscles making her feel even more miserable.

Ah turned his head till it was nuzzling at the place where her shoulder and neck met, his warm eyes looking at her with concern.

Patting his great head in thanks, she leaned away from his huge body to stand on her own two feet, straightening her legs before walking forward. When she drew alongside the dog demon she stopped, wondering why they were just standing there and not heading up into the huge palace.

Sesshoumaru didn't bother explaining what he was waiting there for, instead reveling in the knowledge that he was home at last.

It was over. He stared out at the castle grounds, relieved to have this journey at an end. Yet he couldn't help feeling that in the brief time he'd been absent, everything had changed. The complacency he had felt for years had vanished, along with the certainty that everything was within his power to control.

Somewhere within the buildings he was so familiar with, among the faces he had come to know, lurked a coward eager to kill him. A coward who would be far more desperate to finish the deed now that Sesshoumaru had been alerted to his intentions. Nothing drove an assassin to greater lengths than the fear of detection.

But more unnerving still was the effect that one disheveled woman had had upon the Taiyoukai. How much she had altered things with the merest brush of her hand.

Taking in her pensive and tired looking features, he realized something. The dog demon doubted he would ever forget her, no matter what he might have told himself previously. She was rare, his untidy guardian angel. Never had he met anyone with a heart so good, so pure. He wondered how she could handle getting it shredded time and again from his idiot half-brother.

Turning to face forward again, he cursed at his own thoughts.

Hell, one could almost accuse him of waxing sentimental. That was cause enough for alarm, but once she was gone, he'd doubtless be cured of it.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the sound of running feet could be heard from a group of youkai running towards him, their weapons held securely in their arms. Standing proudly, the dog demon fixed the new-comers with in icy stare, his stance making him seem very much the royal ruler.

Once they finally reached Sesshoumaru and Kagome they came to a stop, not one of them breathless from their recent sprint from across the castle grounds. Secretly, the miko envied their athleticism. During PE she would have killed to have endurance and stamina like that.

These youkai wore helmets as well, which again obstructed Kagome's view of what their faces really looked like. From their build she could tell they were all male. In fact, she had yet to see a female among the demons she had passed so far. She didn't think Sesshoumaru was against employing the female gender in his ranks, so she surmised that the ones that did serve him must be off in another part of the castle.

One that had a long green braid and deep garnet eyes stepped forward, bowing to the Taiyoukai in respect. The others behind him lined up and did the same.

The kneeling youkai kept his eyes trained respectfully around the region of Sesshoumaru's calves while saying in a clear voice, "My Lord. We are glad you have returned home safely. The entire castle is pleased to see you in such good health."

Kagome listened to the cadences of his voice, trying to see if she could hear any sort of subterfuge lacing his tone. She could detect none.

Waving his clawed hand for the demons to rise, Sesshoumaru answered expressionlessly, "I am sure they are, Saipryss." The miko wondered if she was the only one that could hear the mocking smirk that lay behind his words.

From the way the demons before them continued to stare at the Taiyoukai with respect and fear she doubted it. Shifting from one foot to the other, she shoved her numb hands into her jeans pockets, trying to use her own body heat to keep warm.

Damn, but she hoped he finished this little welcome home ceremony soon. She was dying to drink some nice warm tea, take a soothing bath (probably with Ah Un and Rin to scrub them all), and then get a good night's sleep on a real bed. Kagome hoped Sesshoumaru wouldn't begrudge her that in his haste to be rid of her.

Saipryss ran his vivid eyes over his Lord, a frown settling on his thin lips.

"Forgive me, My Lord, but might I ask why you are not wearing your usual uniform?"

Sesshoumaru slid back into his usual stoic role easily, wishing to unnerve the demons that were standing before him.

Kagome started in surprise when he spoke her name, her eyes looking at him in inquiry.

"Kagome, how did this happen?" He indicated his outfit with his hand, dark cynicism lining his handsome face. "I'm certain I was in full uniform when I left the castle." Giving the now tense youkai standing before him a disparaging glare, he continued with, "Ah, yes. That was before some assassins chased me down and left me for dead." Sesshoumaru searched the faces, probing for even the slightest hint, the tiniest sign that his betrayer was among them, his nose sensing for a trace of fear.

Outraged murmurs rose. "Human bastards!" "We'll hunt them down, whoever dared to do this!" Yet the comments were not bred of any loyalty to the Taiyoukai, rather out of hatred ages old. The dog demon had little doubt they'd be as happy to hunt down the "Human bastards" with equal vigor simply because the sky was blue or because a footsore villager had failed to yield the road quickly enough to suit them as they passed by.

He remembered all too clearly Kagome's confession, her hatred of war, yet her certainty that the demons who fought together, depended on each other for their very life, must share a powerful bond. Truth was, he shared nothing with these youkai except the walls of his castle and the crest of his household on their uniforms.

Sesshoumaru shoved the unwelcome insight aside. He had more important matters to attend to. After all, he still hoped he might glean some clue from the demons as to what treachery was afoot. But suddenly a whirlwind came bolting through the crowd with the most distressing lack of military decorum. Sesshoumaru was surprised to feel something of a jolt as Shurin broke into the circle where he stood with Kagome.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, sir!" The young rain child gasped, his marked face waxen, his hands that held no weapon shaking. His electric green eyes disbelieving. "They said it was you, but I didn't believe it!"

'Why?' Sesshoumaru wondered. Perhaps because Shurin was one of the youkai who set those poison wielding assassins on him? "Shurin." He gave the slightest nod of acknowledgment.

"But— but your clothes! I remember. . . ." Shurin looked to the dog demon's side where Kagome still stood. His eyes widened in recognition. "Miss Higurashi, isn't it? I know you! You are that miko. . . . We ran across you a few days ago!" The rest of the demons drew back, uncertainty and alarm in their faces. It seemed it was rather felicitous to rid the castle of humans, but it was another matter entirely for a miko to make a random appearance in their ranks.

"Attempted assassination can make one most suspicious, I fear, Shurin. Suspicious enough to alter the truth when necessary."

"You were there all along?!" Shurin dared to look wounded. "With this human girl? Why didn't you tell us?"

Sesshoumaru arched one silvery eyebrow at his personal aide's impudence. "I can't imagine why I should be held accountable to you, Shurin."

The youth paled. "Of course not. But we'd been searching for you. Surely once you realized I was there you knew you had nothing to fear." He looked desperately earnest, searching the Taiyoukai's face.

"Suffice it to say I was in no mood for company." Or for another taste of death spooned up by General Ryosuke Kaizon, but his hidden meaning wasn't lost on Shurin. The youthful face fell, like that of a pup who'd suddenly learned he was not trusted by an idolized older brother.

He put as much ice as he could into his voice while saying, "I suppose my surliness was understandable enough under the circumstances. I had just been injured," Sesshoumaru drawled. "By the way, Shurin, do remind me to review with you how to make a thorough search. You seem to have lost that valuable skill— unless, of course, you were looking for something you had no real desire to find."

Kagome frowned at the Taiyoukai's back, a little irritated at the harsh manner he was treating Shurin. It was obvious to her that the rain youkai was telling the truth, and was indeed happy to see Sesshoumaru was safely home.

Shurin made a muffled sound of hurt and outrage, but the dog demon ignored it. Instead, he glanced around at the demons under his command. The sleek warriors suddenly appeared sheepish as they faced the uncomfortable truth. It took more effort than he ever would have expected to force his mouth into its usual sarcastic smirk. "I am quite certain you have not misplaced my successor in the event I should not return."

"Lord Daija has been half mad searching for you sir!" Saipryss said with fierce loyalty.

Daija— the phoenix youkai had been an irritant from the moment he rode into the castle three months before, the type of demon every raw recruit dreamed about, more devoted to the youkai serving under his command than he was to his duty. But Daija would be far too honorable to admit what Sesshoumaru had known all along— that he'd been hoping to take up permanent residence within the Taisho household.

"My Lord," Saipryss insisted, "you can't fault Lord Daija. It's fairly impossible to find anything next to the villagers' homes. You can't expect any of the humans to help us find a handful of dirt in the middle of a rice field, let alone a Taiyoukai who has gone missing." Saipryss completely ignored Kagome's darkening expression, having the arrogance to look disgruntled as he added, "Besides, how were we to even guess where to begin looking for you? You never told anyone what direction you were heading off to or when you would be back."

'Well,' Kagome thought while clamping down on her irritation, sniffling a bit. 'at least now we can be certain that these demons didn't know anything about the plot against Sesshoumaru.'

There was a time when Sesshoumaru might have found such a passionate appeal on the phoenix youkai's behalf diverting. But tonight, bone-weary, with Kagome's soft blue-grey eyes looking on, it made him feel embarrassed and ashamed. The sainted Lord Daija was the kind of demon that Kagome would understand and like, admiring him every bit as much as Sesshoumaru's soldiers did. The notion irritated the Taiyoukai to a surprising depth.

"Saipryss"— Sesshoumaru made his voice low, silky, dangerous— "do you dare to question my actions?"

The masked face tightened, a trapped light in the depths of his garnet eyes. "It's just that you— you would be making a mistake by thinking that Lord Daija was doing anything but his duty by you sir."

'His duty, yes, they'd all do their duty by him,' the dog demon thought. But would he ever be able to wring the last drop of courage from their hearts? The drop that made immortal youkai reach higher, strain farther, fight more fiercely than demonly possible. Out of loyalty. Out of love.

What the devil was wrong with him, dwelling on such sentimental rot? He'd never craved such devotion or the crushing responsibility that came with it. Boundaries, separation, walls— he'd wanted those in abundance. Made certain he had them. Never had he considered crossing those barriers until a raven-haired miko had stumbled across his path.

The best way to regain his equilibrium was to send her on her way as soon as possible. To that end, he turned to Saipryss brusquely.

"See to the provisioning of Miss Higurashi's pack at once. All the foodstuffs she can hold."

"No!" Kagome protested loudly, drawing all the demons' attention to herself. Blushing, she continued on, staring only into Sesshoumaru's amber eyes. "Sesshoumaru— I mean Lord Sesshoumaru, it's not necessary. I ask only that— "

"Any of my soldiers can tell you how futile that would be," Sesshoumaru said while casting a look at his assembled group of warriors. "Can you not?"

"Yes sir," a chorus of voices rose up around her, making her shift from foot to foot again in agitation. Really, all she wanted was to have a spare moment to talk to him without their little audience, that way she could explain things to him.

As if he sensed her thoughts, he ordered, "As for the rest of you, go back to your posts. I assume that Lord Daija assigned you some useful tasks."

Turning his amber eyes to the sulking rain child he said, "Shurin, tell Lord Daija I will see him in the library at once."

As the group dispersed, he turned to Kagome, noticing that some time during his little meeting Ah Un had left, probably to go back to his meadow for the night. He looked down into her tired features, his acute hearing picking up the slight wheeze to her breathing whenever she inhaled. The miko's condition was worsening, he could see it plainly in the strain lines bracketing each side of her mouth, the redness of her nose.

Her voice lacked its usual smooth cadence, a hoarseness to it that was probably from her sore throat, when she said, "Sesshoumaru, I need to talk to you before you meet Lord Daija. Could we perhaps go inside where it is warmer? I also wondered if I could trouble you for a cup of warm tea while we talk?" Her eyes were hopeful as they met his.

At first, she thought that he was going to refuse and instead tell her to wait there until his servants brought out the food he had requested for her. Then a flash of what looked like humor passed through his beautiful orbs before it was quickly masked.

Turning his back to her, he began walking gracefully up the steps, calling over his shoulder, "Come on, girl, before you collapse on my courtyard and obstruct the flow of traffic."

Grinning, she sprinted up the smooth green steps, pretending not to notice the youkai they passed as they continued to the front door. But she could still feel their eyes on her, scrutinizing...probing. It made her feel like she was a butterfly that was pinned under a microscope.

Coughing a bit behind one fist, she lowered her hand after a moment to say a trifle breathlessly, "Do you also think I might have a bath?" Her patented puppy-dog look was on her face again.

Not bothering to look at her, he said, "We shall discuss that when we get to where we are headed."

Rolling her eyes, she shoved her hands once more into her jeans pockets, staring at the ornate dark paneled doors that had sakura blossoms imbedded in their grainy surfaces. When the doors opened soundlessly before them with no servants in sight who looked to have done the deed, Kagome hesitated.

Chewing on her lower lip, she watched as Sesshoumaru stepped over the threshold of his home, his bearing that of his heritage.

The sudden spike of trepidation that shot through her made Kagome wonder if this was the wisest idea she had in a while, to try and become all but a personal bodyguard to the Taiyoukai. All she needed to do was convince the stubborn dog demon that he had to let her stay with him for the time being.

Coughing again she seriously doubted if that would be a problem.

Squaring her shoulders, Kagome put her chin at a defiant angle while following the retreating form of the youkai.

Silently, the doors closed behind the miko, again no sign of anyone having touched them present. On the stairs that were lined with armed demons the youkai shared a look with one another, a gaze full of question and meaning.

Lord Sesshoumaru was back. And again, he had brought another human female home with him. This was starting to look very similar to their master's father's past, and they all knew how tragically that had ended.


	19. Ookami

A red and white blur streaked through the treetops of Inu Yasha Forest, a small group of humans with two demons running along beneath the figure. A kitsune cub was perched atop a young taijiya's black clad shoulder, making sure to avoid any overmuch contact with the huge boomerang strapped to her back. The monk that was panting along beside her had a creme colored fire cat taking up residence on a spot mirroring that of the young woman he was traveling with, the rings on his staff jingling as they went.

Sounding breathless, the monk said, "Tell me again, why aren't we riding Kirara to keep up with Inu Yasha and Kikyo?"

Sango gave him an irritated look before turning her attention to tracking the speeding hanyou. "Because, I already told you that with the thick foliage in this area I can't keep sight of Inu Yasha and ride above the treetops at the same time. Even with his odd coloring he still blends in and we would lose him."

"Oh. . . yeah." he panted at her in reply, trying to remind himself why there was the need for this big hurry today.

After the new moon had passed they had spent the next day in Kaede's village, resting before setting out to search for shards again. Except this time they weren't off looking for the shikon fragments.

This morning, Inu Yasha had stormed into Kaede's hut, arms crossed and an obstinate set to his chin. Giving the occupants a hard glare he had said, "We travel to the Western Lands today."

Sango continued eating her soup silently, letting Miroku answer for her. She knew the monk was thinking along the same lines as her. Kikyo watched everything without saying a word, her eyes devoid of emotion. Shippo and Kirara were outside filling up the water canisters for their trip today.

"And why, Inu Yasha, are we doing that?" He took another spoonful of soup up and ate it, watching the half demon closely the entire time, gauging his reaction.

His white ears twitching, Inu Yasha turned his head to the side, avoiding looking at anyone in particular while answering. "Keh! I do not need to explain my reasons to you, baka." Giving the unimpressed human a look out of the side of one amber eye he continued with a sigh. "Besides, I have a bad feeling and want to check up on Kagome."

Sango's eyebrows rose into the fringe of her bangs, her sienna eyes taking on a speculative gleam. She looked over to the priestess, frowning when what the half demon had said seemed to make no effect on the woman.

That miko was just creepy...

Miroku's calm voice cut through the thick silence that had settled over the room. "You want to follow Kagome?"

The hanyou's gold eyes turned to glare at him, unfolding his arms and clenching his clawed hands while saying with a growl, "Yeah. What of it?!"

Setting aside his earthen-ware bowl with exaggerated care, Miroku's dark purple eyes rose to train steadily on the scowling demon. Speaking with deliberate steady tones, as though calming an over-excited child, he said, "Kagome left with Sesshoumaru of her own free will, and your half brother did not seem to be threatening her in any way. So why the sudden need to travel after them?"

Inu Yasha's left ear moved about a couple of times, as though he was listening to something from outside, his golden eyes showing a defensive glare.

"I decided that Kagome traveling with my injured brother over the countryside with someone strong enough out there to injure Sesshoumaru is probably not a good idea."

Shippo chose this moment to return laden down with the water, piping in angrily, "Well if it wasn't for you she wouldn't have left in the first place!"

Inu Yasha growled at him, his fangs showing in an uncharacteristic snarl that was more demonic than usual. The kit "eeped", scrambling to get on top of Sango's shoulder and out of smacking range of the angered hanyou.

Giving the fox demon a reproving look, Sango then asked Inu Yasha, "What makes you think that those youkai who injured your brother mean to come after him again? Maybe they just came upon him by accident and decided to kill him." She shrugged. "Demons are known for having an avarice for killing, even in their own species."

The hanyou's gold eyes narrowed, his white eyebrows forking down in a sharp V on his forehead.

"Because, Sango, even bloodthirsty youkai know better than to randomly attack a Taiyoukai, especially one from the Taisho household." He at last glanced at Kikyo to see how she was taking the news, half-expecting her to react like Kagome would, with harsh words or tears. When he saw that the priestess was just sitting at ease against the wooden wall the scowl left his face, his eyes puzzled.

Didn't it even bother her that he was so hell bent on tracking down another female?

Pushing aside those disturbing questions, he turned to leave, saying over his shoulder at the entrance of the hut, "Hurry your asses up. I want to be on the road and after my bastard half-brother within the hour." and with that he disappeared outside.

Shortly after gathering all their meager belongings, they had met with the half demon outside, Kikyo taking the customary spot that Kagome used to grace on Inu Yasha's back, the couple immediately taking to the treetops.

His chest slightly burning from the constant running, Miroku watched his friend flit from limb to limb with inhuman grace and precision. Absently, he wondered how many times the hanyou had messed up while learning that skill, ultimately slamming into the wrong part of a tree just to meet dirt moments later.

The thought lightened his mood a bit. He could comfort himself with the image of the half demon going through some discomfort.

Truthfully, he wasn't adverse to teaming back up with Kagome. The worn and tired look she had a couple of days ago had worried him a little. The girl from the future had shown amazing endurance since coming to their time era, but the monk knew that emotional stress could take a bigger toll on you than anything physical. Though he had also noticed the closeness she now had with the Taiyoukai of the West, how the miko had moved to be as near to him as possible as the confrontation with Inu Yasha had escalated. Even though Sesshoumaru had shown no outward signs of acknowledging their presence, Miroku had also taken in how he had not moved away from the girl either.

It was all very perplexing. And now it looked like the dog demon was being added into the already messy relationship involving Kagome, Kikyo, and Inu Yasha.

Glancing to the side, he was glad that he really only had one female to worry about. Although he might profess to like any girl that came along, it was now mostly done just to make Sango a bit jealous. Besides, what better way to deal with mortality than to play it off as a joke to create new life?

It made him laugh on the inside anyway.

Just as they were reaching the outer borders of Inu Yasha Forest the hanyou suddenly dropped down in front of them, standing up while sniffing at the air.

They all halted, breathing deeply and trying to calm their racing heartbeats. Well, except for their little passengers that were perched comfortably on the humans' shoulders.

Sango tensed up and caught her breath when Inu Yasha growled low in his throat, putting Kikyo on the ground before drawing the transformed Testusaiga. Miroku frowned as he leaned on his staff, searching the area for any type of danger.

He didn't feel any particular malice in the air, no great amount of jaki to account for such an extreme reaction.

Confused, he turned to the angered hanyou, Sango coming up to stand at his shoulder to hear what was going on.

"Inu Yasha, what is it?"

"I smell that damn wolf," he all but snarled seconds before a literal whirlwind could be seen approaching them at high speed.

The humans visibly relaxed, sharing a look of exasperation.

Great, now that Kagome was no longer with them, how were they going to keep Inu Yasha and Kouga from killing one another? Especially since the lack of said miko was probably going to be very unhappy news for the wolf prince.

Sango sighed, finally having regained her regular breathing rhythm, patting a grumbling Shippo lightly on the head. She had taken over the care of the kit since Kagome's absence, trying to console the child that his surrogate mother was doing fine and would be back with them soon.

It never convinced him. At least one of them besides Inu Yasha was just as eager to meet back up with the miko and Taiyoukai.

A cloud of dust and the sound of something skidding to a halt on dirt filled the small roadway, causing them to cough as the dirt particles assaulted their respiratory systems.

Waving a hand in front of his face to clear the cloud, Miroku squinted, trying to see where Kouga was, hoping the two canine demons hadn't gotten into a fight already.

As his view became less obstructed, he was relieved to see that Kouga was looking around with confusion written all over his face, his green eyes puzzled.

Giving Inu Yasha a cocky smirk, he said with his usual brashness, ignoring the transformed fang in front of him, "Hey, dog face, where is my Kagome?"

The hanyou's growling stopped, an answering smirk lifting his own lips, the gold of his eyes hard.

"Keh, like it's any of your business where she is." Pointing the sword at him, he said threateningly, "Get out of here, ya damn wolf. I don't have time to kick your sorry ass today."

Scowling, Kouga flashed his fangs at the half dog demon, standing straight and proud while cracking his knuckles. "Watch your damn mouth, puppy! Just tell me where Kagome is and I won't have to kill you." He cracked his knuckles again with a condescending smile directed at Inu Yasha. "Yet."

Sango chose this time to step between them, knowing from experience the lack of conversational skills these two demons utilized when they met.

Seriously, they reminded her of two mangy dogs fighting over a juicy bone.

Giving the wolf prince an apologetic look, she said, "Kagome-chan isn't here, Kouga."

Focusing his bright eyes on the taijiya, he crossed his arms over his chest, asking, "Where is she? Did she go back home for a while because dog face," he indicated the now growling demon with a tilt of his head, "made her mad again?"

Miroku came to stand next to Sango, hoping to offer a human shield between the two youkai males, not wanting to try and split them up if they decided to follow tradition and start throwing swings at one another.

Smiling, he answered, "No, Kagome-sama actually came back a couple of days ago."

Before he could continue, Kouga demanded, "Well then where the hell is she?" Looking over their shoulders to the bristling hanyou behind them, he added, "Oi! Dog shit, if you've lost my woman I will personally kick your ass and then kill you."

Sango rolled her eyes, now understanding how Kagome probably felt whenever she had to deal with the two youkai. No wonder she used that damn rosary so much. It would be very therapeutic when dealing with arrogant males that didn't seem to hear a word you said.

Clearing her throat, she tapped Kouga's forearm to get his attention, which was currently glaring death at Inu Yasha. At her touch, the wolf's shimmering gaze turned to her's instantly, the intensity of it causing her to step back next to Miroku again.

The demon exterminator couldn't understand how Kagome could stand to have demons enamored of her. Personally, Sango was happy just to have one perverted monk to deal with that didn't have the potential to turn inhumanly violent at any moment.

"Kouga, he didn't lose her." In her mind she added, 'not in the literal sense anyway.' Smiling uneasily, she said, "Actually, Kagome-chan is traveling with Sesshoumaru right now to his castle."

Kouga's eyes narrowed at the news, his arms coming uncrossed and his lip curling in a half snarl. "You mean to tell me, that dog shit over there let his half-brother take my woman?!"

At that moment Inu Yasha pushed his way passed the two humans shielding him to stand nose to nose with the wolf youkai, waving his sword to the side as he yelled.

"Dumb ass wolf! I didn't let her do anything with my bastard half-brother! The wench decided on her own to accompany him back to the West." Stepping back till he could hold the fang in front of him, he growled, "Now get out of my way so I can go find her."

Miroku sighed in long-suffering as he asked Kami for patience in dealing with these two. Really, it was very disgraceful behavior for demons to participate in.

Doing some growling of his own, Kouga took up a fighting stance.

"Like you could take me if you wanted to, dog face," casting a quick glance to the humans observing their altercation he called, "Oi, taijiya. How long ago did Kagome leave?"

"Two days," came her quick reply as she eyed the two demons warily, one hand resting on the strap of Haraikotsu. She had no reservations about bonking both stubborn males over the head if this went any further.

At the news, the wolf prince tensed even more, his green eyes lighting with a half-worried light. Completely ignoring Inu Yasha, he straightened to put his full focus on the demon exterminator.

"You said that she left with Sesshoumaru," he waited for her nod before continuing, a trace of trepidation mixed in his voice when he asked, "The Taiyoukai wasn't injured by any chance, was he?"

Miroku frowned. "How would you know that, Kouga? As a matter of fact, he had been, that was why Kagome volunteered to escort him home."

Swearing colorfully, the wolf youkai looked off towards where the Western Lands lay, his expression turning concerned.

Inu Yasha, noticing the odd behavior lowered his sword, asking cautiously, "What the hell is the matter with you now, you dumb wolf?"

Ignoring the insult, Kouga stalked towards the hanyou, a demonic fiery glitter in his bright eyes. Grabbing the front of the Inu Yasha's red haori in his fist, he snarled down into the surprised dog demon's face, "Because, you damn idiot, I ran into a couple of youkai the other day that were looking for Lord Sesshoumaru, and from the looks of one of them, they didn't have a rescue in mind." Throwing the half demon away from him in disgust, his eyes turned disparaging. "Now, thanks to you probably pissing Kagome off enough to go with the Taiyoukai, she is being hunted along with him!"

Sheathing his sword quickly, Inu Yasha stepped forward, his own eyes growing worried as he asked gruffly, "What the hell are you talking about? You ran into some demons who were searching for my brother?"

Nodding, his high ponytail bobbing with the motion, he replied, "Yeah, two days ago. I was on my way here to see Kagome when they stopped me, asking if I had seen your brother. They were wearing uniforms like that of the Taisho house, so I figured that they must be trying to find him because he had gone missing. You don't send a general out just to give useless information that a lower demon can deliver."

Inu Yasha's ears twitched in agitation, his gold eyes filling with abject worry. "Tell me, was the general you speak of a dragon youkai? He would have a scythe marking on his forehead."

"Yes," Kouga answered, taking in the way his adversary's manner was changing from battle-ready to earnestness. "What do you know, dog face, that you aren't telling? Kagome's in danger, isn't she?"

Gulping convulsively, the hanyou swore, clenching his clawed hands. Sango was surprised at how suddenly the conversation had turned from snarling death threats, to now talk of Kagome's life being in danger. She looked to Miroku with concern of her own, his purple eyes showing the same emotion as herself.

The taijiya was jolted a little when Shippo launched himself off her shoulder to land on Inu Yasha's, immediately gnawing on the half demon's ears.

"Inu Yasha, you put Kagome in danger! Now because of you she might get hurt!" the little kitsune wailed around one furry appendage, trying his hardest to pierce the skin.

Grabbing him by his fluffy auburn tail, Inu Yasha just held him at his side, ignoring the struggling and yelling this caused from the diminutive youkai. Miroku came to stand in front of the hanyou, asking seriously, "Is this true, Inu Yasha? Is Kagome-sama in danger?"

Before he could say anything, Kikyo stepped forward, the temperature within the small group seeming to drop as she did.

It always sent a chill up Sango's spine whenever she met the other woman's gaze directly. There was something very empty and lonely about it.

Kouga stepped back a bit at the smell the woman next to the half demon exuded, not liking how the odor wasn't nearly as pleasant as Kagome's.

"It is obvious that Kagome is in some type of peril." She laid one hand on Inu Yasha's tense shoulder. "Inu Yasha, should we not hurry on to our destination?"

His gold eyes were surprised, as he stuttered, "Kik– Kikyo..." An emotion he couldn't quite place flashed across her dark eyes, to be quickly replaced with its usual lackluster stare. But it was enough, he had seen it anyway.

Nodding, he threw the protesting fox demon into Sango's arms, not even bothering to see if she caught him or not. Focusing on Kouga, he said with uncharacteristic calm, "Listen to me, wimpy wolf. I know the demons that you ran in to, and the general is definitely not a friend to my family. What you've told me just supports why I felt like something was wrong the past few days." Fixing the now quiet wolf demon with a hard glare, he continued. "I'm going to go get Kagome, so you can just leave and go back to hunting Naraku for a while. I have better things to do at the moment."

Standing with his head tilted arrogantly, a smirk playing about his lips, Kouga stated, "I think not. Apparently you can't be trusted to keep my Kagome safe, so I'll just have to go to your brother's castle myself and get her." His eyes swept the half demon mockingly. "Besides, finding Naraku and the shards is your thing. Keep yourself busy with that and let the real demons handle this problem."

Sango thought for sure that the last comment would cause Inu Yasha to start yelling and swinging Testusaiga at the wolf prince again, but instead he surprised her by saying calmly, "Get out of my way, ya damn wolf. I have places to be." And with that, he had Kikyo hop onto his back while he started to walk towards the trees, intent on starting their journey again.

Giving Kouga a small smile, Sango soon followed with Kirara on her shoulder and Shippo pouting in her arms, leaving Miroku behind to deal with the demon.

The youkai watched them leave for a moment before looking at the man who still stood beside him. Arching one raven eyebrow, he asked, "What is it, human?"

"How did you know that the two youkai looking for Sesshoumaru meant to do him harm? You said that they wore the crest of the Western Lands on their clothing, so they must serve the Taiyoukai."

Frowning, Kouga explained, "The younger one seemed harmless enough, but the other one had a very unpleasant odor about him."

"Odor? What did it smell like?" the monk asked in interest.

A hard smirk tilted the wolf prince's lips when he answered, "Sesshoumaru's blood." Before Miroku could ask him anything else, the wolf youkai sped off in a swirl of air and dirt, leaving the monk to choke on dust again.

Coughing into his fisted hand, his eyes watering, he walked back to where his companions were waiting for him, disturbed by this new revelation.

Why would Sesshoumaru's own men smell of the youkai's blood?

The long look Inu Yasha gave him when he joined Sango told him that he had heard everything that Kouga had said. Giving Miroku a warning glare to keep quiet, Inu Yasha hopped up onto a branch above their heads, calling down, "Hurry up! We have a long way to go till we get to Sesshoumaru's castle."

Soon they were all running again, Inu Yasha once more a red and white blur mixed in amongst the leaves.

But Miroku was still mulling over what had transpired. They were now abandoning their search for the shards and Naraku, both of which had been non-existent to find for months now. It would seem the evil hanyou had gone back into hiding and no other shards remained to be found. Instead, they were racing towards Sesshoumaru's castle, probably to slaughter considering how much the dog demon didn't particularly like their little group. Not to mention the fact that he would no doubt have quite a few willing youkai at his disposal who would like nothing better than being ordered to kill the intruders.

It looked like they were trading one perilous venture for another, and the monk wasn't sure if this was the lesser of two evils.

But one thing was certain. Kagome was in danger, and she unknowingly had a wolf prince, a hanyou, and the people that traveled with him heading towards her rescue.

Miroku just hoped she needed rescuing, otherwise this would be a terrible mistake.

Kagome followed the proud form of Sesshoumaru down the long hallways of the castle, taking in the sight of highly polished wooden tables, beautifully arranged lilies in hand-painted beige vases with pale pink sakura blossoms on their sides, the sparse perfection of a true Japanese stronghold.

It had always amazed Kagome how in feudal Japan the decoration inside a building was always kept to a bare minimum. She thought it might have something to do with a type of Bushido Code, the way a warrior refused to surround himself with material objects so he would not lose sight of what was really important. Values like honor, integrity, and the continuous perfection of one's own skills.

After many twists and turns down numerous hallways that all looked the same to Kagome's untrained eyes, Sesshoumaru came to a plain staircase that he gracefully began ascending. During their lengthy trek she had seen many more male youkai wearing the Taisho uniform, except the ones inside didn't wear any helmets. She thought she had glimpsed a female demon that had a bird-like look to her sitting at a low table in a room with books, but they passed by so quickly she couldn't be sure.

Every creature she passed had the markings on their faces, all different, just like the youkai they were graced upon. The miko had never been in close contact with so many gorgeous beings, all of which probably were not too thrilled to see her. The way they stared at her made Kagome feel ugly and gangly, a grotesque girl with no business being in their presence.

She took comfort in the knowledge that she was there with their master, the Lord of the Western Lands, and that in itself boosted her confidence enough to where she met the eye of every demon they passed, giving them a warm smile.

Once on the landing, they made their way down a long corridor that had many shoji doors lining each side, coming to a halt beside one where a youkai with shortly cropped bluish hair that lengthened as it neared his defined face with silver bangs lying in two streams to his high cheekbones was standing guard. He bowed deeply once Sesshoumaru stood before him, Kagome starting a bit once she could see the youkai's eyes.

They were a color she had never seen before. The wavering blue of icebergs submerged in icy water, the outer rings going from the deepest navy to a pearly sheen surrounding the slitted black pupils. She could also see a fluffy short white tail that was interspersed with the same blue of his hair wrapped tightly about his waist, the tip disappearing towards his back. His white skin was a sharp contrast with his other coloring, an intricate snowflake emblazoned on his forehead.

When he spoke, the ice coating his voice could give Sesshoumaru's a run for his money.

"My Lord." He straightened after a motion from the Taiyoukai, his beautiful eyes turning to regard Kagome coldly. The youkai bowed his head to her. "My Lady."

Kagome smiled at him warmly, having not been referred to as an actual Lady before. Not by attractive youkai males that had eyes to die for anyway.

"Hello," she chirped at him, cursing her ill health that she knew made her nose red and her color bad. Damn but she had the worst luck where guys were concerned.

His eyes left their inspection of her features when Sesshoumaru said, "Akito. Go retrieve Cheiro and bring her back to my study."

With a quick bow the youkai departed, his own weapon, a long spear, held tightly in his clawed hand.

Kagome watched him leave until he turned to go down the stairs they had come up from, turning back and noticing with a twinge of embarrassment that while she had been sight-seeing the Taiyoukai had already entered the room and was walking to sit behind a low cherry-wood table.

Hurrying into the room, she all but dropped the heavy backpack onto the tatami mats lining the floor. After she was relieved of her burden, the miko rotated her sore shoulders groaning a little as she did.

Giving a tired sigh, she sat heavily onto a green silk pillow across the table from Sesshoumaru, sitting indian-style on the soft cushion. Running her fingers nervously through her ponytail, she tried to give the youkai who was staring at her a relaxed smile, knowing she failed miserably.

Swallowing, she winced, the painful sting at the back of her throat reminded her of just how sick she was getting. Fixing a hopeful look on her face, she asked, "Sesshoumaru, might I have that hot tea now? I'm thirsty after the trip."

He inclined his silvery head, the amber of his eyes watchful on her haggard appearance. "After Akito comes back I will instruct him to get you something to drink."

"Thanks!" she said happily, sniffling once more as the sudden warmth of being indoors made her a little over-heated, a blush high on her cheeks, a light sweat breaking out on her body. Grasping a handful of the grey shirt and jacket, she pulled it a little away from herself. "So, about why I asked to talk to you. . ." she trailed off as he quirked an eyebrow at her.

This was going to be hard...

"Yes?" he asked when it looked like she wasn't going to continue. Really, he had all but made the decision to allow her to stay until she was at least well, but she didn't need to know that yet. He would like to hear what scheme she would dream up first.

She swallowed again. "Well, you see. . . I guess you have noticed that I seem to have become a little sick."

He smirked at her. "Human, I have become used to you rarely ever following anything to form that would be convenient for me."

At her raised eyebrows, he added. "I suppose next you are going to tell me that you need to stay until you are recovered?"

'Damn, how had he figured it out?' she thought, irritated that he could see through her so easily.

Trying to salvage a better plan, she answered, "No, actually, I was only going to ask to stay for the night. That way I could take a bath and sleep on a real bed, get some rest, before heading out."

She could tell by his speculative look that he didn't believe a word she said. Since when did he get the power of intuition where she was concerned?

"Of course," he said while eyeing her in derision. "And, naturally, you no longer wish to remain to try and find out who the traitor is in my castle."

Raising her chin to a defiant angle, she clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. "Yes, that's right."

Silence reigned between them for long minutes, both staring at one another, trying to see what the other's ulterior motives might be.

They were saved from further conversation by the arrival of Akito who had another youkai following behind him.

Kagome turned so she could see the demons that entered the room, looking from Akito to a female demon that was stepping forward, further into the room. She was a tall female, with a lithe form, pink eyes and braided mid-length hair that was a darker pink. She wore a kimono that was maroon with the black sakura petals down the sleeve, a small hide pouch clutched in one clawed hand. Instead of a marking on her brow, there was one black stripe that curled down the curve of one cheek, from the tip of her eye to her chin.

"You asked for me, My Lord?" Her pink eyes never strayed from the Taiyoukai, focusing on him and nothing else.

Kagome remained as she was, looking past the imposing female to Akito who was now standing post inside the room, next to the door. He caught her eyes for a moment, the smile she flashed not returned, the coldness of his gaze searching the miko's own before training straight ahead once more.

Happy that she had at least got the youkai to acknowledge her, she turned back to face Sesshoumaru just as he spoke.

"Yes, Cheiro. This human is in need of your services."

The pink eyes came to rest on the girl's upturned face, her sharp look clearly seeing the strain on the human's features, the redness to her nose and could hear the un-evenness of her breathing. Stepping forward, she then kneeled next to the young girl, setting her pouch down by her side before reaching out her clawed hands towards the miko's face.

Kagome pulled away sharply, avoiding letting the youkai touch her skin, turning wary blue-grey eyes to the Taiyoukai.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, who is this and what is going on? What services?"

He could smell a slight tinge of fear lacing throughout her usual scent, reminding him that he needed to take a bath in the not too distant future. "Cheiro is a doctor for the castle. She needs to check you over so she can give you something for your illness."

Casting a questioning look to the annoyed youkai seated next to her, Kagome gave a tentative smile, running her hand once more through her hair. "Hello." biting her lower lip a moment, she said to Sesshoumaru, "This really isn't necessary. I can look in my bag and find something to help me get better."

Ignoring what she had said, he ordered Akito, "Inform one of the kitchen staff to make ready a tray of warm tea and bring it back here."

With a quick bow, the youkai was off again, Kagome watching him leave out of the corner of her eye.

Damn. There went her only would-be ally. At least, she had convinced herself that he was a potential friend in this dangerous place. There was just something familiar about his mannerisms, or perhaps it was just this certain aura he exuded. Either way, she felt instinctively that she could trust him.

The light gentle touch of a hand grasping her cheek to turn her head towards Cheiro brought her back to the present. Remaining as still as possible in the youkai's hold, she allowed the demon to feel along her throat, as a human doctor would for swollen lymph nodes. After instructing Kagome to open her mouth wide so she could peer at the human's throat, she withdrew to settle back on her heels, frowning.

Kagome coughed a little behind her hand, waiting to hear what the verdict was going to be.

When the female demon spoke, her words made the miko glance to catch Sesshoumaru's reaction to them.

"My Lord, there is nothing I can do for her."

The Taiyoukai stared at Cheiro a moment in silence, his amber eyes not showing any emotion, the same as his voice when he said, "Explain."

Sighing heavily, the demon frowned at him. "Well, simply put, it's because she is not completely human, but neither is she miko." At the two occupants continued silence, she went on, staring into her master's eyes. "None of the medicines I have I would feel safe giving to her. If I mixed her anything I would give a demon, the girl would probably either purify it, or in the weakened state she is in, perhaps get even sicker. Adversely, if I treat her illness as a regular human's the medicine will have no effect and her health will for certain deteriorate further."

Sesshoumaru took all this information in, annoyed again at how the human girl seemed to defy any attempts he made to manage her life.

She really was more trouble than she was worth.

Deciding there was no longer a need for her, the Taiyoukai dismissed the youkai from their presence. "Thank you, Cheiro. You may go."

She bowed deeply before gathering up her belongings and leaving, not even glancing again in Kagome's direction as she left.

Still feeling a bit hot, the miko swiped the back of her hand over her brow, praying for that tea to get there soon. Then she would ask for a bath, followed by a nice long night's sleep.

It sounded like heaven to her.

"Sesshoumaru, what kind of youkai are she and Akito?" she tried to make conversation to take her mind off her throbbing joints.

He went along with her ploy, glad that she was asking about other demons instead of focusing on his personal life.

"Akito is an arctic kitsune that I have had as one of my personal guard for many decades. Cheiro was the healer when my father was alive. She came here from a clan of cat youkai who were slain during the last great war."

Kagome's eyes turned sad for the youkai. No wonder she was so distant and unemotional when dealing with others. Being the last of your kind could do that to a person.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear about her loss."

He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "It was long ago."

Just then Akito returned with a small tray balanced on his free hand, two cups with the depiction of a fully transformed dog demon's head on their beige surfaces. Kagome breathed in as deeply as she could, trying to smell what she knew was the aromatic green tea steaming in the teapot next to the cups. Unfortunately, her blocked sinuses prevented it.

Setting the tray down in the middle of the low table, Akito bowed once again to Sesshoumaru before taking up his post outside of the room and next to the door, closing the shoji covered wood behind him.

Kagome immediately poured them both a cup of the hot brew, settling back with her own while sighing happily, cradling the warm glass in her hands. Taking a sip, she didn't even mind how it scalded her mouth, glorifying in the feel of it numbing her sore throat.

That was worth any burned tongues in her book.

Sesshoumaru sipped from his own cup, watching how much delight the human got from just drinking tea. It amazed him sometimes how she could still smile, still take pleasure in such simple things when her emotions had been torn apart so recently.

She showed amazing resilience.

About half-way through her finishing the drink, he said softly, "You can stay until you are healed."

The cup stopped mid-way to her lips, her eyes widening as she looked at him. "Really?" She sat her tea down, her expression turning grateful. "You don't have to, you know. But I would appreciate it all the same."

"Of course that means you will be leaving as soon as your inferior human system recovers," he added, ruining any warm feelings she was getting at his act of kindness.

He had a special way of making anything she might see as good in him, nothing but an insult.

Kami, but dog demons were annoying.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "I'll try not to inconvenience you too much, Sesshoumaru."

"Do not waste time on something that you already excel at, girl. Since the day I met you I haven't been anything but inconvenienced."

Gritting her teeth, she stood stiffly, her eyes sparking with irritation at him. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru, but I am tired and wish to take a bath and then retire for the night." She went and picked up her bag, suppressing a moan as the bulky weight settled on her stiff shoulders. Sliding the door open, she said over her shoulder, "And I'm borrowing Akito for a while too, so you can guard your own damn self!"

Stalking out, she grabbed the kitsune's clawed hand, pulling at him to follow her. He cast a look in at his master, his icy eyes questioning whether or not Sesshoumaru wanted him to accompany the female.

Inclining his head, the Taiyoukai gave his permission, listening to the retreating footsteps of his personal guard and the sick miko fade down the hallway of his home.

Sipping his tea, he wondered how well Akito was going to take to being dragged around by a human female.

A smirk that was a little evil tilted his chiseled lips, the dog demon taking sadistic pleasure in the knowledge the he was no able to share the wealth where Kagome was concerned, which meant he could foist her off on Akito while she was here.

Truthfully, the arctic kitsune was the only person besides Jaken that he came close to trusting, and while the traitor remained a mystery in his household, he would have to make sure that either one or the other was with the miko at all times.

He didn't want her death being another problem that would mess up his day.

Finishing his drink, he rose and left the room, heading towards the library where Lord Daija was waiting for him, probably with Jaken there to keep the phoenix youkai company until he could join them.

Breathing in deeply, the smell of the soap and shampoo he'd used last night filled his nostrils. He really did need to go bathe. He knew Rin would have already been taken care of, Seiryn seeing to the child's needs as soon as she came home.

Walking down the hallways, he was relieved the smell of familiar scents of home, happy that least the same walls that had once housed him as a pup seemed to welcome him home.

He hadn't needed to take comfort or have a home-coming before now, so why should he expect one?

It was all due to the miko's fault. And now she was going to be here longer. Tripping about his house, probably getting underfoot, and if given the chance would most likely find her way out onto the training fields to start preaching about how they should all stop fighting and sit down for a nice talk instead.

Yes, he was sure that Kagome was going to turn his house upside down.

He smirked.

At least now, Akito could deal with her for a while.

That was a very comforting thought indeed.


	20. Hot Spring

Kagome stalked angrily through Sesshoumaru's castle, Akito's captured wrist still held tightly within her grasp. The arctic kitsune hadn't spoken a word since she had stormed from the Taiyoukai and abducted his personal guard for her own use.

At the time, she had made the fox demon come with her so she wouldn't get lost in this labyrinth the dog demon called a house. The miko was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Even in her irritation she had been lucid enough to know that getting lost in a nest full of hostile youkai wasn't a good idea. So in order to insure her own safety and to obtain directions to the nearest hot spring, the girl had taken Akito.

She tired fairly quickly, the sickness in her body making her breathe in wheezy pants from her recent exertions. The damp way her clothing clung to her over-heated skin made her wish she was at the bathing pool already. At least going around in a piece of spandex would be a lot cooler than layered in all these winter clothes.

A fit of coughing made Kagome stop in the middle of an unfamiliar hallway, releasing the demon to place her hand over her mouth. Leaning heavily against the nearest wall, she felt the flush in her cheeks rise as she tried to get enough oxygen into her lungs.

Akito watched the human closely, noticing how hard it was for her to inhale cleanly. The unhealthy wheezes emitting from her chest did not bode well, and he could tell she had a fever now too.

He made a quick sweep of his icy eyes up and down the hallway, making sure no other demons were headed in their direction.

Lord Sesshoumaru had entrusted the female's safety to him, and he had no plans of failing his master.

Although, with all the racket she was making, youkai were bound to come and investigate. Especially the ones with a heightened sense of smell.

The girl gave off the most pleasant odors. Like apples and vanilla, exotic, sweet and tart all wrapped into one tantalizing scent.

The kitsune knew that more than one demon would find this human appealing in a number of ways.

It looked like Lord Sesshoumaru had stuck him with a full-time babysitting job. He drew the ling at being made to wear necklaces of flowers. That was Jaken's department.

Akito focused on Kagome as her coughing died down, the miko pushing herself away from the wall to stand on unsteady legs.

She looked like she might fall down at any moment, and he really didn't see himself as a beast of burden to be carrying her about.

Stepping into her line of vision, he looked down at her, his frigid eyes cold and mysterious.

"Lady Kagome, if you'll follow me I shall take you to the hot spring. Afterwards, I can then show you to your quarters."

Kagome sniffled, squinting blue-grey orbs up into the kitsune's face, a throbbing pulsing along her stuffed sinuses.

Ugh, she felt terrible. Maybe stomping off in a fit of temper hadn't been the smartest idea she'd had today.

But then, she was becoming used to not being able to trust her own judgement. Especially where the two dog demon brothers were concerned.

Gazing at Akito's bland expression, waiting patiently for her answer, his hand holding the spear in a firm grip, Kagome felt a bit guilty.

Now, because of a little tiff between her and Sesshoumaru, the fox demon got dragged all over the castle. She hoped her stunt wouldn't get him in trouble with the Taiyoukai.

Sighing with tired resignation, she gave him a small wan smile. "Yes, that would be nice, Akito. Thank you."

Bowing his head in acknowledgment of her gratitude, he then waited for her to draw alongside him before proceeding back down the way they had just come.

This made Kagome even more embarrassed. Apparently she had been going the wrong way the entire time.

In about fifteen minutes they were leaving the castle out of what looked like the back of the building, the garden she had glimpsed before now in full view. Now that it was getting to be late afternoon the sun had begun to slowly descend from it stately throne in the heavens, bathing the bushes, flowers, and trees in an orange glow. It almost made Akito's hair look orange and green as it reflected off the shiny surface, the white bangs stirring a bit as a breeze went by.

After descending a few wooden steps they followed a gravel path that twisted and turned gracefully through the beautiful royal gardens, a myriad of colors leaping out at her as she went. Unfortunately, the miko couldn't really appreciate the lovely natural display before her because she was just too damned tired. Perhaps not mentally, but physically she was fast approaching the beat stage.

When they cleared the section that was full of plant life Kagome saw the arched bridge she had seen the end of before, seeing up close that it was made of a deep colored wood, like that of what the house was crafted from, a blue stream running merrily beneath it. However, they did not head to cross it, but rather went off away from it towards the right, where, as she looked past Akito, she could see a large stone and wooden structure that looked like that of an old-time dojo, just bigger.

From the windows that sat high up towards the roof she could see small wisps of steam escaping in white vaporous clouds into the waning sunlight. As they drew closer to the building Kagome saw a set of large doors with the patented sakura emblem, two more fully armored guards standing on either side.

Stopping before them Akito looked at each in turn, saying, "The Lady wishes to bathe and is not to be disturbed. Once she is finished inform me and I shall return to escort her to her rooms."

"Yes sir," deep cultured voices answered in unison, both looking at the stranger that the personal guard of Lord Sesshoumaru had with him. It was very unusual to see the arctic fox anywhere away from their master if the Taiyoukai was in residence. Even more out of the ordinary to see him accompanied by what looked to be a human female.

Kagome studied the guards that she was to be left with while she bathed, trying to make out their features from between their faceplates. It was difficult to really see anything clearly with the armor blocking everything, but she did notice that one had black eyebrows, his helmet hiding his hair, and a length of silky black fur wrapped about his shoulder, much like Sesshoumaru kept his. His eyes gave away his true heritage though. The same deep amber/gold that both Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha shared. Surprise etched across her pretty features, and she stepped forward without any thought, coming to stand right in front of him.

Looking up into his startled face, she said with a bit of excitement, "You're a dog demon too, aren't you?"

Eyeing the odd human warily, he answered, "Yes, Lady."

The other demons watched her in puzzlement, obviously not understanding why the female would react so oddly at seeing another canine youkai.

She hadn't thought that Lord Sesshoumaru was the only one, had she?

Her blue-grey eyes were sparked in interest, her attention solely focused on the tail that perched along his maroon clad shoulder. The dog youkai was growing uncomfortable under the Lady's close scrutiny, never having been subjected to such by a human before, especially not at this close range. Plus her scent was distracting him. He couldn't figure out precisely what it was, but it wasn't unpleasant like most mortals he had ran into.

"Amazing," she whispered softly, reaching out unthinkingly to touch the sable fur, her only thought to make physical contact to prove to herself that the demon before her was real.

She didn't need any fever induced delusions right now.

The other guard made to intercept her, not trusting that this human wouldn't try and harm his comrade. Even out here at their somewhat isolated post they had heard about the miko that had accompanied Lord Sesshoumaru home. Getting purified wasn't high on their wish list at all.

However, before he could even make it to her side Akito got there before him, lightly clasping the elbow of the hand hovering near the nervous warrior, pulling her towards the door gently.

"Lady Kagome, you must wish to bathe so you can then get some rest after your long journey," his voice brought her out of her momentary stupor.

Blushing in slight mortification, she laughed sheepishly, casting the tense dog demon an apologetic look. She also noticed that the other one had come a lot closer while she was preoccupied with the other youkai.

"Sorry about that! I don't know what came over me." Waving her hands in a placating manner, she added, "I guess I was just surprised to see another dog demon. You see, I've only ever come across Lord Sesshoumaru so assumed he must be the only one."

"No harm done, Lady," he answered with relief, happy to have evaded her touch. For a moment there he had thought she might try to zap him, and being burnt to a crisp was never fun.

"Oh please, call me Kagome," she pleaded with the trio. At first she had been flattered, but now she was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the title. She was no aristocrat, no person of royal blood to make these proud creatures defer to her as if she were.

The demons shared a look with one another, something she couldn't identify passing between them. She finally got a good glimpse of the last youkai, but other than his coloring she could not tell what type of demon he might be.

A pair of blonde eyebrows, a few strands of the light colored hair trailing in his black eyes. Well, not exactly black. They were just the deepest brown she had ever seen, the irises almost blending in completely with the slitted pupils.

He almost looked human, it she hadn't been able to sense the jaki coming from him, or the otherworldly beauty all the demons possessed.

"That is kind of you to offer, Lady, but we really could not," the dog demon answered for all three of them.

A puzzled frown wrinkled her brow. "Why not?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru has instructed for all of us to address you as Lady Kagome, and until he orders otherwise we shall not call you by your given name," Akito explained, once more urging the human towards the doors. Who would have thought it would take this long just to get her to enter the damn place?

Letting herself be dragged along by the kitsune, she glanced back at the guards that were watching them with interest, hearing the creak of one of the large doors being opened. A wave of heat assailed her, but she still didn't look ahead to where it was coming from, instead smiling in their direction.

"It was nice meeting you two! What were your names?"

Standing to attention as though faced with a superior officer, the fair-haired one bowed and said, "Musashi Junyo, at your service Lady." The other one mirrored his motions, replying, "Sora Sakamoto."

Smiling pleasantly at them, Kagome said as Akito pulled her passed the threshold, "Nice to meet you, Sora and Musashi. I'll come get you in a little while after I am finished." And with that she disappeared inside, the heavy door closing behind her.

Musashi gave Sora an uneasy expression, taking up post on his side of the doors. "Did we just enter into semi-polite conversation with a miko?"

Nodding, a bit of a shell-shocked cast to his features, the dog demon said, "Yes, I think we did." He shifted uncomfortably, his clawed hand tightening on the slim pole of the glaive he carried. "Do you think she can be trusted?"

A shadow of deep consideration marred Musashi's face, his shimmery eyes trailing to the closed door. "I'm not sure. But if Lord Sesshoumaru is willing to allow her access to the grounds and place Akito at her side then she can't be un-trustworthy, can she?"

Sora thought it over, tapping one finger against his chin. "Hmmm... I would tend to agree with that assumption." Catching Musashi's eyes with his own, he added, "Besides, she seems nice enough."

Musashi grinned mischievously, a devilish spark flashing in his dark orbs. "You say that now, but I saw how scared you were when it looked like she was going to touch you."

Annoyance caused a scowl to draw Sora's black eyebrows together, his fangs flashing a bit when he growled, "I wasn't scared! She just startled me." Straightening his shoulders with exaggerated dignity, he turned to stare out down the path that led from the royal hot springs. "I'm not used to humans approaching me with such ease. It was disconcerting."

Taking up a similar stance, Musashi nodded, letting the issue lie for the moment. "Do you think she is going to be here long?"

Silence filled the air between the two youkai, a stray burst of wind flowing passed them, ruffling their uniforms and Sora's tail.

The dog demon gazed out into the garden, the sun sinking into the horizon making the area looked as though it were ablaze. At last, he answered a little hesitantly, "I don't know. I just don't know."

The two friends once more fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts as to how long the miko would be staying at the castle, and more importantly, what her very presence there meant.

Kagome, unaware of the conversation being held by the two demons she had just met, was taking in her new surroundings with wide eyes, her rosy lips parted in awe.

Akito brought her fully into the huge open room, releasing his hold on her arm once they reached the inner entrance to where the hot springs were located. Turning, he smiled inwardly at the awe-struck lines of the miko's expressive face, her blue-grey eyes impossibly large as they fell on different things in the room.

She scanned the area with growing delight, the moist heat of the place already making her hair slightly damp, fuzzing the long tresses a bit. The miko was a little envious to see that the kitsune's own colorful locks remained sedately placed about his proud head, the humidity not bothering him at all.

Damn, was there nothing that could make demons look less than exemplary? It was annoying as hell.

The room was a lot larger than it had looked outside. The walls rose with grand elegance from their bases rooted in the dirt ground, their creamy color making everything seem more open and inviting. The ceiling was open, supported by huge wooden beams that arced under the shingled roof they lay under, the constant condensation given off by the heated water not seeming to wear on them at all. The floor she was currently standing on was made of the same smooth stones that the inner courtyard was crafted from, their pristine surfaces patterned in sakura symbols all around the large pool that lay in the center of the room. Closer to the hot spring were rough boulders dotted with sporadic green vegetation, the emerald plants looking like jewels against the dark background.

What really caught her interest though was the size of the hot spring itself. Never in all her travels with Inu Yasha had she seen one as large as this. It was bigger than an Olympic-sized pool, and as she stepped closer to peer down into its depths, she would bet just as deep in some places as well. Kagome could easily picture a transformed Sesshoumaru being able to lay down in the giant fixture, not having a problem getting his fur clean at all.

She was brought from her thoughts when Akito's cool voice spoke from behind her, making her turn to face him. He was standing by where the front door was, motioning with his spear towards the back. She followed the line his spear had made, listening to his words.

"There is a back entrance that way which leads out into the gardens. You probably won't need to use it tonight, but in case you come back here again you will at least know it is there." Fixing the back of her nodding head with a serious stare, he continued, putting emphasis on his words. "If you do decide to venture out make sure that either I, Sora, or Musashi accompany you, Lady. It is not safe to go wandering about on your own."

Those sobering words made Kagome feel a little deflated. It made her remind herself that even though this place looked like eden there were more than a few stray asps slithering about, lying in wait for the unwary.

Such as the traitor that was hiding in Sesshoumaru's midst.

"Thank you, Akito. I will remember that." Her voice was tired, lacking the energetic quality it had held when she'd addressed the two guards.

It made the fox demon wonder why his words would have such an effect on the human. It wasn't like this was all surprising news.

Kagome dropped her heavy pack to the earthen floor with a 'thud', sighing in relief at having the weight taken from her slight body. She noticed that she could breathe a bit easier in the humid air, the steaminess breaking up the congestion in her sinuses.

Thank Kami for that! Now, if she could just get rid of this sore throat...

Suddenly, something occurred to her. Smiling, she asked Akito, "Do you think you could do me a favor, Akito?"

He bowed. "Of course, Lady. You have but to ask."

She shifted her feet a bit, running her hand through her hair, a customary nervous habit. "Umm...do you think you could bring Ah Un here?"

One navy eyebrow arched, his iceberg eyes showing the first real emotion she had ever seen in them. Puzzlement.

"Might I ask why, Lady?" His tone clearly said he had no idea why she would ask for such a thing. "Is it for more protection perhaps? I can assure you that Musashi and Sora can be trusted. Sora himself is a distant cousin to Lord Sesshoumaru."

Her own raven eyebrows rose into her bangs. "Really? I didn't know that." She filed that information away for later use. "Actually, it isn't because I feel unsafe." Giving him a wink she said, " In fact, this is the most protected I have ever felt in my entire life. The reason I ask for him is because I wanted to...to bathe the dragon youkai."

Her eyes trailed away from his towards the end of her sentence, the girl clearly embarrassed by her request.

"I see," he said flatly, understanding clear on his face. Personally, he was a bit glad that at least someone was finally going to give that demon a good scrubbing. He being one of the few youkai in Lord Sesshoumaru's service to have a heightened sense of smell, it was always unpleasant whenever he was close to the dragon. Seriously, he didn't know how his master could stand it. But then he also kept Jaken close to him, so...

Bowing, he said as he turned to leave, "I shall send him with haste, Lady. I'll just have Musashi and Sora open the doors and let him in."

Already kicking off her tennis shoes and removing her socks, she called to his retreating back, "Thanks Akito-kun!" Not even noticing what she had called him, too busy shedding her jacket.

The arctic youkai faltered in his steps before he continued on.

Did she just call him Akito-kun?

Shaking his head at the oddness of humans, especially the females of that species, he let himself out into the cool night, ignoring the snickering coming from his right where Sora was laughing at him.

Damn dog demons and their hearing. Now how would he live this down?

Sighing, he set off to find Ah Un, wanting to complete his task quickly as possible. He thought it best if Lady Kagome was safely ensconced in her rooms before it got too late, more youkai returning from their scouting missions as the evening lengthened, thus learning about their new guest.

Spotting the dragon off in the corner of his meadow, Akito smirked evilly, his iridescent eyes flashing in the waning light.

One good thing, at least he could pass on the babysitting of his new 'charge' to the other youkai for a while. Not to mention whatever concoction she ended up cleaning his scaly hide with it would be better than his own natural odor.

Ah Un eyed the uncharacteristically happy arctic kitsune warily.

"Ah Un, my friends..."

That was when the scaly demon knew he was in trouble.

Kagome stepped down into the hot water, gasping a little at how the warm liquid made her skin prickle a little in discomfort before acclimating itself to the new temperature. She was wearing her bathing suit again, this time putting her hair up with some chopsticks she had found towards the bottom of her bag.

Speaking of which, she had all but turned the over-stuffed thing on its head, dumping the contents out onto the stone covered part of the floor. The girl had done it because she couldn't remember everything she had brought with her this time, and was looking for some Niquil to take later. What she'd discovered as she dug through jeans, canisters of food, a pot, some underwear here and there,was a little boom-box that operated off batteries. She remember that it was a gift from Souta last year. Her little brother thought she was falling behind on keeping up with the new music coming out, so bought her the little disc player/radio and made a habit of burning cds for her whenever she was gone.

Digging a little further, the miko had seen the plastic gleam of the multi-colored jewel cases he used, about six in varying shades held together with a rubberband. Setting those to the side along with the electronic equipment, she then kept looking until she came across her first aid box, giving a happy sigh when she opened it to find the bottle of thick red liquid. Putting that with her pile of bathing implements and towels Kagome had then proceeded to pick them up and place them in easy reach on a boulder next to the front of the hot spring.

Sloshing through the water, that was currently swirling about her thighs, she took the piece of rubber from around the cds and began flipping through them. She stopped on one that said "To Delve In Fantasy" in dark green ink. One eyebrow rose in speculation as she opened the peridot case.

Who would have thought her miscreant little brother had a poetic streak in him.

Sneezing, she sniffled while opening the top of the dark grey cd player and inserted the disc into the machine. Pressing the play button, she left the side of the spring, venturing out deeper so she could begin washing her body, work the kinks out of her muscles.

The water felt heavenly on her sore joints, soothing away the aches of before. She didn't submerge herself fully, instead deciding to wait until after she finished with Ah Un before washing her own hair. That way she wouldn't be running about with wet hair any more than necessary.

Coming to halt once she was balancing on her toes only, the smoothness of the bottom of the hot spring feeling like marble, Kagome looked around her again. Her eyes stopped on a torch that was hanging on the wall. She had previously not seen it, too busy focusing on the pool of water before her to wonder how it was that the place was illuminated without electricity.

Of course. Torches.

She could have slapped herself on the head, if she didn't think the action would make her little headache worse. That was one thing that hadn't diminished since she had come in here. It didn't feel like one of her migraines coming on, but it was irritating enough to make her wish it would just go away.

A low grumble behind her made the miko spin in the water, her arms waving beside herself to keep her body afloat. She smiled when she saw it was only Ah Un, standing on the edge of the spring, his eyes a little wary and questioning.

Making her way over to him, she said cheerfully, "Hi there, Ah Un!"

The dragon answered with a low growl much like the one he gave Rin whenever she first approached him, Un turning his head to the side at seeing what the miko was wearing.

Kagome laughed, the expression on the dragon's face funny to her. Now in touching distance, she plucked lightly at one black strap of the clingy material. "Wondering what this is?"

Un nodded his head, extending his long neck to sniff at her shoulder, his warm breathe tickling her neck, making the miko giggle and squirm.

"It's called a bathing suit. We humans in the future wear them so that we don't blind others with our naked bodies."

Ah grunted as though he was scoffing at her words, making her laugh again. Shaking a finger in his direction as Un now started nipping at the stretchy fabric lightly to see what it was made of, she said with mock seriousness, "Now listen here, young man. If you saw some of the people in my time era you would see what a blessing these things are!"

He still looked unconvinced, but soon his attention was turned to what Un was doing, growling at his counterpart as though asking after his actions.

Kagome, starting to get worried the dragon would accidentally break the strap, thus leaving her with nothing to bathe in, gently pushed his face away from her shoulder, giving his forehead a final stroke before backing up a bit. She watched as Ah Un shared a look with one another, as though having a silent conversation.

She wondered if the two could understand each other's thoughts. After all, they did share the same body...

Shrugging it aside, her attention turned to the cd player when she heard the strains of one of her favorite songs begin to float through the air. The youkai heard the sounds too, swiveling his heads to look at the foreign object with interest.

Pointing one wet arm towards it, she explained, "That's what is called a cd player. It makes music come out of the two screened sides, and you can control how loud it is with the nobs on top."

Kagome was sure that if Ah could have he would have arched an eyebrow at her in speculation. It was clear that particular part of the demon was the more reserved of the two, Un being the ever curious one who was trying to sniff it from the distance he was at, his large nostrils flaring with the effort.

Waving her fingers at Ah, she said, "Alright, it's time for you two to get in here so I can give you a bath."

That got Un's attention, his yellow eyes sharp with what looked like uneasiness. Ah just gave her a look as though she were crazy.

She jutted her lower lip out, pouting at the two playfully. "Awwww...come on guys! It isn't bad in here, I promise." Smirking, she splashed a little water onto their front, causing the youkai to back up hastily to avoid further soakage. Laughing, she called in a sing-song voice, "Don't make me come get you."

They growled lightly at her, non-threatening, a little bit of what she thought was a scoff in their voices.

Arching an eyebrow, she put her hands on her hips. "Oh really? Well, fine by me. I'll just come and get you." With that she began hoisting herself out of the water, the air inside the room not cold, but still causing goose bumps to pop up on her exposed skin.

Rubbing her arms as she came towards the demon who was silently waiting where he stood, the miko exclaimed, "Ugh, is it just me or is it cold in here?"

Un shared a look with Ah, both of them aware that it was anything but cold in the room.

Drawing up next to Ah, she draped a companionable arm over his great neck, his scales digging into her soft flesh, leaving immediate imprints. Leaning her wet body against his side she began tugging at him, trying to get him to go with her.

"Come on, guys. The sooner you get in there the sooner you get to go back out," she tried to reason with the obstinate youkai who's clawed feet were still firmly planted to the smooth stones. After a few more pulls, Kagome gave up on the idea of forcing the huge dragon to follow her, panting a little from her efforts.

Ah gave her a smug look, mirth dancing clearly in Un's eyes as he swung his head around to look at her.

Scowling with fake anger, Kagome moved to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips again. "Laughing at me, huh? Well get it in while you can, guys. I'll find a way to get you in that water yet."

Chewing on her thumbnail, her eyes were drawn to the pile of her belongings littering the floor, coming to a stop at seeing the bright white edge of a Cookies N Cream bar.

Clapping her hands in delight, she gave Ah Un a smirk of triumph as she went to retrieve it.

"Ha! I have a secret weapon you guys won't be able to resist!" Un rolled his glowing eyes, Ah grunting, completely unimpressed with her words.

Grabbing up the sweet, she turned back to them while opening it, noticing with a grin how their eyes lit up when they could smell that it was food in her hand.

Un leaned his neck out towards her, sniffing deeply the whole time. Waving it back in forth a little out of his reach, she peeled back the foil wrapper.

"Doesn't this look yummy? Come on, you know what you some..." she edged backwards towards the water as she spoke, noticing with a sense of victory that the dragon was following, trying to reach the candy.

"That's it, just a little more..." she coaxed, checking behind her shoulder quickly to make sure she wasn't going to fall in by accident.

No, she still had about a foot to go.

Gazing back at the fast approaching youkai, she took a bite off one corner, acting as though it was the best thing she had ever tasted.

"Mmmm...this is so great! Don't you guys wish you could have some?"

Un growled a little, Ah now stretching out as well to try and take the treat from her hand, causing her to laugh at their avarice.

Carefully, she stepped back into the water, still keeping them in sight as she did. The dragon came to the very edge and stopped, eyeing her, the candy, and the liquid with dawning understanding.

One side of her mouth tilted in a knowing smirk. "That's right. If you want it, you have to get in here and get a bath."

Ah leaned his head back, clearly balking at her plan. Un looked back at him, a pleading growl flitting from his throat. His counterpart looked at him for a few moments before sighing and lowering his head in defeat. Kagome could have sworn she saw a smile play about Un's lips when they all but jumped into the spring, making her scramble frantically out of the way so she wouldn't accidentally get crushed.

Water leaped up on all sides of the pool, sloshing out in messy puddles onto the earth and stone along the perimeter. Thank goodness it missed her stuff that was on that boulder. At least she had been smart enough to get that well out of the way so no water could get to them.

Wiping the hot water droplets from her now soaked face, she coughed a little, squinting her eyes towards where she felt a tugging at her hand. Vision clearing, she could see Un lipping at the candy, his entire body covered in a thin layer of water. Ah had a bedraggled look to him, his yellow eyes disgruntled, his hair scraggly along his neck.

Chuckling, she withdrew the bar of white chocolate, crumpling up the wrapper into a ball and throwing it to the side before breaking it in half and handing one to each youkai. Un gobbled his up quickly, his forked purple tongue peaking out to lick the residue on his lips. Ah ate his more sedately, calmly chewing the treat with as much grace as any well-mannered guest.

Shaking her head at their antics, she moved over to retrieve her soap and washcloth, changing the cd now that it had ended. This time she chose one labeled "Groove", putting he yellow disc into the machine and pressing the play button before taking her cleaning tools over to the waiting demon.

As she was working up a good lather in the blue washcloth she had in her hand, the first song came on. When she realized what it was, she laughed in delight, one of the first real laughs she had partaken in a long time.

Ah Un looked back at the girl, puzzled as to what she would find so funny. Ah leaned back to sniff at the flowery smelling soap in her hand, his nostrils flaring a bit as the scent invaded his olfactory system. Still chuckling, she stuck the bar under one shoulder strap, keeping the slippery implement in place by using the material and her body. She was sure if she accidentally dropped it in this huge hot spring she would never be seeing it again any time soon.

She could just see Sesshoumaru or some other demon coming in here to use the hot spring, unaware of what lay under the water. Then accidentally stepping onto it and falling into the water as they lost their footing.

This sent her into another fit of laughter, her abused lungs protesting the action, making her cough. Groaning, Kagome regained her breathe, patting the worried face of Ah before saying in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine. Just a little cough."

Taking up her soap covered wash cloth, she began running firm circles over the dragon's bumpy hide. Listening to the song, she began swaying from side to side, giving Ah Un a wink as they continued to watch what she was doing. Moving to scrub at his shoulders, she began singing.

"You got me lifted, feeling so gifted...suga how'd you get so fllllyyyy...suga suga how'd you get so flllyyyy..."

Ah Un watched the miko's antics with interest, never having seen one sing and dance like this one before.

Sharing a look with Un, Ah's eyes seemed to transmit the same message that his counterpart was thinking.

Would Kagome give them more candy after she was done peeling off their hide with her rag and soap, her off-key singing ringing in their ears?

They thought they should get some compensation for being made to put up with such torture.


	21. Search

It was a hell of a lot harder to sleep alone than it should have been, Sesshoumaru thought grimly as he woke from fitful slumber in the isolation and silence of his own room.

A few days— he'd spent just a few days crammed into Kagome's absurdly small bed with her soft, feminine form cuddled close against him. He'd hated the intrusion. He'd been sure he did.

Then why was it that all through this endless night he'd tossed and turned, found himself reaching out in his sleep, nerves ragged when he didn't find her?

His concern was doubtless some latent germ of chivalry the dog demon had been infected with. Sesshoumaru had been tormented by hazy impressions that he was still trapped in Kagome's small room in her time era instead of safe within his own pristine quarters and, despite his imprisonment, was reluctant to see the woman dumped unceremoniously on the floor. The fear that he'd somehow knocked her out of the bed was the only reason he kept searching for her in his sleep. After all, it couldn't be gentlemanly form to allow the woman who'd saved one's life to bruise herself in such a fashion.

The Taiyoukai should have been damned relieved when he awoke to the gleaming bare white walls of his bedchamber, the spartan-plain armoire standing at attention in the corner. But the night's ordeal had left him exhausted and in a most precarious temper, a decidedly unpleasant circumstance for one who prided himself on both his self-control and his ability to function on impossibly little sleep.

He'd cultivated those two habits since childhood. Advisors of the Taisho family had packed his head from morning till night with unorthodox lessons, pouring insights and information into Sesshoumaru's mind in such a relentless deluge that the pup had often felt he was drowning.

He had never regretted the slumber time he lost when other children were dreaming of useless pursuits like fighting great battles or playing hero to some country. To a pup who owned nothing except a sharp intellect and the information in his head, the night alone had seemed to belong to him.

Even as a mature youkai, Sesshoumaru watched countless moons arc silver across the sky, seen an eternity of stars sparkle, fade, die. Yet after everything that had transpired during the past week, he'd thought for once he would be able to lose himself in oblivion, sleep decently if only from the sheer exhaustion and the familiarity of being back in his own bed. Even the threat of assassins shouldn't have had any power over him. He had a warrior's instincts, that lifesaving ability to spring from dead sleep to battle readiness between one heartbeat and the next.

After all, he had gone through hours of meetings while taking back control of the palace, conversing with Lord Daija on all the changes that had happened in his absence. Later, while bathing, he had Jaken brief him on what the Phoenix youkai had accomplished in the short period he was gone, learning that now many of his indentured soldiers idolized the demon for his kindness towards them.

Hero-worship really did disgust him.

But that was not the reason for his lack of rest this evening either.

Only one thing had possessed the power to trouble his sleep and turn his feather mattress into a bed that might as well have been stuffed with thorns.

Kagome Higurashi.

Ignoring the throb of his shoulder, the stitches still there since the miko hadn't been around to take them out, Sesshoumaru dragged the back of his hand across his gritty eyelids, and levered himself to a sitting position on the bed.

Blast the woman. She was like a nettle, prickling a person's skin until their nerves were raw. Yet, at the same time, he still got a measure of comfort from her presence, her scent a balm to his worn mind. The time spent with her, taking tea upon their return, was the only instance this day that he had relaxed fully, not weighed down with responsibilities.

But what the devil had he done once she had asked to stay at his castle with him? Had he been sensible? Bundled her off with some food and pushed the miko out the front gates of his palace? No. The Taiyoukai had let the woman outmaneuver him again. Although, if he was being honest with himself, the dog demon would acknowledge that he had been the one to tell her she could remain here.

In fact, he'd set her up in the room just down the hall from his, putting Akito at her door to guard her. Sesshoumaru had let Kagome stay.

He smirked to himself. Let her? Hellfire, as if anyone could get rid of her! And yet, damn the miko and his own growing foolishness, some part of him was glad she was nearby. Close enough so that he could keep her safe until those who plotted against him were caught. And close enough so that he could unravel whatever Seiryn had meant about her being not fully miko or human.

Bracing himself for the unpleasant task of working the morning stiffness out of his wounded leg, he swung his limbs over the edge of the bed and got to his feet, his tail trailing behind him. The instant he was changed into fresh clothes he would have her summoned, so that he could lay out some simple rules for her safety, check and see if her health was improving. The Taiyoukai had no delusions. Kagome had the battle instincts of a day-old fawn.

Grimacing, he made his way to his washstand and peered into the mirror. He lowered his eyebrows in puzzlement. Why the hell was he smiling?

Barely half an hour passed before he was ready, garbed in his usual white outfit, forgoing the armor since he was home. The image that stared back at him from the looking glass was reassuringly familiar. Lean, striped cheekbones, silver hair flowing over his shoulders and down his back, amber eyes that betrayed nothing. He could almost believe that his encounter with the assassins and a miko guardian angel hadn't altered him at all.

Feeling as if he'd regained his grasp on something vital, the youkai strode into his study that was connected to his rooms by a door. A sleepy-eyed Jaken sprang to attention.

"Good— good morning, Lord Sesshoumaru," he squawked, clutching his staff with a tight hand, fixing his little hat with the other. His bulbous eyes gazed at his master with open adoration. "I decided to sleep here last night, My Lord, in case you needed anything this morning." He puffed his chest out, proud of himself and his fortitude in serving the Taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru eyed the diminutive demon coldly, saying in frosty tones, "Solicitous as ever, Jaken." Ignoring the proud gleam that entered his servant's eyes, he ordered, "Summon the miko and Akito. Tell her I wish to see her here at once."

With a hasty bow the toad demon all but ran from the room, his little legs pumping as fast as they would go. Sesshoumaru could hear the slapping of his webbed feet on the floorboards as Jaken ran down the hallways, hurrying to accomplish his task.

Tuning the sound out, he walked over to his desk, sorting through the pile of letters that had arrived while he was away. Most business had already been attended to by the capable Lord Daija, but a commander needed to be aware of everything that had transpired in his absence— especially when said absence involved a plot to kill him.

He was absorbed in an order for supplies when he heard the frantic steps of someone running down the hall. His muscles tensed. Such unseemly haste never boded well. Squaring his shoulders, he lay his hand flat atop the stack of papers, smoothing every ripple of unease from his face until it was undisturbed as a mountain lake.

Jaken burst in, bowing, his huge eyes round with distress. "Lord Sesshoumaru. I went to the human's rooms as you ordered. But when I knocked, there was no answer, and Akito wasn't anywhere about. I— I knew you would be most displeased if I failed to return with her, so I opened the door, but—"

A chill trickled down Sesshoumaru's spine, his voice ice-hard. "For Kami's sake. I'm aging here, Jaken. Just say whatever it is you have to say."

The little demon evaded his master's gaze, his hands around the staff twisting on the wood in their grasp. His voice was particularly high when he said, "She's gone, My Lord."

"Gone?" he arched one silvery eyebrow at him.

Jaken flinched. "I— I'm afraid so, My Lord." The youkai shifted on his feet as if the floor had suddenly become as hot as a frying pan. "Perhaps she wandered off. You know humans are an unpredictable lot, never so much as a by-your-leave and—"

"I hardly think my guest needs to ask by-your-leave of any youkai in this castle save me." Sesshoumaru pierced him with a glare so sharp it should have drawn blood.

"Y— your guest?" If the little demon had taken a dive headlong from the pot to the fire, he couldn't have looked more aghast.

Sesshoumaru frowned. It had been close to midnight when he first informed Akito and Lord Daija that the miko was to be considered his guest, insuring her a fairly safe passage through his halls. He'd expected the gossip to rage through the palace like an epidemic. Yet perhaps it hadn't if this fool dared to insult the girl his Lord had specified was to be treated like a youkai of the high court. Cutting through Jaken's loud squawking, he said coldly, "It is true. Kagome is to be accorded the same respect you would give to any Lady of high social stature."

"Meaning no disrespect, Lord Sesshoumaru." He bowed deeply, over and over again, his hat becoming askew from the violent movements. Giving the Taiyoukai a pleading look, he continued. "But even if she is your guest, she must be— I mean you would never tolerate irresponsible. . ." he trailed off with a helpless gesture of one hand.

Jaken seemed, at last, to have the wit to realize he was only digging himself in deeper. He swallowed hard, flinging himself into the fray in one last, desperate attempt to rectify his bumbling. "She— she must be somewhere in the keep, My Lord. I'm certain she's safe enough. Nothing ill has happened to her."

The fool was a hell of a lot more optimistic than Sesshoumaru was. Even more disturbing was the fact that the little youkai must have seen the Taiyoukai's nervousness or he would never have tried to reassure him the way he had.

The dog demon rose to his feet with a deliberation that belied the sharp edge of panic carving his vitals.

Kagome, wandering about the castle, hopefully in the company of the arctic kitsune, though probably having slipped his guard as soon as she was able. She no doubt was walking about oblivious, among a keep full of youkai trained from the cradle to have nothing but scorn for humans. Soldiers who had been mocked and spat upon, defied and ambushed by hardheaded villagers without the wit to realize they were bleeding and dying generation after generation in a cause that had been lost centuries ago.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Kagome was sick and marked as the woman who had been brought home with him. It made a region about his heart clench at thinking that the youkai who had tried to kill him, the same demons that she had thwarted, could be stalking her right now. The bastards would take great pleasure in killing her for the girl's interference.

For a second, part of him clamored to raise a general alarm, have every creature in the keep search for her. But he dared not have even one soldier attempt to find her. To do so would be to reveal a vulnerability that chilled him. Despite the general hatred of humans among his warriors, no one would dare show the least disrespect to the Lord's own guest. And as for his assassins— if she was safe now with Akito, his excessive reaction would mark her as a certain target next time. Not to mention the fact that once she was found, probably tending a stray's hurt paw, the whole thing would be damned embarrassing.

"Remain here, Jaken, in case the girl comes. I believe I will take a tour of the grounds. It seems that some improvements have been done to the training hall while I was gone." He strode with measured grace to the door, ignoring the groveling servant, focused on leaving to find the missing human.

"Yes, My Lord."

Pausing on the threshold, he said over his shoulder, "Should the human turn up here, Jaken, you will make certain she remains."

"Yes, My Lord!" he piped, standing up and taking a stance as though he was a guard at his post.

With a nod, Sesshoumaru strode out into his castle, quickly traversing the halls, walking out into the morning sun. It dazzled him, blinded him for a moment. He glanced around, taking in the sight of the uniformed youkai going about their duties, wondering where the devil to begin looking for one lost woman.

The stables perhaps? She would be attracted to the beasts kept inside, wishing to coddle the animals with soft words and gentle caresses.

In the dim, musty confines of the barn, he glimpsed several servants cleaning out stalls, another mending tack. In the corner, a frightened stable boy was attempting to tend to Ah Un, the dragons' eyes glaring at the youth with menace. The youkai bared its teeth at the lad, doubtless waiting for a chance to take a bite.

The Taiyoukai felt a stab of amusement, well acquainted with his mount's penchant for picking on the new grooms.

"Have you seen the Lady Kagome, soldier?"

Sesshoumaru's voice so startled the youngster that he dropped his pitchfork that he had been holding the dragon youkai away with. Seeing a chance, Ah nipped him. With a yelp of pain, the young youkai came to attention well out of reach of those strong fangs. Sesshoumaru could have sworn that Un was laughing.

"Y— your guest? Yes, My Lord. She was here, oh, an hour ago. Kissing this hellborn dragon like it was a newborn kitten. And the youkai was docile under her attention, that was why I volunteered to tend to him this morning." He gave an injured sniff, bending down to retrieve his pitchfork. "He seemed tame enough. Who would have guessed?"

"Who indeed," the Taiyoukai drawled with an alarming sense of relief. Kagome was safe, just wandering about. He'd put a stop to such nonsense the instant he found her.

"I'd heard tell that mikos were very persuasive when it came to handling animals, but I guess I never quite believed it until now. Do you think it's a spell she worked on him— "

"Doubtless the poor beast is bewitched," Sesshoumaru said. Kami knew, the woman had managed to muddle up his own wits something fierce. Breathing in deeply he noticed that his mount now smelled like the soap that Kagome loved so well. He grimaced. Was he never to get away from that odor? "Did she mention where she was going next?"

The youngster scratched his unruly short green hair, his grey eyes thoughtful. "Somewhere on the other side of the castle, My Lord. Shurin was taking her."

"Shurin?" Sesshoumaru's stomach clenched, the vaguest vestiges of amusement dying. Even Kagome couldn't be so reckless as to go off with that rain child, could she? She'd faced him down out in the meadow, seen him and his comrade in full battle regalia. She knew it was likely that Shurin, despite his youthful appearance, was neck-deep in the plot to kill him.

The Taiyoukai was appalled to see the stable lad staring at him, an odd expression in his steel eyes. "He was showing her all around the palace grounds with every semblance of respect," the young demon piped up, rubbing the sore place on his arm where Ah had bitten him. "You never need to worry for a Lady when he's about, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Hellfire, the scamp was trying to soothe the dog demon. Had Sesshoumaru really slipped that far?

Fighting back alarm, he strode out of the stables, his amber gaze searching the bustle of the army barracks. It should be simple enough to pick out a human woman in the midst of the warriors, shouldn't it?

Leg throbbing, pulse far too fast for comfort, he made his way through the confusion, stopping to breathe in deeply here and there, searching for her scent. He'd nearly reached the other edge of the compound when a trace of apples mixed with vanilla caught his attention. Turning his head, he saw that it lead towards the infirmary.

All throughout his search he had also noticed Shurin's along with Akito's scents were in the same direction as the miko had gone. However, he couldn't tell if his personal guard was with the other two or not.

Cursing himself for a fool, Sesshoumaru hastened to the isolated building, constructed far enough away from the rest to guard against contagion. It had been all but empty of late, save for the few injuries that happened during training. Quiet, nearly deserted. A place where few would question or be alarmed if they heard a scream...

If Shurin had dared to hurt her. . . The mere possibility made something poisonous— anger, dread, and resolve— knot beneath Sesshoumaru's ribs. He flung open the door to the building and stalked inside with his usual sedate grace, ready to flay Shurin alive.

The instant he entered, his nose was assaulted with her calming fragrance, along with that of the kitsune and Shurin's. A tinkling wave of feminine laughter floated to his pointed ears as he walked further into the large open space of the main infirmary.

Kagome. For an instant, he feared he would murder the woman himself.

Forcing every wire-taut muscle in his body to relax, the Taiyoukai paced with lazy strides down the center isle, the small cots lining each wall bare, clean white sheets marring their surfaces. Sunlight poured in from slatted windows high up near the ceiling, fresh air wafting in every once in a while.

Following the direction of the sound, he soon came upon a small group towards the end of the long room. What he saw was more infuriating than anything he could have imagined. Kagome and Shurin were sitting on the bed of a female demon that had white bandages wrapped over her left eye, a shock of orange hair flowing in waves down her back. The one eye that was visible was alight with mirth, the cherry iris shimmering as Shurin was telling a story with great animation. Akito, he saw, was standing towards the foot of the bed, his eyes watching the goings on with indifference, the spear standing at attention at his side.

The kistune noticed him first, turning his head to regard his master with icy eyes, bowing when amber orbs clashed with his. Sesshoumaru waved his hand for his guard to rise, coming to stand behind Kagome, the girl and Shurin still too engrossed in his tale to pay attention to the new arrival. The youkai on the bed, however, suddenly became somber, her laughter fleeing to be replaced by fearful respect laced with awe. The Taiyoukai saw how the coarse brown blanket that covered her was being twisted in her clawed hands, the nails stabbing through the fabric.

Shurin kept on talking, his arms waving about in the air as he spoke.

"...and then the youkai lunged forward at me," this sentence was accompanied by an energetic bounce from the youth, one that jostled the patient and made Kagome giggle as she tried to keep her spot on the side of the bed. "But, being the great warrior that I am, I easily dodged it." He sat up proudly, a cocky grin on his face.

Before he could continue his tale, Sesshoumaru interjected, causing Shurin and Kagome to spin about quickly at the sound of his voice.

"I didn't know story telling was now part of the tasks I gave to you, Shurin."

Standing up quickly, the rain child executed a quick bow, his eyes earnest. "No, My Lord. That is to say, you never gave me that order, My Lord." He glanced sideways at the female youkai. "But Teisa looked like she was going to be stuck here for a while, and when Lady Kagome asked me to show her where the hospital was I saw no reason not to come check and see how she was doing."

Kagome smiled up at the Taiyoukai, seeming to be the only one unaware of his current mood. He swept his eyes over her, noticing how she was still pale, and now there were dark smudges under both blue-grey orbs, her breathing still a tad labored to his sharp ears. The miko was wearing her hair up with those ridiculous chopsticks, a black sweater encasing her body along with a pair of the jeans she liked so well. The dog demon inwardly frowned when he saw that she hadn't worn her jacket out in the brisk fall air, probably aggravating her sickness by doing so.

"Sesshoumaru!" she exclaimed with genuine gladness. The Taiyoukai winced at her use of his first name. She paused only long enough to stand and smooth the creases from her pants before she flew to his side. "How are you this morning? Shurin has been showing me all over your beautiful palace and he and I were helping Teisa—"

"Shurin, I thought I made myself clear last night when I told you I had no more need of a personal assistant. Your services are no longer necessary to me or to my guest."

Kagome's smile died, confusion clouding her face. Shurin looked as if he'd taken a sword thrust full in the chest, his eyes shadowed in pained puzzlement. An apt comparison, Sesshoumaru thought with bitter humor, considering that that was probably where the demon had instructed the assassins to aim.

Damn them both for looking so surprised. After all, there could be no other logical reason why Shurin would have been traveling with General Kaizon, could there?

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I thought you just meant that last night you wished to be left alone." Damn Shurin for looking so bewildered and hurt. Blast, he couldn't be mourning the loss of his post too grievously. The rain youkai had probably been horrified when he first got his assignment to serve the inscrutable Taiyoukai.

Besides, whatever had happened at Inu Yasha's Forest, it was Shurin who'd shown up towards the outer perimeters of the place, accompanied by a demon Sesshoumaru knew as an adversary. Any sane person would have been suspicious. And suspicion had a strange way of keeping one alive.

"Sesshoumaru, please."

His name again. Curse the woman! Her use of it made him feel stripped naked somehow. Kagome pressed his arm with one hand, the slender fingers delicate and fragile against the crisp haori sleeve. The other youkai watched the interplay with shock, never having seen anyone but Rin getting that close to their master. Even more surprising, that the dog demon was allowing it.

Her eyes were pleading when she spoke, her voice hoarse from her illness. "Shurin has been very kind, showing me all over the place, telling me how the castle works, the improvements you've made."

The fact that he might have escorted her ever so chivalrously off the nearest cliff obviously hadn't occurred to the woman. Even if Akito was with her, it was still possible that some misfortune could have fallen upon her. The fact that she was safe should have eased the tightness in Sesshoumaru's shoulders, softened the knot in his gut. Instead, he felt inexplicably angrier than ever.

"I fear I am less than convinced that Shurin is reliable, considering the fact that he deserted his post for at least a few days."

"I was searching for you, My Lord!" Shurin cried, hot spots of color on his cheeks.

High passion, earnestness, wounded pride? Or was it guilt, a desperate attempt to hide his culpability?

"Indeed. You have found me. Now, if you will excuse us?" he grasped Kagome's arm and marched her back to his chambers in silence, Akito trailing behind them quietly, despite her efforts to get him to speak. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to guess his present temper.

The instant he arrived at his study he released Kagome, curtly telling Jaken to leave and for Akito to wait outside, closing the door behind him. Once he was sure that they had privacy he rounded on her.

"How dare you go traipsing around my castle without my permission!"

"Your permission?" her spine stiffened so swiftly it was a miracle it didn't crack. Her eyes blazed at him, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

"What were you thinking? For Kami's sake, Shurin might well be one of the youkai who set up my assassination!" His amber eyes had a red ring around them, his slitted pupils tiny pinpricks of fury. The Taiyoukai all but bristled in anger, standing a few feet from her, his body tense.

He expected anger from her, outrage at his scorn. He would have welcomed it, an outlet for the coils of rage and— yes, damn it— worry that still bound him up inside. The last thing he wanted was for her mouth to soften, her eyes to fill with gentle knowing.

"I understand now. So that was what made you so mad," she spoke almost to herself, her hands relaxing. She crossed to him, grasping his hand between her own.

"Sesshoumaru, you needn't worry anymore about me."

"Needn't worry? What the— "

"Shurin had nothing to do with what happened at the Bone-eaters well. He would never hurt you." Kagome's words were said in a soothing tone, as if she was trying to calm him like he was an overwrought child. The woman actually dared to smile. "He idolizes you."

Sesshoumaru was unnerved by the knowledge that she'd guessed Shurin's involvement bothered him. That she seemed to have guessed how deeply his former personal aide's betrayal had cut— that was unbearable. He stiffened, drawing his hand away from her touch. "Did Shurin tell you this while he was escorting you about the castle? Pardon me for doubting, but I hardly think he'd discuss methods of assassination to entertain a Lady."

He'd managed to anger her that time! A fierce defensive light sparked in her eyes. "That boy could no more assassinate you than I could. You ask how I can be so certain? I know it. Here." She struck her fist against her heart. "Just as I knew you were in serious need of help in the well."

For an instant, just an instant, something in him reached out for the certainty that shone in her face, wanted to capture it, hold it. Believe. But decades of mistrust were too deeply ingrained. He shoved away the ridiculous impulse.

"I regret to remind you that I do not believe in fairy tales or bewitchings or reading people's hearts by one touch of the hand. And you can hardly expect me to trust your intuition about people, human, after you were rash enough to take me into your home." His voice was hard and unfeeling, making her frown darkly at him.

"Sesshoumaru, you are hurting yourself, and you are hurting that young demon by your stubbornness." Blue-grey eyes burned with emotion, her breathing rate a little unsteady from the extent of her feelings. "Perhaps you can pretend that you have a heart of ice, and the rest of the world will believe you. But I won't!" Her fierce words were lost in a fit of coughing that shook her tiny frame, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

Sesshoumaru had just taken a step towards the human, his clawed hand raised as if to touch her hunched quaking shoulders, when a sharp knock sounded on the door.

Fisting his hand, he withdrew it, turning to face the entrance while calling out sharply, "Enter."

Akito quickly opened the door and came into the room, his icy eyes immediately straying to the human who was struggling to draw breathe. Coming to a halt beside the Taiyoukai, he sketched a quick bow before talking, keeping a watch on Kagome.

"My Lord, might I suggest I take the Lady to rest in her rooms? I believe there are medicines she has in the bag she carries which might help her."

Sesshoumaru nodded, the red ring departing from his amber irises, leaving a blank mask in its place.

"Yes, that would be wise, Akito."

By now Kagome's cough had lightened, the miko was leaning her hip against the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk, one arm supporting her listing body. The fox youkai grasped the elbow of the arm she was using to cover her mouth, gently tugging to get her attention.

Sesshoumaru watched his personal guard closely, noticing that within the short time the kit had been in the miko's presence he had already begun to treat her with more care than the Taiyoukai had seen the fox show anyone.

Kagome moved her hand to her sore throat, rubbing with firm pressure, trying to alleviate her discomfort. At the feel of someone touching her, she looked to the side seeing Akito staring down at her with a hint of concern.

"Lady, I think it best if you retire to your rooms for a while. The rest will improve your health and allow you to recuperate from this morning's excursions."

Nodding gratefully, she gave the kit a small grin, standing away from the desk. Her legs felt unsteady and her back was aching from the strength of her hacking, the ribs over the miko's lungs feeling abused. Swallowing, her voice was a harsh rasp when she said, "Thanks, Akito-kun."

Sesshoumaru ignored how the nickname irked him for some reason, his irritation growing at the way Akito kept a hold of the woman as the two made their way towards the door. When she came abreast of him she reached over to squeeze his hand, surprising the dog demon with the action.

Glancing into her upturned face, he saw how tired the girl looked.

Perhaps he should send for another healer. Even though Cheiro wasn't able to help her there had to be someone that could...

"Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. I'm fine. I'll just take some medicine and go to bed for a little while, okay? When I wake up we'll finish our conversation." The smile didn't quite reach her eyes, Kagome's body swaying a bit as she waited for his answer, causing the arctic youkai to lean her against him a little.

"You will have Akito bring you back here once you awaken," he stated in frigid tones, stepping out of her reach to take up residence behind his desk, turning his attention to the mountain or papers littering the surface. It was an effort not to look back after her as the two continued out of the room, the door closing quietly behind them.

Once enclosed and alone, Sesshoumaru dropped all pretenses of being interested in his paperwork, instead staring intently at the door, his ears straining to hear the girl's light footsteps fading down the hall to her room.

Damn, but he had almost felt another wave of worry when Kagome's health had deteriorated so quickly. He forgot just how fragile the human body was, any illness that a demon could brush off in hours taking days for the frail creatures to recuperate from. The ones that actually did recover that is. It was not uncommon for humans in this day and age to fall victim to death by sickness.

The thought sent another chill up his spine.

No, he would not let that happen. In the worst case scenario he would simply take her back to the Well and shove her down it to her own time. He was positive that in her own era there would be more than enough technology to cure whatever was wrong with her.

The decision made, he settled back down to begin answering the correspondences from various demons.

However, as they day wore on, he was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate, the state of one wayward human girl plaguing the Taiyoukai's thoughts.

Kami, but he cursed the day he ever came across the human.


	22. Competition

Kagome stumbled along beside Akito, letting the fox take the brunt of her weight, leaning on his arm for support. The distance from the Taiyoukai's chambers to her own was but a few feet. It might as well have been a thousand to the tired miko.

When they finally reached her door she moved away from the youkai, smiling up at him in gratitude as he released her arm.

"Thanks, Akito-kun. I can manage from here." She hardly recognized the sound of her own voice, the usual pleasant tones now rough.

Great. Just another wonderful trait of being sick. At the rate this was going she might end up losing the ability to speak for a few days. Not a particularly good thing at the moment.

This morning, after she'd woken up from about six hours of sleep (the Niquil had done its job), the girl had felt better. So good in fact, that when Akito informed her that Shurin wished to give her a tour of the grounds she'd readily accepted. But as the morning wore on and Kagome visited the different buildings of the Taisho palace, exhaustion began to settle in her bones. Which was one of the reasons Shurin had suggested they take a break for a while and keep Teisa company at the same time.

Sesshoumaru's arrival and subsequent anger had made Kagome mad, especially the way he'd embarrassed the rain youkai so thoroughly. Shurin's hurt expression kept flashing through the girl's mind making her feel bad for the youth.

The stubborn dog demon was making everyone suffer because of his damn paranoia.

Walking into the spacious room that Sesshoumaru had provided for her use, she slowly made her way over to the armoire against the far wall. She heard footsteps as her guard followed her into the chamber, a glance over one shoulder letting the miko know he stopped just after passing the threshold.

Coming to the stately piece of furniture, she opened its drawers, rummaging through the clothes she had placed there last night. In fact, the entire room was now littered with Kagome's belongings. Books were stacked on the low table beside the bed, an assortment of toiletries sat in a colorful group on the washstand, their strong scents reaching the kitsune even though their caps were all in place.

While the girl was busy finding something to change into, Akito took in the sight of feminine disarray. Since he'd come from a family lacking any female siblings he was unaccustomed to seeing such orderly chaos. There was even a pile of garments piled in the corner by the armoire, waiting to be washed. He also noticed that the bed was unmade, the heavy white blanket rumpled, her pillow lying at the foot of the bed looking like it would topple to the tatami covered floor any second.

The fox youkai never knew human women were so messy. At least, this one was.

A brazier warmed the large confines of the room, the temperature at a comfortable level. Off to the side was a door that led to a bathroom, but the only thing it housed was feudal Japan's idea of indoor plumbing.

Akito's icy eyes were drawn back to Kagome when the girl groaned, hugging a bundle of clothes in her arms, having found what she'd been looking for. With a pang of concern his sharp ears picked up the wheezy quality to her breathing. It sounded more labored than it had a few hours ago.

"Kami, I feel terrible," she said, pulling the chopsticks from her hair, the mass tumbling down in a raven waterfall to settle in waves down her back. Moving to place the hair accessories beside the bottles of lotion and shampoo, she glanced over to the watchful demon. "Being sick sucks, Akito-kun. Your body hurts, you look terrible and it lasts for days."

One navy eyebrow arched at her words. "Youkai very rarely contract such illnesses, Lady. Our regenerative capabilities usually preempt such an occurrence."

She grinned wryly, going to sit on her mattress, kicking off the odd shoes she wore while replying, "Of course. I keep forgetting that I'm surrounded by super beings that don't get bothered with little things like colds." Her white socks were shed and thrown towards the pile of dirty laundry, arcing slowly through the air to land far short of their target.

He watched the pathetic attempt, inwardly amused at how Kagome stuck her tongue out at the uncooperative clothing.

Sniffling, she put her elbows on her knees, rubbing her fingers in a circular motion at her temples.

"We are not completely impervious to ill health, Lady. In fact the entire castle came down with something a few weeks ago," his cold voice made her peek at the youkai through her bangs.

"That's right. I remember Sesshoumaru mentioning that to me." Blue-grey eyes shone with interest as she asked, "Did you ever find out what caused it?"

Silver-white bangs swayed against his cheekbones as Akito shook his head in the negative. "Unfortunately, no, Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru had a few soldiers search for a possible reason as to why we would be effected so strongly, but they have not yielded anything informative yet."

Dropping her hands to her lap, Kagome regarded him silently for a moment, absorbing the information.

However, she couldn't hold onto the thought long enough to really mull it over, her brain sluggish and not wanting to work. Giving up on any further attempts at analyzation, she reached down towards the head of her bed, retrieving her large yellow pack.

Hefting it onto the bed, she began sifting through its contents, saying as she did, "Akito-kun, do you think you could have someone wash my clothes for me? I would do it myself, but I don't think I am quite up to it."

He advanced into the room, bending down to collect the pieces of foreign cloth himself. The guard did not think it prudent to have lower servants invading the miko's privacy, spreading false gossip about the human. Balancing his spear under one arm, he cradled his soft burden with care, making sure his claws didn't catch on a flimsy scrap of material, the likes of which he had never seen before.

Kagome turned towards him, Niquil in hand. She nearly dropped the medicine when she saw Akito holding her laundry, a soft pink pair of her underwear lying on top of the pile.

Blushing to the roots of her hair, she got up, hurrying over to him.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Akito-kun! Here, just let me take it!" This was just really not her day. With any luck, he wouldn't even notice what he was carrying and would hand it over peaceably.

No such luck.

The youkai tightened his arms around the garments, bowing a bit before striding quickly towards the exit.

She watched him depart helplessly, her eyes straying to his tail where she could see the tip tucked neatly in amongst its soft length.

"I shall be but a moment, Lady. Let me drop these off at the launderers and fetch some water for you to take your medication with." So saying he disappeared, heading off towards the right.

The miko was mortified. Not only was her underwear now being shown to the entire castle, now she had also managed to reduce the youkai to the position of lady's maid. She seriously needed to think before she spoke. Especially in the presence of demons. They took things so literally.

Grumbling to herself, Kagome closed her door so she could change into the sky-blue sweat pants and shirt she had picked out. Not sure when the demon would return, she got into her new clothing in record time, running her brush through her mussed hair just as she heard a sharp knock on her door.

"Enter," she called, her throat protesting the abuse. She should look back in that first aid kit to see if her mom had packed any cough drops in it.. . .

Akito's handsome form entered the room, a small tray with a carafe and cup set upon its surface.

Grinning, she sat in the middle of her bed, placing her brush to the side so she could take the water from the youkai.

The fox demon marveled at how at ease the human was with having a male in her room. And not just a regular male, but a youkai. It was like she didn't even care, smiling at him with trust and good humor like he was an old friend.

Kagome's treatment of him was something he was slowly getting used to. Unlike the demons he was accustomed to spending time with this girl wore her emotions openly, never hesitating to place a hand on another's, run her fingers gently along the surface of something that took her interest. He supposed she was curious, like the rest of her fellow creatures. There was an insatiable wish to learn that resided in her small body. She was forever asking how things operated, how things worked within the castle. Even going so far as to go out of her way to ask the name of each demon they had run across today, startling more than a few of the creatures. It wasn't the norm for a guest that was levitated to the position she was to enquire after such menial things as to a servant's name. It made most of them uncomfortable, unsure how to categorize the miko that walked with such uncaring through their midst. More than once he had steered the girl away from talking longer to some youkai or other, the poor creature she was showering her attention on nervous and wary of her motives.

When they had stopped off at the stables so she could look in on Ah Un she had made more than a few of the demons there speechless with surprise. Never had they seen their master's mount so calm under anyone's ministrations. Yet, there stood the two headed monster, rubbing on the girl's abdomen and neck as if it were a kitten begging to be stroked. The poor stable lad that had volunteered to care for the beast had all but died from shock, his grey eyes wide with disbelief. Akito had smirked while keeping an eye on his charge, no less impressed at how adroitly the miko handled the dragon.

Hell, the girl had even gone so far as to tap Ah a bit sharply on the nose when the rambunctious youkai had the gall to nip at her shoulder to get her attention. The kitsune had tensed, thinking he would have to intervene and keep the creature from retaliating with a snap from its dangerous jaws. But instead, he was startled a moment later to hear her actually laughing, the noise causing some of the nearby servants to look up from their tasks to observe the human. Sounds of mirth from a human female was not something they heard often. Especially not one that enchanted everything she came into contact with.

Akito's icy eyes had widened in surprise when he saw Ah growling lowly at Kagome while lipping at her fragile fingers, his counterpart still rubbing his head against her stomach as a makeshift scratching post. The poor miko was trying her hardest not to be pushed over from Un's firm rubbing, the front of her dark shirt riding up a bit as his scales caught on the material, her creamy flesh exposed for a few minutes. It was then that the kitsune's sharp gaze had noticed a star-shaped scar marring the smooth skin just where the indent of her waist was. It looked old, the scar smooth and white compared to the grainy creme cast to the rest of her body.

He wondered what it was from. It was an odd place for a wound, especially one like that. It didn't look like one that had been acquired from a spearhead, sword tip, or even claws.

Just another mystery to add onto the growing list associated with the odd girl. One that he wondered if he would ever get the answer to.

Shurin had stood next to Akito while Kagome continued to coo and coddle the usually fearsome dragon youkai, his electric green eyes trained on the girl with growing fascination. The arctic fox had known what that look meant. The rain child showed that same type of open devotion and adoration for their master. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing...

Watching the girl now, as she perched the tray precariously on the stack of books, taking a deep drink of water before picking up the funny looking medicine, Akito could see how the dragon youkai could have been charmed by her.

There was an honesty, a gentleness in this human's personality that was sadly lacking in youkai court life. Maliciousness wasn't a real part of her nature, nor was excessive hate. But there were times, glimpses, while Akito was accompanying the girl today when he had seen a flash of sorrow cross her features. An inner grief that weighed heavy on her heart and shadowed the vibrancy of her soul. He found himself wondering if it had anything to do with the Taiyoukai he served, but he doubted it. Pain with that much depth took years of time and energy put into something, only to have it fail, to be that powerful.

A heady alcoholic scent assailed his nostrils. The mixture of drugs with spirits making him frown. There was also a trace of what could have been cherry, but it wasn't a natural smell. It felt fake, synthetic, and he worried that whatever the girl was taking might not be good for her.

Kagome was holding up the little clear plastic cup at eye level while pouring the correct amount of Niquil to the specified line, biting her lower lip in concentration. Satisfied that she had gotten it right, she placed the bottle next to her glass before moving to raise the thick nasty tasting stuff to her lips.

A clawed hand shot out and captured her wrist, intercepting the medicine before it could reach its target.

She looked at the long fingers wrapped softly about the small circle of her wrist, noticing how careful the owner of said hand was to not scrape her with the long nails they had. Frowning, her eyes turned to look at Akito with puzzlement.

"Akito-kun, what is it?"

The kitsune was sniffing softly, taking in the scent of the Niquil, his iceberg eyes narrowed at the red liquid as though it were poison.

Chuckling, she reached up with her free hand to pat the back of his lightly, the caress causing his grasp to tighten a bit. "You don't need to worry. This isn't anything that will hurt me." Eyeing the small cup of vile tasting stuff, she added, "It's actually supposed to help me get better." Catching his wary eyes she winked before saying in a conspiritual whisper, "Though I think from the way it tastes they are trying to make getting well as unpleasant as possible."

He stared into her upturned grinning countenance, feeling the soft warmth of her palm on his skin, the trust in her touch.

She really was way too open-hearted. No wonder Lord Sesshoumaru had ordered him to keep an eye on the human. From what he could see the woman was missing any vestiges of survival instincts.

Releasing her with care, he withdraw until he was no longer in any contact with her, standing stoically beside the table next to her bed. "Lady, I do not know if it is wise to partake in such a concoction," at this point he inhaled again. "It does not smell safe."

Waving her hand in dismissal, she took the medicine as though it were a shot, slamming the burning liquid to the back of her throat, succeeding in numbing the area as it slid warmly down her esophagus. Grimacing, she put it down beside its bottle, quickly taking up her water to take a long swig, hoping to remove the taste from her mouth.

Emptying the glass, she lay down, pulling her blankets up around her middle, resting her arms outside the comfy coverlet. Sighing, she saw that Akito was still giving the Niquil bottle a distrustful look, his hand around the spear white-knuckled.

"Don't worry, Akito-kun. I promise it is safe. The people where I come from use it all the time whenever we get sick."

Her answer didn't seem to pacify him completely, but he did stop eyeing the medicine like he was going to impale it with his weapon any second. Which was a good thing. Kagome didn't think being showered with cherry-flavored Niquil was an appetizing thought.

Why, it would permanently stain this beautiful blanket that Sesshoumaru was letting her use, and she couldn't have that.

Wiggling about a bit under her covers, she finally found a comfortable spot, sniffling a bit as the new position on her pillows made her nose run.

Kami, she hated being sick! And why was everything happening to her anyway? Didn't she get enough hassle while traveling with Inu Yasha?

Turning her attention to the youkai silently watching her, she offered him a grin. "Thanks for taking my laundry and getting me the water, Akito-kun. It was sweet of you!"

Her comment on his character made him do something she hadn't expected from the reserved youkai. A light red cast came over his high cheekbones, his eyes darting away from hers to look at the wall on the other side of the bed with interest.

'He's blushing!' she thought with amazement and delight. 'Kawaii!'

"It was no trouble, Lady." His voice was the same cold rumble, and the scarlet was leaving his creamy skin. But she had seen it, and that was all that mattered.

The arctic kitsune sort of reminded her of Souta. Her younger brother had a protective streak where his sister was concerned, but didn't show it in the same over-bearing manner that Inu Yasha did. His was more subtle, like Akito's. The two would probably be a lot alike if the fox ever managed to thaw a little.

What was it with the demons around here being so uptight? All the ones she had tried to engage in conversation so far treated her respectfully, but with reticence. She couldn't tell if it was because they didn't like her or because they were afraid of her.

At least she had Ah Un to go and see, and Shurin was fairly open. The rain child was welcome company in the castle. His talkative nature didn't let her feel as lonely as she probably would have.

A sudden thought occurred to her and she pinned the youkai with a serious gaze. "Please make sure that you keep Rin away from me until I am completely better, okay Akito-kun? If she caught what I have she might get very ill and I wouldn't want that."

He nodded, stepping back a couple of feet, intent on taking up his post outside her door. "It will be done as you instruct, Lady. I will inform Seiryn to keep the child away until you deem it appropriate."

Smiling, she turned on her side to watch him, knowing he would be going to stand guard outside her door. Yawning behind one hand, her eyes squinting with the effort, Kagome began to feel the effects of the medication.

Her voice was sleepy when she said, "Thanks, Akito-kun." Blue-grey eyes widened in realization. "Don't you get a chance to sleep while Sesshoumaru ordered you to watch over me? It hardly seems fair to have you on constant alert while everyone else gets to take shifts."

Turning at the door, one hand resting on the metal knob, his iridescent orbs pierced easily through the darkness of the room, connecting with her own.

"I do get relieved of my post, Lady. Sora was ordered by Lord Sesshoumaru to take up my position during the late hours of the night so that I could rest and eat."

"You mean the other dog youkai? The one that usually stays at the hot spring with Musashi?"

He inclined his head. "Yes, Lady. The very same." Releasing the doorknob he indicated down the left side of the hallway, still keeping his eyes trained on hers. "Lord Sesshoumaru has set up quarters for me in the room directly next to yours so that in case you need anything I am in easy reach."

Nodding, Kagome hugged the pillow to her, resting her face against its soft surface as if she was embracing someone. After years of having Shippo sleep next to her it felt lonely in her bed without the kit's small body snuggled against her own.

"I'm glad. Okay, Akito-kun, I'll take that nap now. When I wake up I'll let you know so you can take me back to Sesshoumaru." She smirked at him. "I think he wants to talk again."

A small smile passed over his thin lips, the only sign of mirth at what she had said.

"Sleep well, Lady," and with that he left, closing the door softly behind him.

The darkened room enshrouded Kagome, the thick cover over the window blocking out almost all the sunlight. Rubbing her feet together, she closed her eyes, trying to breathe with her stuffy nose, failing miserably.

As sleep began to fog her mind random thoughts entered and left, pieces of conversations and different memories progressing with no real pattern.

The phrase, "Not completely miko, but neither is she entirely human," caused her mind to perk up a little. But it wasn't strong enough to drag her up from the encroaching mist of slumber, the Niquil making her sleepy.

She'd just have to remember to ask Sesshoumaru what Cheiro had meant next time she saw him.

He would know what that meant.

Kouga raced with accelerated speed over the tall green grass meadows and thick forests of the Western Lands. His feet barely felt the ground as he ran with agility, dodging a boulder or leaping with grace over a stream that came into his path.

He had told Ginta and Hikakko to stay behind with the rest of the pack, telling them there was something personal he had to attend to.

They had thought it was something to do with visiting Kagome, and he hadn't corrected them.

In a way he was going to visit the miko. The only difference was when he finally found the girl he planned on taking her back with him to keep her at his side from then on. The hanyou bastard obviously couldn't protect his woman any longer, his stupidity allowing the girl to be hurt and placed in danger.

The wolf youkai growled as he hopped over a fallen log, his thoughts making him agitated.

He had known what had happened when he had seen the un-dead priestess at Inu Yasha's side. It was no great secret that Kagome held the half demon in high regard, some going so far as to even say she loved him. Kouga grudgingly admitted to himself that she probably did love the idiot.

Hell, Kagome liked everyone, so of course the stupid dog would cause her to hold some great affection for him. The miko was a sucker for sad stories, and Inu Yasha's life could have been used as a poster-child for the damn things.

But her devotion to the hanyou hadn't made Kouga's feelings for her wane. In fact, they only strengthened his respect and love for her. To have a mate that held that much emotion and loyalty for you was a dream come true. Especially one with the amount of untapped power she had. Not only was she beautiful and kind, but she also would be able to stand beside any youkai and hold her own.

What demon wouldn't want her?

But that idiot dog had royally screwed things up this time. By bringing in the girl's rival and then choosing her over Kagome, it would have broken the girl's heart. And that was something that pissed the wolf prince off to no end.

His legs moved faster, his rage giving him the added boost to continue traveling deeper into Sesshoumaru's lands, intent on reaching the miko.

Why? Why was Inu Yasha the one to have gotten all her love when the bastard didn't deserve it in the first place? Kouga would have never mistreated her like the hanyou had. Never yelled at her, hurled insults at her, thrown another woman in her face.

It was disgraceful, the way the hanyou behaved towards the girl. A member of the Taisho family should know better than that.

His emerald eyes narrowed at his thoughts. If Inutaisho was still alive Kouga seriously doubted if Inu Yasha would have grown up into the uncouth moron that he had. The Taiyoukai would never have allowed the pup to become so unruly, forcing him to control his wayward nature and his demon side.

Unfortunately, that great demon had perished many years ago, before being able to mold his second son into any semblance of what he should have been. It really was a shame.

Changing direction, the wolf youkai quickly ran up the side of a mountain, hoping to be able to see the castle from the elevated rock. He wanted to know how much longer he would have to travel before reaching the Lord of the West's holdings. The thought of Kagome there, in the presence of so many murderous demons made Kouga's blood run cold, his hands clench into fists at his sides.

Sliding to a stop, he stared out over the vast expanse of emerald and sapphire that made up the canvas of the western lands. Or a part of them at least. Even Sesshoumaru's lands were far more great than his own towards the North. But then, he was a wolf demon that didn't have near as much pull in his own providence that the Taisho family had.

Inhaling deeply, he wished that he could at least catch Kagome's scent. Then he would know from it whether she was safe or not. He didn't really think the Taiyoukai would harm the girl, but he couldn't say the same for the youkai that served the dog demon.

That General with the smell of Sesshoumaru's blood on him had worried the wolf prince. Especially considering he was wearing the clothing from the house of Taisho, his bearing obviously that of a higher ranking youkai in the Taiyoukai's army.

It would seem that the dog demon had some problems within his ranks. Normally, Kouga could care less what happened to the arrogant demon, but when Kagome had been dragged into it all that had changed everything.

True, she was a miko, but even a trained priestess would fall under an onslaught of skilled warrior youkai that were more than capable of taking out one human girl. And Kagome didn't even have full control of her powers.

Squinting his light eyes against the rays of the sun, he looked out, spotting the dark roofs of Sesshoumaru's castle, tiny spots of black over the towering trees that surrounded the place.

It looked like it would take until tomorrow for him to reach the palace. Not to mention he couldn't just barge into the place and demand her back. Well, not unless the dog demon proved stubborn and wouldn't just hand her over.

Kouga smirked, cracking his knuckles. He wasn't worried about facing Sesshoumaru. He had come across the Taiyoukai before and known the demon to be of great integrity and dignity. The dog youkai would hear out Kouga's request, and once he had pleaded his case, probably let the wolf prince take her back to his own holdings without a qualm.

Smiling in anticipation of seeing the woman he loved again, he ran back down the face of the mountain, speeding towards his destination.

He would get Kagome, take her back with him to his own keep, marry her, and then kill Naraku. Then they could live in peace, with him showering all the love and affection on her that she deserved.

Besides, it wasn't like he had competition any more.

A bit farther south of the charging wolf prince, Inu Yasha and the rest of the group journeyed on.

By now, he had abandoned hopping through the trees to finally just traveling by foot along with the rest of his friends. Kikyo remained by his side, her face a blank mask, her eyes trained straight ahead on the path they were walking on.

Sango and Miroku were a little behind them, both quiet as they continued on their mission to reach Sesshoumaru's lands. Shippo was subdued, sulking on the monk's shoulder, the kit having barely talked since finding out that Kagome might be in danger. Even Kirara, who leaned over from her perch on her owner's shoulder couldn't bring him out of his funk.

Miroku frowned, watching the beautiful scenery pass by them without even really noticing it. He had tried many times to engage Inu Yasha in private conversation, ask him exactly why the hanyou was so adamant about rushing to his brother's castle.

But no matter what he said the half demon remained closed lipped, his gold eyes hard and his voice gruff when he would yell, "You'll find out when we get there!"

But find out what?

The monk wasn't too sure. All he knew was that his friend was supposedly in grave danger even though she was at a castle filled with skilled youkai soldiers who were all under the rule of one of the most powerful demons he had ever come across.

What the hell could be dangerous enough to warrant concern if Kagome was keeping such illustrious company?

Sighing, he thought over something else that was troubling him.

They had been on the Western Lands since late afternoon and had yet to run into any demons. It was odd, especially considering they were trespassers on a Taiyoukai's lands. They should have at least run into a scout asking what their business was.

None of it made any sense.

Unless the Taiyoukai already knew of their presence and had left orders to let them approach without any hindrance.

That would put an entirely new spin on things. If the Lord of the Western Lands was actually letting them come to his castle without encountering problems then that meant he wished for them to be there. Most likely to meet with them.

What could Sesshoumaru possibly wish to discuss with them?

More puzzling questions that he would not get answered until they made it to the palace, which from Inu Yasha's estimation they would reach tomorrow evening. Kouga was going to get there way before them. They just could not match the wolf prince in speed. The shikon shards in his legs made it impossible to do so.

Glancing to his side, he saw Sango looking around at their surroundings with sharp eyes, checking for any potential dangers that might jump out at them.

A wicked gleam came into his dark purple eyes, noticing that now that she was distracted, he could make a move.

The sound of a slap followed by a screeched, "Pervert!" made Inu Yasha roll his gold eyes as he kept walking, not even bothering to look back.

That damn monk would never learn.

Breathing in the familiar scents of his one-time home, he couldn't shake the feeling he was getting from walking through the lands that had once belonged to his father and now were ruled by his brother.

How long had it been since he had trekked across land that was just as much his as Sesshoumaru's, the soft grass and tall trees his for the tramping upon?

Years. Too many years.

It didn't dampen his happiness to be back though. Perhaps it made his 'homecoming' bittersweet, but not completely terrible. Which made him wonder why his half-brother was allowing them easy passage to the palace.

That could only mean one thing, and that would be that Sesshoumaru knew they were coming and for some unknown reason wanted them there.

Inu Yasha frowned. His brother's wants didn't concern him. Right now all he was worried about was Kagome. Even though the two siblings had come to an understanding where the miko was concerned, that being she would be protected no matter who she was with, it still did not keep the hanyou from being uneasy.

He knew only too well what kind of treachery could go on within the Taisho household, having been party to it firsthand.

What could one human female with a trusting nature and ready smile do against such villains?

His musings making him anxious, Inu Yasha's strides lengthened as he called over his shoulder harshly, "Hurry up, damn it! We need to get there soon."

'Kagome,' he thought as his pace quickened, his golden eyes worried. 'Please be okay...'

It had been an hour since Kagome had went to lay down. Within those sixty minutes Sesshoumaru had managed to get no work done.

His thoughts were filled with the miko and wondering how she was. Throwing a letter down onto the tabletop in disgust, the Taiyoukai stood up from his spot behind the desk, abandoning any ideas of even answering the missives addressed to him.

With a curse, he strode out of his study, ignoring how a surprised Jaken squawked and began following him down the hall. Akito, noticing that his master had departed his chambers, stood to attention, his back straight, icy eyes trained ahead.

He felt a bit of surprise when his vision was filled with that of the Taiyoukai's face looking at him, the dog demon's amber eyes intent.

Bowing, he asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, My Lord?"

Irritation played about the Taiyoukai's lips, flashing orbs narrowing as he replied, "Yes, Akito. I wish to know how Lady Kagome is fairing. I cannot be inconvenienced with a sick human possibly causing an outbreak in my castle."

Expression bland, Akito answered without a trace of the cynical humor he was feeling, "Assuredly, Lord Sesshoumaru. Any illness would be most irksome at a time like this." His flashing eyes serious.

Sesshoumaru had the suspicion that he was being mocked by his own personal guard, and that made him even more annoyed.

Forcing himself to remain his usual stoic self, instead of gritting his teeth and growling like he wanted to, he said, "And her health?"

"Still bad, My Lord. The Lady took some medicine she had in her bag that she said would make her heal faster." A dubious light glazed over his blue-pearl eyes. "I wasn't sure if I should let her take it since it smelled like nothing I had ever come across before, but she insisted."

This brought a smirk to his Lord's lips. "Yes, the girl can prove obstinate once she sets her mind to something."

Akito arched a navy eyebrow, eyeing his master with interest. It sounded like the Taiyoukai was speaking from personal experience.

Interesting. . . . just how well did the two know each other?

Noticing that his personal guard was staring at him a bit oddly, Sesshoumaru straightened his shoulders. "When did she fall asleep?" He could hear her deep even breathing through the door.

"About a half hour ago, My Lord. She has not stirred since," Akito informed him.

Nodding once, Sesshoumaru then moved to walk into the room, ignoring Jaken's bugging eyes that were staring at his master as though he were crazy. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the kitsune who was still standing to attention, he said coldly, "I am going to get the medicine you said she had used. Even though she said it was harmless I would still like to know what the girl has brought into the palace."

"As you say, Lord Sesshoumaru," his guard answered, his voice flat and emotionless.

Stepping into the darkened room, closing the door behind him, Sesshoumaru wondered when it was that he had begun explaining his actions to his servants.

Probably about the same time his servants had started eyeing him with wariness when he said he was going to enter Kagome's chambers.

It wasn't like he was going to ravish the girl!

Grimacing, he let her scent settle over him, unconsciously breathing in deeply to take it in deeper. Relaxing at the now familiar smells of apples and vanilla, he advanced further into the room, a little grin playing about his mouth as he stepped over random objects of hers dotting his floor.

The girl was a messy guest. But then, he knew just how chaotic the miko could make any place she inhabited, having stayed in her room while in her time era. Reaching the girl's bedside, his gaze was drawn to the strong-smelling bottle of deep crimson liquid sitting on a tray beside her bed.

Picking it up, he brought it close to his face, studying it carefully as he turned it deftly between his fingers. It had a strange paper wrapper pasted to its side, explaining what amount to take and how often. Sniffing lightly, he didn't think that it was dangerous to Kagome, not from what he could identify in it anyway.

But still...it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

Clutching the resilient container in his hand, he switched his stare to watch the girl's sleeping face. Her mouth was parted and the breathes leaving her chest were not clean and clear. Instead, the wheezing was a bit more pronounced, a random rattling cough escaping her throat.

He watched her grimace in her sleep, her brows drawing together in a scowl as she rolled over onto her back, whimpering a little. The blanket slid down towards her waist, leaving her upper body exposed to the slightly cooler temperature of the room.

Placing the medicine back on the tray, the Taiyoukai reached over and pulled the coverlet up, gently smoothing the warm blanket across her collarbone. As he went to pull back he was stopped by her hand moving with a speed he would not have guessed her to have while sleeping, capturing his own.

He stilled, wondering if he had awoken her by accident when he moved the blanket, thinking how he was going to explain his presence if she asked.

She slept on, her small fingers clasping onto his much longer strong ones with a firm grip, tugging lightly. Sesshoumaru let her guide his hand, hoping that by doing so she would let it loose that much quicker and allow him to make a hasty retreat.

This was not the best idea he had entertained today.

Kagome brought his hand down to her cheek, bringing up her other hand to clasp onto his striped wrist. The dog demon arched a silvery eyebrow at her, wondering why whenever he was in touching vicinity of this particular female she felt the need to accost him. Sleeping or awake.

The girl hugged his hand to her face, putting it under her cheek as though it was part of her pillow.

Another annoying habit of hers, they way she regulated him to a sleeping utensil all the damn time.

Finally, she stilled, the dog demon's hand still imprisoned between her soft skin and the downy pillow. The miko had a knack of maneuvering him wherever she wanted.

Sighing, he gazed at her with softened amber eyes, feeling only amusement at her antics instead of the real irritation he should be.

Unwinding his tail, he took the tip to gently caress the side of her face, the fine fur tickling her skin. Kagome frowned a bit, releasing his wrist to bat at the offensive thing that was trying to wake her. Repeating the action, Sesshoumaru was satisfied when that caused her to let go of him completely so that she could roll away from him.

Smirking at the back of her raven-colored head, he retrieved the bottle before heading back out of the room. Once on the other side of the door, he glanced sideways at Akito noticing the way the kitsune was staring at him from the corner of his eerie eyes.

It was a look that plainly said he could smell the girl's scent on the dog demon.

Damn, but would everyone in this castle make it their business to pry into his?

Handing Akito the bottle, he instructed with frigid tones, "You will take this to Seiryn so she can analyze it. Once she has figured out what it is made of you are to bring it back and give it to the girl, as long as it is not harmful."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," Akito bowed, taking the bottle and then leaving to complete his task.

Not bothering to glance down at Jaken, who was being quiet for once, he said, "Jaken. You will stay here until Akito returns and then you will join me in the study. There are some missives there I wish for you to deliver."

The little youkai bowed deeply, his staff clattering loudly upon the hardwood flooring. "Yes, My Lord!"

Turning on his heel, the Taiyoukai walked sedately back into his study to try once again to get some work done.

It was going to be a long day...


	23. Guard

Kagome slowly came back to consciousness. Which wasn't exactly a good thing considering that by doing so it let her feel each individual ache and pain to its fullest before leaving her body humming with it in a steady pulse.

Life really did suck when you were sick.

Coughing, she sat up, using one arm to support herself against the cushy mattress, her cheeks turning a tad bit red from the effort. Squinting watering eyes, the miko noticed that the shadows beneath the window screen had darkened, denoting that it was probably very late in the afternoon.

Surprised that she had slept for so long, Kagome pushed the heavy cover off and swing her legs over the side of the bed. Sniffling, she got up on unsteady legs, swaying a couple of feet forward until she got her balance. Reaching down, she started digging through her bag for the container of Kleenex that she always packed, exhaling a relieved sigh when she found them.

Quickly tearing it open, she blew her nose before moving off to get to her washstand where she promptly splashed the cold water onto her heated skin. It felt great against her face and neck, a refreshing change from the sweltering heat she had experienced upon first waking.

In fact, that was one of the reasons Kagome had woken up. She had been dreaming that she was lying on a beach getting sunburned and the heat from her visions seemed to have transferred over into reality.

Drying her face, she then searched around in the shadowed room, looking for a scrunchie to tie her hair back. The meeting with Sesshoumaru was now occupying her mind and the girl knew that with as many hours that had passed already, the Taiyoukai was probably getting impatient.

Not that he would ever show it. But that didn't mean he wasn't seething with annoyance on the inside because a human was making him wait.

Finding a black hair tie, she secured her long heavy hair atop her head in a messy half-ponytail, raven tendrils escaping like tails down her back. She didn't particularly care what she looked like right now. All she wanted to do was go and have that talk with the dog demon, take a bath, and then go to bed. Her appetite was non-existent so she was even going to skip out on dinner, much preferring to rest than eat.

Straightening her wrinkled blue sweat suit as best she could, Kagome then made her way over to her door, coughing a bit as she opened it.

The sudden light from the hallway made her eyes hurt, causing her to blink a few times to clear the spots from her vision. Once the miko could see properly again, she saw Akito standing to her right facing towards her, a hint of concern flashing in his blue-pearl eyes.

Giving the kitsune a wan smile, she said softly, "Hello, Akito-kun. Now that I am up I thought I would have you take me to go and see Lord Sesshoumaru."

Bowing deeply, he spun on his heel and began walking the short distance to his master's chambers, checking his usually long stride to a more sedate one so Kagome could keep up. The miko was showing signs of being a little less than her energetic self and it was visible in her short steps and uneven breathing pattern.

Arriving at their destination, he rapped lightly upon the wooden door before calling, "Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome desires an audience with you."

"Enter," the Taiyoukai's icy tones floated through the paneled wood to Kagome's ears.

The kitsune opened the door before stepping aside to let her pass through, his eerie eyes staring at a point above her head and down the hall. She gave the youkai guard a small smile, patting the clawed hand holding his spear while she walked into the room.

"Thanks, Akito-kun."

He gave her a tiny nod before closing her in with Sesshoumaru. Turning her blue-grey eyes to the youkai lord, Kagome felt another wave of fatigue trickle through her body.

She hoped this wasn't going to be one of his interrogations. She would much rather face one of those daunting things while at least half-way healthy. Dealing with this dog demon could be very tiring at the best of times.

Coughing a little behind her hand, she sat with a graceless flop onto the pillows that dotted the floor on the opposite side of where he was. Propping her elbows onto the smooth honey-colored tabletop, she put her chin in them and gave him her undivided attention.

"You wanted to see me, Sesshoumaru?"

His amber eyes looked her over critically, not liking what they saw at all. Instead of seeming any better from the rest she had partaken in the girl looked worse.

And the uneven way she drew breathe wasn't promising to a quick recovery either.

Great. Outstanding. As if he wasn't saddled with enough problems now it would seem that he was to be plagued with an ill woman who wouldn't listen to reason and hardly did anything he told her to.

Perfect.

None of his thoughts showed outwardly on his smooth face, though. The Taiyoukai's frigid mask was firmly in place, his eyes emotionless and giving nothing away.

"Yes. I needed to ask how long you planned on being here? If it is going to be an extended stay then there are a few rules I need to lay down." Sesshoumaru's voice was its usual cold tones, no other emotion shadowing them.

They still caused a stray shiver to skate down her spine.

Sighing deeply, she fixed the youkai with a tired stare. "I honestly have no idea. The more I progress into this illness I have the more I tend to think it might not be something like a virus. Or if it is I will need to take some antibiotics to get rid of it."

One silvery eyebrow arched arrogantly. "What are antibiotics?"

Smiling, she answered, "A type of medicine that you take that kills whatever is making you ill inside your body. They really are amazing things." She frowned a moment in thought, chewing on her bottom lip. " Hmmm….I don't think I have any in my first aide kit, but I could be wrong." Her eyes refocused on his before she continued with a shrug, "I also think I might have left some with Sango the last time she got sick."

He thought over what she had said, weighing whether or not to tell the miko that the person she had referred to was at this moment trekking across his lands with the rest of the shard hunting group. Not to mention one of his scouts had reported that the Wolf Prince Kouga was also heading towards his home.

Could the miko not have chosen at least some better companions to take up her time with? Now it also would seem that his house was to be sullied with the presence of humans, hanyous and wolves.

Sesshoumaru could just hear what the other youkai lords would be saying once they heard about this.

But there were personal reasons that the Taiyoukai was allowing safe passage for those particular travelers to his front door. The enemy he was dealing with inside the castle was one that he and his brother were very familiar with, and even though Inu Yasha might not be his favorite individual, he still had enough family loyalty to know that the hanyou was entitled to be here to help him decide how best to handle this situation.

After all, the half demon had dealt first-hand with their enemy's tactics, and managed to live through them. His information would be invaluable. As to the rest of the group that his half brother ran with, he knew that in order to get Inu Yasha's cooperation he would have to take them all as a package deal. Even the un-dead priestess that Kagome disliked so much.

Sesshoumaru wasn't stupid. He knew that by bringing the couple into his household it would be causing the miko pain. The fact didn't bring him any particular pleasure, and he was surprised by himself when before he had made the decision to allow them to come to the castle, he had gone through every scenario in his head to try and find a different solution.

Also taking into account the wolf demon that had a steady infatuation with the miko that hadn't seemed to have lessened in the years since he had met her. Now, he too, would be taking up temporary residence within his castle. He couldn't insult another lord by refusing him accommodation within his household. Especially when the youkai would be inquiring to a guest that Sesshoumaru had no personal claim on.

But he would bet the girl would be at least happy to see Kouga.

Why would this girl's state of mind over something so petty as a lovers' quarrel even dare to take up some of his time? It was a question the dog demon didn't have an answer to, and that made him uneasy.

"If you had to take an educated guess, how long do you think you will be here?"

She moved her fingers till one tip was tapping against her bottom lip, the action distracting him a bit.

What was it with humans and their fidgeting?

Finally, the miko stopped and said, "At least a week, maybe more. I don't want to set out without being fully able to protect myself. That would be stupid and make me traveling all the way here pointless."

Very true. If the girl did leave before she was capable of protecting herself against demons than her death would be placed on his shoulders.

Not something he really wanted to bother with. Especially since his idiot half brother would be here soon. Of course, she could just have the hanyou escort her home, but from the way Kagome had acted towards him earlier, the Taiyoukai doubted she would accept if he offered.

Stubborn woman.

"I see," he said while staring deeply into her eyes, as though searching for something. "If that is the case then there are a few things you need to know in order to be allowed to remain here."

She arched a raven eyebrow, her mouth lifting to one side in a smirk. "Allowed to stay here, huh? Gee, thanks for your wonderful hospitality." The miko's voice was thick with sarcasm and irked him a little.

Damn her. Couldn't she ever not comment on whatever he said to her? Okay, so sometimes he might provoke her, but the girl didn't have to repeat everything he told her as though he was giving her an order.

Even if, in fact, he was….

Lips tightening in irritation, he said coldly, "You forget, girl, that it is by my grace that you even are still alive. If it wasn't for the fact that I was indebted to you I would have made you leave already." His fierce amber eyes locked with hers as he bit out cruelly, "I don't want you here."

There was a cruelty in the blunt words. If only she didn't also realize that there was a desperations to them. He wanted her gone more than ever for one simple reason: the unmistakable welling-up of gladness he'd felt in the most secret, hidden part of him the instant he saw her walk through his door.

Dangerous. . . it was far too dangerous to permit himself the luxury of such an emotion, a tie to anyone so frail and mortal, fallible and tender.

Kagome pushed down the unexpected stab of hurt that comment got her. Sitting up till her back was straight, she lifted her chin at a defiant angle and answered, "Well too bad. You're going to be stuck with me for a while, Mr. High and Mighty, so you damn well had better deal with it!"

Normally, she probably wouldn't have engaged in verbal sparring with a person like Sesshoumaru….but damn it! He could just make her so mad sometimes. Even more so than his half brother, and that was saying a lot.

What she wouldn't give for those rosary beads to be around his arrogant neck. Kagome knew she would get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the Taiyoukai take a face-first dive right into his polished floor.

Groaning in resignation, she slouched while rubbing a hand over her face, letting the appendage fall back into her lap as she said, "I know you don't want me here, but you can't make me leave you right now." Something he couldn't recognize flashed across her beautiful eyes as she added, "Whether I had gotten ill or not I still would have stayed here. At least until the person trying to kill you had been found."

"So, I can't make you leave, can I?" It was a challenge, no matter how gently spoken. One he was willing to take up at the moment. His voice scoffed her when he said, "With a snap of my fingers, I can call down twenty warriors who would be happy to escort you to the farthest reaches of hell if I ordered it."

Resolution lined her face, her voice steady and sure when Kagome said, "You won't do that."

"Whyever not?" The youkai couldn't keep a hint of interest from his expression. He was amazed the human had that much faith in her response.

"Because you're not a youkai given to ridiculous posturing and exerting power where it's meaningless. And to set a guard over me would be futile. They would have to leave me eventually to do whatever soldiers do. The instant they did, I would come back. You'd find me in this room, sitting across from you, determined to stay." Kagome hadn't said something like that with as much genuine emotion in a long time. When the words left her mouth she had felt such certainty at what she was saying….she knew that it was the truth from the bottom of her heart.

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes widened as he gazed at the determined set of the miko's chin, and hardness to her face that denoted that she felt what she had said down to the depths of her soul.

Did the girl not realize that when he had said 'escort her to hell' he had meant they would kill her?

She just took things too literally sometimes….

"I'm not some pup who needs a nursemaid hovering over me every second. My wounds are all but healed and I am within the stronghold of my own castle. I do not need you here!" Sesshoumaru was astonished by the angry edge in his voice.

It was so unlike him. Usually he only ever got this mad when it had to do with Rin getting stolen by Naraku, not when dealing with human females who never listened to a thing he said.

She also didn't have the good sense to be frightened any more in his presence…that really was annoying.

"Perhaps. But if you're not careful, you'll have other wounds that won't be so obliging." Her brow creased, and he knew the thought pained her.

Amazing, this heartache over pain not yet felt except in her imagination. And it was pain he would feel no less.

"You need someone you can trust to watch your back, Sesshoumaru," she insisted. "I intent to do it, with your cooperation or without it."

He stared across at her, bemused. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone refused to do what he willed them to do. Any hint of defiance had been squashed easily enough. The slightest glare, the almost infinitesimal tightening of his mouth, the barest flash of warning in his eyes, and his soldiers fairly stumbled over themselves like gangly colts. It seemed Kagome was impervious to his techniques that had brought battle-hardened youkai back to order.

Most astonishing of all was the discovery that the woman was right. If she persisted in her defiance, there was not a damn thing he could do to stop it, short of throwing her in the dungeons. And he seriously doubted if his own damn personal guard would allow it. Akito was now loyal to the girl as if she was the Lady of the castle.

Besides, wasn't it possible that she would be safer here, where he could at least keep watch over her? The miko had a way of finding trouble.

'Excuses,' Sesshoumaru thought grimly. He was making excuses for the first time in his memory. Hadn't he the courage to admit the truth, at least to himself? That a kind of unexpected peace had washed over him at her presence, her scent welcome in spite of every bit of resistance he could muster. The knowledge tightened something cold and hard beneath his ribs- something almost like fear. He shoved it away so ruthlessly it was as if it had never existed at all. The dog demon focused on her, unable for once to keep the fury and frustration from showing in his eyes.

"What the devil do you expect me to with you?" he growled. "I can't have you roaming around this castle and through my quarters as you please. We might have been able to reside in the same room, even share your damn bed, back in your era. But I cannot allow that to happen now. Which means you need to stay with Akito or Sora at all times if you are to stay here. I cannot keep personal watch on you any more. The youkai here were already looking at you with far too much curiosity and speculation for my taste."

That much was true enough. It chafed like nettles beneath his skin when he saw how they stared at her, gauging her beauty, guessing at their master's restraint in having traveled with such a creature without killing her. Even her miko powers wouldn't always prove daunting enough to every demon he employed. There would be some too curious for their own good.

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched as he imagined what insults some youkai were probably slinging already about the girl. Absurd, this raw frisson of fury at insults that had been thought of only in his own mind. Yet the strange bubble of panic was all too real, that someone might scent vulnerability like a wolf scenting blood.

Were there some that could sense the unusual bond their master and this strange female possessed with each other? He remembered countless times in the past where he had seen two people that shared a close connection with one another.

Hell, he had been one of the people who had used something like that as a weapon against those individuals, vanquishing them without even raising his sword.

But no, comparisons with those fools could never be applied to his and Kagome's odd relationship. He was far more guarded then those impetuous idiots with emotion forever naked in their eyes.

'After all,' he reasoned to himself, 'he didn't really hold any feelings for the girl. Except for maybe annoyance at her behavior.'

Her next words brought him out of his musings, making his amber eyes train onto her earnest face. "You needn't concern yourself about me. After years of traveling with your brother I have grown to disregard what any outsiders might think or say about me or my reputation."

"That's all very well for you, girl," Sesshoumaru growled, very much put out to find that he did care. Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho, who hadn't cared about anything like a woman's reputation in a very long time.

He grimaced, glaring at the girl as if everything was her fault. Silently cursing innocence and courage, generosity and warmth- qualities thought to be so pure, treasured- that the girl possessed. Who could have guessed they could be brewed into simple poison to addle his wits, steal his ability to reason, goad him into making mistakes…

He regarded her with resignation, his clawed hand fisting atop his table, eyes flashing into her own.

"Fine. Since it would seem you are going to be unreasonable about this whole thing then there is nothing more for me to do but order you to be guarded constantly." His eyes got cold and hard as he continued in a frigid voice. "Which means no roaming about my castle as though you own it, no wondering off to Kami knows where to investigate things that have nothing to do with you, and no over-abundance of interaction with my servants and yourself."

Scowling, she cried, "But that isn't fair! I don't want to be isolated from everyone else just because you are paranoid!"

He arched a calm brow at her show of temper. "Your wants do not concern me. It is enough that I am to be stuck with your presence for days, let alone allowing you to run rampant throughout my household, disrupting everything." He smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in frustration. "Besides, you have Akito-kun to keep you company." He said his servant's name with an unaccustomed amount of snideness to it.

Kami, this girl made him act out of character….and he was growing sick of it.

Slamming her palms against the tabletop, Kagome half leaned over the furniture to glare into the Taiyoukai's impassive face, her close proximity not causing him to even move away from her. Instead, he kept his icy eyes trained with her own, as though daring her to continue.

Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "You are in bad need of someone to defy you, Sesshoumaru." Narrowing her eyes, she added, "and I am just the one to do it."

Pushing away from him, she then stood and stormed out of his chamber, the violence she used to open his door making the kitsune on the other side turn with tense shoulders, a little worried at a possible attack. His navy eyebrows rose when he saw it was the miko, glaring daggers and spots of color high on her cheekbones. Not even slowing down, she stomped back to her room where she promptly went inside, slamming the hapless wood as she did.

Akito stared at the path the girl had taken, surprise written over his usually stoic features. He slowly turned his head to peer into the room Kagome had come from, looking at his master with curiosity and interest.

Sesshoumaru looked at the fox demon, sighing as he rubbed two fingers against his temple as if the massage away pain.

"Go after her, Akito. Be sure and to stay with her no matter where she goes in the castle, including the hot spring. You can stand outside, but I want either you or Sora with her at all times."

"Yes, My Lord," he said, bowing before moving to take up his usual post outside the miko's door. Sora was going to relieve him around midnight, meaning he would get to sleep during the night so he could accompany the girl during the day.

Having heard almost everything that had been said inside the Taiyoukai's room, Akito was intrigued. The relationship between their guest and his master was proving very interesting indeed.

Things at the castle were bound to get even more chaotic than normal with her running around.

Especially if she persisted in treating the dog demon like she had been. Personally, the fox youkai was a bit taken aback at how much le-way Sesshoumaru gave this human when it came to talking to him. The guard had seen demons who had said less meet their death by the dog demon's poisonous claws.

However, with Kagome he seemed to have an endless well of patience.

Very interesting indeed….


	24. Intimidation Tactics

Damn him! Damn him, damn him, damn him, damn him!

This was the only thought running through Kagome's mind as she stomped around her room, throwing the items she would need to bathe with in her bag.

Done with that chore, she then sat on the edge of her bed to violently shove her feet into some white socks, then standing and placing her backpack over one shoulder before heading out of the room.

Grabbing Akito's wrist as she passed, the miko dragged the surprised youkai through the castle, ignoring the speculative glances they were given as the two went by other demons. She was too angry to even offer the kitsune an explanation, completely intent on mentally murdering the Taiyoukai.

Bashing him over his arrogant head with Sango's Hiraikotsu sounded pretty tempting...

Or even shaking him until his teeth rattled...that would be appealing too...

She was so caught up in thoughts of maiming Sesshoumaru, that as she opened the door which led out to the path for the hot spring, Kagome failed to notice that there was someone blocking her path.

Akito, seeing what was about to happen, used his captured arm to his advantage. Grasping onto her wrist, he came to an abrupt stop, yanking back at the same time, making the girl crash back into his chest.

"Ack!" she yelled loudly while colliding into a body with harsh force, her foot accidentally stepping on the person who was now holding her. The hand that had a hold of Akito was now a little sore from being wrenched at such an odd angle, but that quickly fled from her mind when her eyes rose to meet the sight of the youkai standing in front of her.

Never had she seen a being that looked like the creature before her did, a puzzled expression on his face.

Everything about him resembled a living flame, from his hair to the varying shades of red on his clothing. She was vaguely aware of the fact that the usual haori and pants set worn by the rest of the castle was in an entirely different color scheme. It was orange, red, and even bright yellow in great swirling flames that blended and clashed with one another until it seemed he was wreathed in fire. He wore no weapons, nothing but his clothes adorning his tall body, what looked like flames licking at the end of his left sleeve and the collar of the same shoulder.

Her mouth hanging open a bit in awe, Kagome started from his hair and worked her way down. The strands of his hair were short and spiky, the roots a deep crimson that gradually lightened to a blinding light yellow at the tips. He was taller than Sesshoumaru but with a leaner more delicate build than the dog demon's.

She then moved on to the blood-red slash of his arched eyebrows, looking almost black as the shadows he was standing under obscured their real color. By now it was evening and the pale starlight did nothing to illuminate the porches of the household, casting everything in spots of darkness.

What got her full interest, however, was his eyes. They undulated, writhed, moved in an incessant dance of the deepest red to the lightest yellow. Kagome couldn't even see his pupils because of the way this youkai's irises behaved. Even the dark slash of his eyebrows against his white skin gave the glowing orbs that stared unblinking into her own a nice backdrop.

In fact, she couldn't even more her gaze beyond that point, completely entranced at the random patterns of color being displayed.

Akito could tell the miko was too busy gawking at the other demon to realize she was standing on his foot while leaning upon his chest. Her hair kept getting in his face from her head being so close, a few strands brushing his lips, the floral scented tendrils tickling his skin.

With an inner roll of his eyes, he gently moved Kagome till she was supporting herself on her own two feet, before he stepped forward till he stood directly in front of her to directly face the other youkai.

Kagome continued to stare over her guard's shoulder, absorbed in figuring out exactly how it was possible for someone to have such eyes.

Bowing with stiff formality, the arctic kitsune locked his icy eyes with fiery ones while saying, "Lord Daija."

The fox demon's voice broke the miko out of her trances, making her blush and drop her gaze to train intently on the polished wooden floorboards.

How embarrassing! Not only had she been staring like a half-wit, she had almost ran into Sesshoumaru's stand-in for when he left the castle.

Kami, she had no luck!

She gripped the bottom of her sweat shirt with one hand, her fingers abusing the stretchy fabric as she continued to silently berate herself.

At least she now knew who this demon was. She just hadn't expected the Lord who worked with Sesshoumaru to look so young.

When was she going to accept the fact that youkai aged a lot differently than humans? Most of the ones that took on a humanoid form usually appeared to be in their late twenties.

'It must be nice to be able to pretty much capture beauty and hold onto it so well,' she thought a bit sardonically, finally getting enough courage to peek back up to the other youkai through her lengthy lashes as he began to speak.

"Aw, Akito. How nice it is to see you again. How have you been?" Lord Daija's husky tones once more reminded her of flames and warmth, of hot chocolate and the soothing strains of classical music. Genuine emotion colored every glance, every word that came from him.

How could one voice possess so many different aspects? It was uncanny...

Akito didn't return any of the emotions radiating off the fire youkai, instead, remaining as cold and frigid as ever.

Kagome offered Lord Daija a timid smile, well aware that her guard had just saved her from thoroughly mortifying herself by running him down.

"I am doing well, Lord Daija. I am honored you would ask. And yourself?" the fox demon knew the human was now close behind him, all but leaning over his left shoulder to get a closer look at the phoenix.

This particular titled youkai always attracted positive attention, whether it be from soldiers or ladies of the court. He had a feeling that where the miko was concerned it would be no different.

Daija stared openly at the female who was accompanying Sesshoumaru's personal guard, a little surprised that the ice youkai would not be by the Lord's side. The phoenix demon had already heard that the Taiyoukai had brought home a priestess of sorts, and assumed this girl must be her.

Continuing his perusal of the human's shy features, he answered, "Fine, thank you." Inclining his head he asked with open curiosity, "And who might your lovely companion be?"

Akito's shoulders tensed, his icy eyes becoming guarded at the interest Lord Daija was showing. "This is Lady kagome Higurashi, honored guest of Lord Sesshoumaru."

A handsome smile curled the demon lord's lips as he stepped past the fox youkai to capture the hand that was twisting her shirt. Bowing over it gallantly, he said softly, "Lady Higurashi. It is a pleasure and an honor."

Blushing an even darker shade of red, Kagome laughed nervously while attempting to withdraw her appendage discretely. Overlong contact with a stranger, a good looking one, true, but a stranger none-the-less still made her uneasy.

The knowing smile of his face let her know Daija was quite aware of her discomfort, giving her fingers a light squeeze before releasing them.

She immediately placed her free hand around the strap of her bag, keeping the other one out of sight by fiddling with the necklace at her throat. It was a silver chain that had a small simple locket attached to it, pictures of her family on the inside. Whenever she got too lonely or homesick she would always open it, look at their loved faces, and then feel better afterwards.

"Pl– please, just call me Kagome. I'm no high princess to be bowed and scraped to," she told him with a small smile, not used to being addressed so formally.

While Lord Daija straightened to his full height, Akito watched the exchange between the two with sharp eyes, on constant alert for any sign of danger.

He didn't think the firebird meant any real harm to his ward, but then it was his job to be suspicious of everyone. Being a fire youkai, Daija couldn't help the way his personality had a way of showering warm exuberance over everyone he came in contact with. It was just part of that breed of youkai's nature. They burned brightly with a steady inner heat that sometimes could scorch one into ashes, but most times was banked into a pleasant warmth that people loved to bask in.

Akito didn't think his master would like it too much if the girl became too appreciative of Lord Daija's mannerisms.

Another reason to separate these two as quickly as possible.

Kagome's blue-grey eyes widened a bit as she got a clearer view of Daija's face from the light spilling through the open doorway behind her, amazed at the markings he possessed on his skin.

Instead of a single solid color like most youkai had, the flame symbol on his forehead shimmered with a thousand different hues like a crystal held to a sunbeam, seeming to be actually in motion. Likewise, the same pearly iridescence marred the end corners of each of his odd eyes. It looked like someone had taken a gel pen and drawn a line straight out and then down at an angle just where the cheekbones lay beneath flesh. Kagome would be almost anything that the markings were ones he kept even when fully transformed.

Grinning down at the flustered female, his fangs visible in a non-threatening way, he replied, "I could never address you with such familiarity, My Lady. It would be an insult to the Taisho household it I went against the Lord's orders." Winking at her disgruntled expression at this information, he added with a bit of mischievousness, "However, I can call you Lady Kagome if you wish."

Realizing that getting any of these demons to call her by her first name was impossible, she sighed before saying, "Lady Kagome it is, Lord Daija."

Waving a dismissive hand, he grinned down at her with kind indulgence. "Please, call me Daija. There is already enough formality between us," his voice thick with persuasion and his fiery eyes teasing.

Chuckling, she nodded, her hair bouncing around at the movement. "Very well, Daija."

He looked pleased as she said his first name, a happy spark in his writhing irises, the smile never leaving his attractive features.

Akito, deciding that this little meeting had gone on long enough, went to stand at Kagome's side, drawing her attention away from the phoenix.

One of Lord Sesshoumaru's orders had been no extended contact between her and other youkai within his castle, and that included Lords of Nobility.

"Lady Kagome, I believe you wished to bathe in the hot spring before retiring. It grows late and I do not think it wise for you to be exposed to the cold night air in your present condition." Sweeping her long mass of raven hair with a pointed look, he added, "Especially once you get your hair wet."

Gentle blue-grey eyes glanced to his own, her lips turning up a little at the corners in a smile of resignation.

"You're right, Akito-kun. I really should get that done so I can get back here as soon as possible." Lifting one sock clad foot and wiggling her toes to draw his attention to it, she smirked. "Besides, running around in only socks isn't such a great idea." Giving Lord Daija a sheepish grin, she once more planted the appendage onto the cool floor. "I sort of forgot to put any shoes on before leaving my room."

The arctic kitsune inwardly grinned at how the girl could joke easily at her own expense with strangers. Her openness and willingness to trust was something so foreign to the inhabitants of the palace that more and more of them were growing fascinated with her.

A dangerous thing, that.

A sultry laugh issued from the firebird youkai at her antics, one red eyebrow arching at her in question.

"I take it the departure from your quarters was one done in haste?"

He watched with interest as the human shared a look with her guard before answering with a secret grin, "You could say that..."

As he opened his mouth to ask her something else she started coughing suddenly, effectively forestalling the comment he might have made. Akito stepped closer to the female, concern evident in his usually emotionless eyes, a grim set to his thin lips as he watched her struggle to regain her breathe.

'Interesting,' Lord Daija thought, watching the interplay between the Lady and her guard. He had known Akito many years and had never seen the ice youkai show that much feeling towards anyone.

Kagome closed her eyes tightly, willing the tightness in her chest to ease down so she could inhale properly and stop hacking so violently, her body bent a little forward at the force of suffering her illness.

She was barely aware of Akito moving to stand close beside her, his voice exuding traces of subtle concern when he said, "My Lady?"

Determined not to worry the arctic kitsune, she pushed down the urge to cough with effort, raising her head a little so she could see his face, waving a hand in a soothing motion.

Her voice was hoarse when she tried to reassure him. "I'm alright, Akito-kun. Just got a little caught off guard by that one is all."

When it subsided completely, she stood up straight, rubbing her palm on her chest where her lungs lay, groaning a little at the soreness the light contact brought with it.

"Are you unwell, Lady Kagome?" Daija's concerned voice startled her a bit, the girl having forgotten he was there while she fought to regain control of her body. Looking up into his face she saw real worry etching his features, a little surprised when he made a move towards her with his hand extended, as though he meant to lay it on her shoulder.

At the phoenix youkai's actions Akito quickly intercepted his path, blocking him from his charge and facing the stunned Lord.

The arctic fox watched in mild satisfaction as the other demon backed off, letting his hand fall limply to his side once more. Fixing an icy stare on the firebird, he said in frigid tones, "Excuse us, Lord Daija, but I really must be getting Lady Kagome to the hot spring. As always, it was a pleasure." Bowing sharply, he then turned to clasp one clawed hand about her fragile elbow in a gentle grip, silently asking her to follow him as he began to move off towards the steps that led to the path they needed to take.

Once they were on the hard packed ground, Kagome turned to wave over her shoulder at the youkai still standing in the place they had left him, his expression contemplative while he watched them depart.

"It was nice meeting you, Lord Daija!" She called with a grin, tripping a little over a rock, making Akito tighten his hold on her a moment to steady her.

Kami, but she was always so clumsy! And at the worst of times too! Kagome feverently hoped that the other youkai hadn't caught her less than graceful walk, but she seriously doubted it.

Bowing towards her, the phoenix answered, a smile on his face, "The honor was mine, Lady Kagome. I hope you feel better soon."

Before she could offer a reply, Akito led her around a bend in the path, a thick bush effectively blocking her view of the porch and keeping her from telling Daija a reply.

Facing forward again, she frowned while casting the silent youkai beside her an inquisitive look.

"Akito-kun, do you not like Lord Daija or something? He seemed like a nice enough person to me."

Iceberg orbs flashed in dark as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, saying calmly, "I do not dislike Lord Daija."

Her frown turned into a scowl of bewilderment, her raven brows drawing together in a V. "Then why were you in such a hurry for us to leave him?"

The building that housed the hot spring came into view before Akito spoke again, his hand falling away from her arm now that they were so near their destination.

"Because, Lady, you are ill and not properly clothed for elongated stays outdoors. For the sake of your health if was imperative I get you to your bathe quickly."

Her brow smoothed and she smiled at his concern, bumping her shoulder against his bicep so he could look at her.

Once he did her eyes danced with merriment as she told him softly, waving a finger in hid direction, "Why Akito- kun! You are such a sweety! Thanks for being so thoughtful and caring!"

The fox demon arched an eyebrow at her words before putting his eyes forward again, just in time to notice Musashi grinning at him like an idiot.

Obviously the damn dog demon had heard what she had just said to him.

Great, another thing he would have to endure getting teased about. Did the miko honestly enjoy saying things that would come back to haunt him later?

He didn't think so, but still...with humans you never could tell.

Really, the excuse he had given Kagome was only half true. The majority of why he had been so adamant about separating the two was because of Lord Sesshoumaru's instructions.

He knew that where this female was concerned the Taiyoukai meant every word of his orders to be followed. Primarily the portion that pertained to the contact with other youkai. The fox knew it was for the human's safety more than anything else.

After experiencing first-hand how outgoing Kagome could be, Akito understood why Lord Sesshoumaru would enforce such a rule.

She was just too trusting.

At least...that is what he thought at first. But after seeing how his master acted around the human he wasn't too sure...

And what had the dog demon said earlier? Something about sharing a bed? Very intriguing...

When they got within calling distance he watched the miko pick up her pace to jog right up to Musashi, smiling at him all the while as if greeting an old friend. Akito followed at his usual sedate pace, taking in the sight of the guard's obvious interest in the girl talking to him, his dark eyes warm with laughter.

It would appear that he was another victim to the human's sunny nature. He had noticed it happening more and more as she came across more demons of the castle. The way she would stop to talk to them, or compliment another on something they were doing...it just made them confused and a little in awe of a young human girl who seemed to hold no real fear in their presence.

Yes, she was simply too trusting.

Like right now, for example...

While she was busy engaging Musashi in light conversation, enquiring at his health of all things, Akito came to a stop a few feet behind the two. A sudden rise in jaki made him tense in battle-readiness, his hand on the spear tightening a little as he looked over to where the malevolent aura was coming from.

The guard that stood adjacent to the miko was glaring with deadly intent at the conversing pair, his burly shoulders bunched with tension, the hands on his glaive pole white-knuckled and twisting about the innocent piece of wood.

Akito felt something cold and deadly curl in his stomach as he studied the way the bear youkai who had taken up Sora's place continued scowling, his face, even though obscured by the shadows and his helmet, still clearly visible to the fox youkai.

The youkai's stance was aggressive, his stocky frame poised to lean a little forward as though waiting to pounce on an enemy, drive his wicked blade deep into their heart.

All this was taken in quickly be the arctic demon's eyes with one sweep, the light brown orbs watching his comrade and the miko never noticing their master's personal guard catching his perusal.

Kagome didn't seem to notice that anything was amiss at all as she turned her head to see the new guard that was facing her a bit on the other side of the huge doors. Musashi was now tense after the other youkai's increased jaki caused a shiver to snake up his spine. He saw the human he had been talking to go to walk towards the source of the evil power, acting as though she couldn't feel it.

'But she was a miko. Shouldn't she be able to sense something like that?' he thought with growing alarm when she came to a stop about a foot in front of the other soldier, a warm smile already on her rosy lips, her eyes gentle when she asked his name.

His gaze darted to the frigid feel of another, much stronger jaki rising to his right, noticing for the first time the way Akito was had begun to slowly make his way towards his ward. Musashi had never seen the arctic youkai in any type of battle mode before, but if the way his aura felt at the moment was any indication it would be a formidable sight.

He swallowed, thanking Kami that they were on the same side and this demon was not his enemy.

Kagome, still trying to get the youkai in front of her to relax and answer her, smiled amiably while asking, "Won't you tell me your name? I'm very interested to know it." She couldn't see his face clearly in the poor lighting, and the cheek guards of his headgear wasn't helping either.

She thought he was just shy or scared to be around her, it wouldn't be the first time with all the miko comments flying about the castle. She didn't realize that this demon who was standing so oddly didn't like her at all.

Perhaps it was the sickness she had let her guard slip so much, after all, she was in the holding of one of the most powerful demons in Japan. Why worry about a youkai that guarded the royal hot spring?

Whatever the case, she thought the cold feeling that raised goose bumps along her skin was due to the weather and the light fever she had, not from a demon.

Akito, sensing the growing danger his charge was getting herself into, reached them just as the bear demon bared his fangs and the low rumble of a growl started to tremble in his chest. Moving so quickly that Kagome couldn't even follow the action with her eyes, the fox demon stood in front of her, facing the other warrior with but inches between them.

The miko took a step back, her hands clenching at the straps of her bag when she saw that the kitsune's rigid back was filling her vision, blocking her view of the person she was talking to. A colder feeling than the last trickled along her skin, making the hair at her nape stand up as though she had come into contact with electricity. Glancing in puzzlement to Musashi, her eyebrows arched into her bangs when she saw the expression on his face that was bathed under the torch he was angled under.

It looked like he was either scared or worried. But about what?

Meanwhile, Musashi watched in awe at the way Akito's iridescent eyes flashed eerily, a pearl white bleeding into the orbs until it was the only color visible. The kitsune had bared his fangs in warning at the light brown gaze that clashed with his own, the owner of which had not entirely comprehended that it was no longer the miko they were locked with.

Kagome, not understanding what was going on, shifted from one foot to the other, sniffling a little as a breeze tickled her nose.

'Are Akito and the other guard talking or what?' she thought in puzzlement, sneaking another glance at the engrossed Musashi. Running a hand through her messy hair, she asked herself, 'What the hell is going on?'

The youkai, having realized that he was no longer trying to intimidate a human, moved his upper body back, away from Lord Sesshoumaru's personal guard who had taken her place. The growl died in his throat and his gaze turned a little fearful when the ice youkai raised his jaki again in an intimidation tactic, the wood directly under and around the hand holding the spear becoming incased in a layer of slick ice.

Bowing his head, the bear demon stepped back till he stood stiffly against the wall, his grip still tight on his weapon as the kitsune continued to glare at him.

He hadn't known it was Sesshoumaru's personal guard that was accompanying the miko here, his sole attention having been trained on said person.

Showing aggression towards a human female was very different from holding that attitude with a warrior as powerful as Akito was. Especially when that demon's eyes were now roiling between pearl white and lightning blue with anger.

Not a good sign for his mortality rate at all...

Kagome, fed up with the odd silences going on between everyone, rolled her eyes and moved to go into the hot spring.

Really, she didn't have time to stand around while these males entered some stupid staring contest.

The arctic fox probably had interrupted the one-sided conversation because he wanted to be done and back in his own chambers again, resting for the night.

Even he had to be tired from standing watch over her constantly.

A stab of guilt shot through her at the thought, making her feel bad for the irritation she'd just indulged in. Giving Musashi a kind smile when he hurried to open the door for her, she paused on the threshold, not bothering to look at Akito when she said, "I'll just hurry up and then we can go, okay Akito-kun?"

Not even waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the building, hearing the door close behind her with a soft 'click'. Sighing deeply, she slouched while walking through the ante-chamber that led into the cavernous room of the hot spring by way of an arched entryway. You had to walk down a short hallway from the front door before being able to see the steaming water, the large pool of liquid looking warm and inviting.

Grinning a little at the memory of what had happened the last time she was hear, Kagome began shedding her clothes.

As the girl began her bath, outside Akito was still in the same spot she had left him, the only difference being that there was now ice encasing his entire weapon, coming to a razor-sharp point over the spearhead that was now hovering near the other youkai's cheek.

Akito ignored the nervous fidgeting of Musashi on the other side of the door, his focus on the now submissive demon in front of him. When he spoke, his voice cut through the air like ice crystals, the nuances causing the demon he was addressing to tense even more.

"You would dare to disrespect an honored guest of Lord Taisho, Hirei?"

Swallowing hard, the bear youkai stuttered out, "I... I me-meant no insult—"

The fox demon growled lowly, the tip of the ice enshrouded spear lengthening until it rested with deadly menace against bare skin, effectively putting an end to the weak attempts of the guard explaining his behavior.

His eyes returning to their usual iceberg hues, he bit out, "Listen closely, Hirei, for I shall only tell you this once. The miko is to be afforded every respect and courtesy granted a lady of royal youkai lineage." He pushed the spear further into flesh, a small rivulet of crimson liquid trailing from where it rested, making Hirei's wary eyes looking up into Akito's hard countenance. The metallic smell of blood filled the air drowning out the usual pleasant odor of the palace garden. The bear youkai's pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks as the fox demon continued. "Which means if she asks you a question you answer quickly and if she approaches you then you are to treat her with the same deference given to Lord Sesshoumaru."

Narrowed eyes flashed the electric azure once more before he snarled out, "Do I make myself clear?"

Hirei's lips were thinned in mutinous anger, eyes filled with loathing for the other youkai as he answered stiffly, "Yes Sir. Perfectly."

At his answer, Akito moved away from the bear demon, his fangs disappearing behind his lips, no emotion showing outwardly on his features as the ice quickly receded from the weapon as though it had never been there.

The small puncture on Hirei's cheek was already healed, nothing but the red line marring his skin showing that there had been a wound to begin with.

"You have been warned. Do not expose yourself as an even bigger fool by repeating this mistake," was the fox demon's parting remark before he promptly left to enter the hot spring. After this little development he had decided to await Kagome in the front chamber, not feeling comfortable with leaving her so isolated in the large structure after what had transpired outside.

Since the chamber was held away from the bathing room it gave her privacy while allowing him to wait for her, undisturbed.

Musashi visibly relaxed after the kitsune disappeared behind the heavy engraved door, his body slouching where it stood as he leaned heavily on his weapon. Giving Hirei a look, he said, "Kami, Hirei, that was stupid of you."

The bear youkai gave his comrade a glare of death, grinding out between clenched teeth, "Shut your damn mouth, Musashi."

Frowning at how angry the other youkai still was, he shrugged, training his dark eyes forward once more.

Damn, but he wished Sora was here instead of this demon. At least his friend helped pass the hours and didn't offend anyone.

But the dog demon had been reassigned by Lord Sesshoumaru himself to act as night guard to Lady Kagome. An important job, but Musashi still would have liked to have him here.

It was better than countless minutes of silence that he currently had to suffer through because of his stoic partner.

Sighing heavily, Musashi gave his seething fellow soldier an irritated scowl that went completely unnoticed by the other demon.

This was going to be a long night...


	25. Diversion

Sesshoumaru sat beneath the weak morning light streaming through his bedroom window, the warmth from the sun bathing his exposed upper body. His long silver hair was placed over the shoulder where the arm was missing, the long length of his tail curled about his bare feet, keeping them from getting too cold. The dog demon was sitting on the tatami matted floor, his knees drawn up with his arm wrapped around them, making the skin taut so his stitches could be removed easily.

The light tug and release he felt over the now healed laceration wasn't exactly painful, but it did make the muscle beneath it ache a little from the abuse it was suffering.

His amber eyes were staring blankly at the pristine fir in front of him, the Taiyoukai's mind occupied with thoughts of his guest while Cheiro worked on him.

He had originally been going to ask Kagome if she would inspect the wound and then remove the sutures, but after seeing how he reacted to the miko, he had decided against it. In the end, he had called in the palace healer to take care of the task, knowing that he needed to ask the feline youkai a few questions.

Clawed fingers digging into the soft fabric of his white pants, Sesshoumaru asked the quiet doctor, "Tell me, Cheiro, did you find anything harmful in the potion I gave to you to analyze?"

Silence filled the room for a moment as she deftly cut another piece of black thread, pulling it gently out of his skin. Her pink eyes studied the back of his silvery head, trying to think of the best answer she could give him.

"I have not found anything recognizable that looks to be harmful to Lady Higurashi. At least, not if it is taken in the doses prescribed upon the bottle." Running her claws beneath another stitch, she continued, her head leaning closer to make sure she didn't accidentally scratch him. "There are, of course, a few chemicals and ingredients that I have never run across before, and thus cannot tell you precisely what they are. However, the ones I have been able to identify are a type of alcohol, a mild sedative, and even some traces of what looks to be cherry flavoring."

He remained quiet as Cheiro continued her ministrations on his back, filing away everything she was telling him about the girl's medicine. Having come into contact with some of it personally, he knew when he had given the order to have the substance examined that the healer wouldn't be able to decipher all of its contents.

At least he did now know that it wouldn't harm the human, and that was all he cared about at the moment.

Having her die from self poisoning would look just great once his brother and his group arrived. Sesshoumaru could picture himself trying to calmly tell them how she had overdosed herself on cold medicine and that she was no longer with them.

Oh yes, that would be just wonderful.

Cheiro finally cut the last piece of black thread, pulling out the fibers to place them with the rest of the debris in a pile at her knee. Before telling him she was done, the cat youkai once again leaned forward to take a closer look at the thin long white scar that lined her master's shoulder. It would probably be completely gone within a month, maybe less.

Sitting up away from her patient, she turned her attention to putting away the supplies she had brought to tend the Taiyoukai. She heard the rustle of silk as Sesshoumaru pulled on his under shirt and haori, the creak of floorboards as he stood up and moved to gaze out the window at the awakening castle.

As she was securing the tie on her small leather pouch, Cheiro was surprised when the dog demon addressed another question to her. She had thought that the liquid he had given her to analyze would be the only thing to ask her about.

Raising startled pink orbs to look up at his profile, her long pink hair trailing in a braid down her back like a cotton candy rope, she placed her hands over the maroon clad thighs of her kimono.

"Cheiro, tell me what you meant the other day when you said the girl was not completely human, but neither was she fully miko?" He tilted his head a little as if to get a better view of something outside, his hand pushing a stray lock of hair away from his face.

Frowning in thought, the cat demon spoke softly, trying to word her answer to make sense.

"I said that simply because it was the truth, My Lord."

"Explain," he ordered, still staring intently outside, his hand now laying at his side.

"Part of being a youkai healer is having the ability to sense not only jaki, but other life forces and auras as well. I could not possibly treat half the creatures of your castle if I did not have these capabilities at my disposal." Gesturing towards him with one clawed hand she continued, "For example, I can tell right now that your jaki level is normal for you at the moment. There is neither an increase in it denoting that you are ready for battle, nor is it lowered to say that you have been emotionally injured. As you are aware, a demon's jaki is like a piece of their life force that, if you are skilled enough, you can feel how high or low it is."

"Yes, I understand completely the principles of jaki and how it pertains to the healing arts," he cut in, slashing an icy look in her direction. "What I am asking is how you were able to deduce just by sitting with the girl for such a short time that she wasn't human or miko."

Pink eyes broke from his stare to train on her lap, her lips pinching in thought before she offered him a reply.

"Mikos have a certain feel to them that demons and humans do not. Which is why some beings are able to sense their presence if they ever come into contact with one. You can easily pick out a full human just by watching how they behave or from the smells they give off. However, in the case of Lady Higurashi she not only exudes traits of being a regular human female, but also hints of a powerful miko as well." Raising her eyes to lock with his again she said with a little smile about her lips, "Look at her as if she were a newborn demon pup. There is raw potential there for great power, and if that is not harnessed then it becomes uncontrollable and can prove harmful to not only others, but themselves as well. Which is why, if you remember correctly, your father trained his sons so hard when they were young. Lady Higurashi has had no such training. She may have held the potential to be a great miko her entire life, but because it was never tapped into and developed it only becomes apparent when something either life threatening to herself or the ones close to her are present."

He thought over what Cheiro was saying, a few pieces to the puzzle that made Kagome filing into place.

"That would explain the spirit arrows," he said softly, as though he was talking aloud to himself.

Arching one pink eyebrow, the feline youkai watched her master with growing interest. "If what you say is true, and she does use spirit arrows, then it is likely that whenever she has it is an actual piece of her very essence that goes into the weapon upon firing."

Sesshoumaru regarded her with some surprise on his face, eyes narrowed with sharp focus upon the kneeling healer.

"You mean to say that the potency of her arrows depends on what she is feeling at the time that she uses them?"

Nodding, a few tendrils of hair shimmering in the morning light from the movement, Cheiro replied, "That is exactly what I am saying, My Lord. Because she is not a fully trained miko she has not learned to control all of her emotions like most are. From what I have witnessed so far, Lady Higurashi is not one to sit quietly in meditation while organizing her feelings into tidy little packages. Yet, it is because of this that she may be able to prove so lethal with her arrows."

"Why would you say that?" Sesshoumaru asked, fully turning to give the cat demon his entire attention.

"Simply because of her lack of control, especially where her feelings are concerned, it should give her arrows an extra boost that otherwise would not be there." Sighing deeply, she considered for a moment how best to proceed with what she wanted to explain. Smiling a little at finally settling on something, she began as though she were explaining a difficult science equation to a child. "Let me draw up an example for you My Lord. Say Lady Higurashi was traveling with someone that she cared deeply for. It doesn't matter if it was just friendship or something beyond that, she seems the type to care about almost everyone." The healer didn't miss the spark of wry humor that flared in Sesshoumaru's eyes when she made the last comment. " So, if she is with them and danger suddenly presented itself she would go to use her weapon, fully intent on protecting whoever she was with. Now, depending on how much she thought the threat to whatever she cared for was, the arrow she would shoot at this opponent would be charged with the same amount of energy that she perceived to feel at the time. In other words, if Lady Higurashi felt that whoever meant to do harm to someone close to her was focused on its job, she would channel her feelings of righteousness and love to the tip of her arrow. Thus, once the purifying agent connected with the evil force it would vaporize it completely."

The Taiyoukai mulled over this information, a sudden thought making him frown, his silvery eyebrows arcing downward on his marked brow.

"If her spirit was, to say, be damaged, would this effect the power of her arrows?"

Raising her own eyebrows at the question, Cheiro pondered what her master was asking.

"It is possible. Just as a demon's jaki can be depleted if they lose their inner stability within themselves, I suppose a miko's purifying powers will decline if they were handicapped emotionally. To be a miko it is said you must have a lack of negative energies, thus allowing them to use their powers to their full potential. If Lady Higurashi, in fact, has suffered a big enough loss to scar her soul then it is probable that the miko abilities she does possess will be depleted."

"I see," he said emotionlessly, turning to look back out the window as he dismissed his servant. "That will be all, Cheiro. Thank you for the information and the work on my shoulder. You can give Akito the bottle back that I had you analyze."

Bowing, she gathered up her possessions before quietly departing from the room, closing his door softly before heading back to her own quarters.

Sesshoumaru continued to look outside, his sharp gaze taking in the bustle of soldiers changing posts, the faint sounds of mock battles as some demons trained in the dojos on the other side of the courtyard.

What his healer had told him was unsettling to the dog youkai.

Did this now mean that Kagome wouldn't be able to protect herself properly because the stupid female was pining for his idiot half brother?

It would be just like a human to let something like a little lover's quarrel break their spirit.

But he didn't think that Kagome's was injured beyond repair. Nothing that her convalescence here probably wouldn't cure.

He scowled as he remembered that she would soon have to come face to face with the root of her heartache very soon.

Damn, but ever since she had come into his life nothing went according to plan. It was beginning to be a situation he was more than tired to be party to. He was a Taiyoukai, for Kami's sake! He didn't have the resources to spend on making sure the miko was comfortable or not off sulking in his gardens because she caught a glimpse of Inu Yasha with his un-dead lover.

Sesshoumaru growled a little as he thought about the confrontation that was sure to come between the trio once the other two arrived. His half brother had made his decision, so he had better be a mature youkai about it and accept the path he had chosen.

The dog demon didn't think he could calmly allow Inu Yasha to stir up even more trouble by trying to lead Kagome on. Although, he was fairly certain that wasn't the hanyou's intent, the damn half demon had a way of creating turmoil no matter where he went.

If the hanyou succeeded in damaging the human's soul even more she may not be ready to depart from his palace for a longer period of time, a scenario he could not afford.

Tales of how she would talk to anyone she passed had already reached his ears, the indignant squawkings of Jaken ringing in his ears as the tiny toad youkai railed about how humans were taking over the castle. That was one of the reasons he had instated the rules about her lack of contact with his subjects. Even with Akito at her side she could accidentally get herself into some trouble that even the fox demon wouldn't be able to extricate her from unscathed.

She was just too damn troublesome for his peace of mind.

A knock on his door brought the dog youkai from his thoughts as he turned to face the newcomer, although he already pretty much knew who it was by their scent.

"Enter, Akito."

The arctic kitsune entered the room, bowing deeply to Sesshoumaru before closing the door behind him, affording them privacy as he gave his morning report. The Taiyoukai had informed him that it was to be one of his new duties, to report first thing in the morning to his master and let him know how the human was progressing.

Waving the fox demon further into the room, Sesshoumaru then went to sit behind a low table in the center of the room, picking up the earthen cup filled with steaming tea that a servant had left earlier.

"Sit and tell me how Lady Kagome is doing," he commanded, taking a small sip of the fragrant drink as the ice youkai settled himself facing the Taiyoukai, his spear laying on the ground beside him, docile and harmless.

Meeting his master's impassive amber eyes, Akito began relating the previous day's events regarding the girl he watched over.

"After meeting with you that first time, she took the medication she said would heal her and then slept for a few hours. When she awoke she was taken to you for the meeting you had requested." The dog demon nodded, silently telling the guard to continue while sipping more of his tea. Smoothing his face into emotionless lines, the fox youkai went on with his report. "Shortly after we departed your quarters Lady Kagome met Lord Daija."

The hand holding the glass tightened, his nails cutting a bit into the beige surface, leaving half-moon shapes in their wake.

"How did she happen upon that particular youkai?"

Akito could tell this news was unwelcome to his master, and wasn't really looking forward to relating the rest of last night's events to the Taiyoukai. If he was taking the presence of Lord Daija this bad then he couldn't imagine what was going to happen with Hirei.

"Lady Kagome was a bit...upset when she left you last evening, My Lord," he put as delicately as possible, ignoring the smirk that tilted Sesshoumaru's lips. "As she went to go out the back door to the hot spring she didn't notice that there was someone in her path. She would have ran into him if I hadn't pulled her up short at the last second."

He could have sworn there was amusement in his master's eyes as the dog demon inclined his head for him to go on.

"At that point there was no choice but to introduce the two to one another." Shrugging his shoulders expressively, he leveled a stoic gaze on his superior. "Other than that, they didn't say too much to one another before I escorted the Lady to her bath."

The Taiyoukai set his cup down with slow precise movements, the amber of his eyes turning a bit hard as he asked softly, "Tell me, what do you think Lady Kagome's impression of the phoenix youkai was?"

Glancing away to stare at a point just beyond Sesshoumaru's shoulder, Akito answered, "I am sure I do not know, My Lord. All the Lady said was that he seemed like a nice enough person. Nothing else was said on the matter." Not entirely true, but he hoped his master didn't notice that he wasn't telling everything.

He couldn't believe he was withholding information from Lord Sesshoumaru. For a human female no less.

The dog demon wasn't sure if his personal guard was telling him the whole truth. But then, the fox youkai had never lied to him before...

He pushed it aside, figuring it was just his 'paranoia', as Kagome called it, getting the better of him again.

Laying his hand flat against the cool surface of the tabletop, Sesshoumaru instructed, "After the meeting with Lord Daija what happened then?"

Akito suppressed the urge to shift about where he sat, not having felt this uncomfortable about something since he was in his first years of training and being berated in front of his fellow warriors.

Kami, but he was beginning to wish he had never been ordered to guard the human...

The Taiyoukai quirked a brow at the obvious reluctance the other youkai was expressing after being asked such a simple question.

Sensing that his master was growing impatient, the arctic kitsune decided to just get it over with. It wasn't like Lord Sesshoumaru would kill the messenger...right?

"We ran into a bit of a problem at the hot spring last night, My Lord."

Sesshoumaru's eyes sharpened, body tensing at the news, his voice frigid as he asked, "What kind of problem?"

Resolutely gazing into his master's suspicious eyes, he explained. "The new guard that is posted there, Hirei, apparently has no great liking for your guest, My Lord. Lady Kagome had gone up to talk with Musashi for a while before noticing that Sora wasn't there and that it was someone new. I suppose she didn't sense the hostility coming from the other demon because she walked right over to him and tried to engage him in polite conversation. Hirei was not cooperative. In fact, by the time I moved to place myself between the two the bear youkai was acting as though he were ready to harm the Lady."

"She did not sense his jaki?"

Shaking his head, the white bangs swaying with the motion, Akito answered, "No, My Lord. Neither did she seem to feel mine either, which I thought odd at the time considering she is a miko." His iceberg eyes took in the way the Taiyoukai's hand was now fisted where it lay, the only sign that he was affected by any of what the fox demon had just said.

Perhaps he wouldn't take this as badly as Akito had first thought. His master seemed to be dealing with it well...

Speaking with ice dripping from each word, Sesshoumaru inquired, "I take it you handled the situation and the Lady took her bath without incident?"

"Yes, My Lord. I warned Hirei to treat the Lady with respect and that to show such an aggressive attitude again would result in a fatal mistake for him."

"I see," was all the dog demon said, his palm now flat against the tabletop once more.

The fox youkai breathed an inward sigh of relief.

That had went over better than he had thought.

"Akito, you will inform Saipryss that he is to find a suitable replacement for Hirei at the hot spring." His amber eyes turned the hard metallic of gold as he continued. "Also let him know that Hirei is to be given the task of armorment cleaning for a month." A cruel smirk played about his chiseled lips, a particularly evil spark in his luminous eyes that made a shiver snake up the fox demon's spine. "It would seem the bear youkai is in need of discipline, and what better way to learn control than the meticulous task of removing filth from breastplates and swords?"

Akito didn't offer a reply, knowing that his master was simply posing the question rhetorically. Bowing, he asked softly, "Will that be all, My Lord?"

Waving a hand in dismissal, Sesshoumaru rose while saying, "I told Cheiro to give you Lady Kagome's medicine back to her, so be sure and get that sometime before the girl wakes up. I don't want to be bothered with the human storming around my palace to find me to try and yell about the injustice of taking her things."

"As you say, My Lord. Anything else?" Akito rose, picking up his spear to hold in a firm grasp, his bangs reflecting the growing sunlight outside brightly.

"Yes. I am expecting the first of our 'visitors' to arrive this morning." Fixing his personal guard with an intent stare, he spoke succinctly. "I want you to make sure the girl stays away from the main palace while I am in a meeting with this person. She is not to come into contact with them until I deem it necessary, understood?"

Bowing again, the fox demon acquiesced. "Perfectly, My Lord. I shall insure the Lady is busy within the next few hours. Perhaps visiting Ah Un would appeal to her."

Sesshoumaru nodded, accepting the idea. "Fine. Just make sure she is out of the castle within the next hour. You may leave now, I will call for you when I think it wise to let her meet with our new guest."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." And with that, Akito departed to make his way first to pick up the medication and then back to Kagome's room. His master had told him last evening, before he had retired for the night, that they were to be expecting guests today. Guests that would be staying for a while and had close relationships with the miko under their care.

He would have to make sure the Lady wore warmer clothing than last night since he planned on keeping her entertained with the dragon youkai.

If she got any sicker he feared she would then be bedridden, and he seriously doubted that would be to his Lord's liking.

Kagome was brought out of sleep by a steady knocking at her door, the rhythmic pounding making her blue-grey eyes snap open, reflexively raise her body up a little with her arms to look to where the sound was coming from.

Propping herself up with one bent arm, she used the other to rub at an eye, calling out hoarsely, "Come in."

A moment later she saw the outline of Akito's blue head, his icy eyes immediately fixing on the girl sitting up in her bed, the raven tresses of her hair a mass of waves about her shoulders and face. Her eyes were half opened, as though she was trying to focus on him as he walked with measured steps into the room, making sure to leave the door open about an inch, for proprieties sake.

When he got closer to her bedside, she grinned sleepily at him, the side of her face a little red from having slept on it, the heavy blanket resting about her waist and legs. Her medicine, he had a hold of behind his back, using his tail to hold the bottle so she wouldn't see it. He planned on putting it down where she could find it as soon as she went to the bathroom. That way she would never notice that it had been taken.

Bowing to her, he stood by where her knees were under the cover, the weapon at his side standing at attention.

"My Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru has expressed the desire for you to check up on Ah Un this morning."

She frowned, yawning loudly behind the back of one hand, blinking up at her guard as she tried to make her foggy mind work.

"Ah Un? Why?"

"Something to do with Lady Rin being stuck indoors all day doing her studies and the dragon youkai growing lonesome, My Lady." He hoped she would believe what he said. But considering her soft spot for animals, he was sure she would.

Sitting up completely, she pushed her hair out of her face, while saying sympathetically, "Aw, poor guy! Sure I'll go spend some time with him. Just let me get dressed and then we can go."

Smiling inwardly, he moved aside so she could get up, bowing his head in thanks as she passed him.

"Thank you, Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru will be pleased."

Waving a hand over her shoulder at him, she scoffed. "Oh, I am not doing this because Sesshoumaru wants me to."

Arching a navy eyebrow, he watched her begin taking out some of her strange clothing from the armoire, humming off-key a tune he had never heard before.

But then, with the way she was massacring the song, he doubted he would recognize it anyway...

After retrieving a pair of jeans, a white flannel undershirt and her hooded grey sweatshirt, she then rummaged around for some underwear. Once she had gotten what she needed, she turned back, laden down with her burden, winking at the fox youkai.

"Sesshoumaru is just lucky I happen to like his pet dragon. Otherwise, Akito-kun, he could go out there and frolic with the beast himself." Sauntering passed the incredulous demon she called over her shoulder, a chuckle in her voice, "Who knows, it might do him some good if he did."

Kagome disappeared inside the bathroom, changing into her day clothes, leaving the fox youkai to stare blankly at the surface of the wooden door.

Had she just suggested that his master go out and 'play' with the dragon?

Shaking his head, he quickly took hold of the medicine and set it down on the ground, just beneath the blanket that was now lying half off the mattress. Knowing her messy habits, he was sure she wouldn't think it odd that the bottle had managed to get underneath the bed.

From what he could tell of the chaos currently residing in the room, the human flourished in disarray.

He was brought from his puzzled perusal of what looked like a black skimpy outfit made of a foreign shiny material strewn across the chair in her room, by the bathroom door opening.

'This human just wore the strangest things,' he thought while taking in the sight of her in the clothes she was now adorned in.

Even the shoes she went and put on her feet were derelict to him. He wondered where she came across such treasures. Never had he seen such things in the surrounding areas before, so she must have traveled extensively to purchase them.

Finished with that, she then grabbed up her wooden chopsticks, holding them in her mouth while taking both hands and bunching up her heavy hair, twisting it around and around. The fox demon watched in fascination, never before having watched a female do her hair. It looked to him like she was tying her own mane in nots. What good would that do?

Seconds later he watched her take eating implements and stick them through the mass, the fragile sticks, surprisingly enough, keeping it all in place.

Akito was a little impressed. Who would have thought the girl could make eating utensils double as something to tame your hair? She was just full of surprises.

Smoothing her bangs to lie correctly around her face, Kagome put on some deodorant, rubbed some lotion into her hands, and then went to her bag that was lying on the floor by the chair with her bathing suit on it.

Busy looking for something, her voice was a bit muffled when she asked, "Akito-kun, do you think I'll be getting my laundry back today?" She made a triumphant sound before standing up fully, a thin rectangular object wrapped in white paper in her hands. It looked like it was some type of food.

"Yes, Lady. They should be ready and waiting for you upon your return from visiting the dragon."

She smiled happily, walking over to stand beside him, her eyes warm with gratitude. "Thanks, Akito-kun. Now, let's go visit that lonely youkai, shall we?"

The two left the room, making sure to close the door before walking down the busy hallways of the castle. It seemed that the closer they got to the center of the keep the more traffic they experienced. Once again, Kagome was amazed at how many demons seemed to reside in the palace.

There were just too many to count.

Who would have guessed Sesshoumaru was so popular?

They made their way outside without incident this time, leaving out the front door so that they could head towards the stables where the dragon youkai was kept to be fed in the mornings.

Akito watched as the girl beside him called out a greeting to a demon she had talked to before, saying their name with a smile, inquiring to their health.

The fox demon was just glad that all she was doing was speaking and not stopping to harass any of them. Especially considering it was a strong military unit they resided in, and her randomly keeping warriors from their duties to chat wasn't the best idea.

Coming to the great doors of the stables, Akito opened one so the girl could slip through, following in after her as she disappeared into the musty interior.

Like last time, it was busy with stable lads and grooms taking care of their designated mounts, either by rubbing them down, cleaning out their stalls, or feeding them. He saw that the same stable boy as last time, the one with grey eyes and green hair, was currently having a battle of wills with Ah Un.

The boy looked like he was ready to engage in all out war with the dragon, his pitchfork held in front of him defensively, his young voice defiant as he said, "Now you listen here, you big beast. I have to clean your stall! Lord Sesshoumaru won't be happy with me if he finds you standing about in your own waste."

Ah looked unimpressed, his purple forked tongue flicking out at the boy as though taunting him. Un was turned towards where Kagome was slowly making her way down the middle aisle towards them, his nostrils flaring as he picked up her scent. Akito followed along sedately, content to simply watch his charge take pleasure in visiting the dragon.

The stable lad didn't seem to notice her approach, too intent on waving his make-shift weapon at the arrogant youkai, his grey eyes steely in his youthful face, giving his marked countenance an older look.

"Blast you! Argh! I don't know why I even volunteered to take care of you two!" Glaring at the dragon he propped the pitchfork up on its end, leaning on it while shaking a finger in Ah's direction. "Damn your obstinate, scaly hide! Will you quit making my life miserable and just let me clean your stall?"

Ah looked him over as though in deep consideration, his yellow eyes sweeping the smaller youkai with disdain, clearly not threatened by the youth's show of temper. Un, his eyes now confirming what his nose had transmitted to his brain, grumbled lowly, nudging his counterpart in the neck to gain his attention.

Growling a little in annoyance at being pulled from the fun of tormenting their groom, Ah gave Un an irritated look before following the direction the other youkai was staring off in.

His ears flicked forward and he let out a half roar that seemed to thrum right through the young youkai standing right by them, his chest feeling as though the dragon had all but released the noise directly against his body.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, thinking that this was some new torture thought up by the dragon, he brandished his pitchfork again. Ignoring the way both the dragon's heads were turned to look at something down the middle aisle, he said with false bravado, "This is your last chance, you two. Either you let me in there to clean up after you, or accept the consequences!" At this point he waved his weapon threateningly, the effect not as impressive as it should have been since the instrument was about a foot taller than he was.

Delighted laughter floated through the air, the sound startling the lad from carrying out his threat. Turning his head, his confused gaze fell on the girl who was standing a couple of feet away from him, her blue-grey eyes dancing with mirth as she watched him.

Realizing he was still standing in attack pose, he blushed, the leaf symbol under his right eye standing out boldly from the added color. Standing straight, he put his pitchfork back at his side as though he was holding a spear, bowing his head as he greeted her.

"My Lady. I didn't know you were there. Forgive my language of before."

She chuckled, her voice huskier than normal as she came to stand beside him, looking to the dragon who was now reaching out to her with both heads.

"There is nothing to apologize for." Turning her head, she winked at him conspiritually, saying with a secretive smile as she leaned a little towards the youth, "Believe me, I have heard much worse, and usually directed at me no less."

His grey eyes widened in surprise, the expression on his face incredulous as he objected fevorently, "Oh, but My Lady! No one would talk that way to you! You are too kind."

Akito resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the youngster's obvious worship of the miko. It was sickeningly plain to see that the lad was enamored of the girl already, not to mention after he had seen how she had handled Ah Un so well.

Coming to a halt behind the two, he leaned back a little against the rough frame of an empty stall, blue eyes intent as he observed Kagome in all her energetic glory.

Laughter came easily to her throat, a warm sparkle never fading from her eyes as she reassured the young youkai that what she said was indeed true. Here, within the atmosphere of the more common folk, she thrived.

No false pretenses, no stiff formalities to be adhered to amongst these youkai that tended to the castle mounts. The fox youkai didn't blame her for being more at ease amongst the demons that worked in the stables. Like her, they loved animals and took a great deal of pride in their work. Besides, almost every youkai that wished to become a warrior had to start with mucking out stalls before moving on to any training. Tending for a living being made them accept responsibility and duty at a young age, preparing them for the lessons later in life.

Reaching out she cradled Un's large head between her small palms, cooing to the beast as though it were the prettiest baby she had ever seen. Rubbing her fingers along his scaly cheeks, she stepped up to put her forehead against his, talking nonsense to the dragon the entire time.

"Who's the prettiest dragon ever? That's right, you are! What a good boy!" Ah nudged at her shoulder, demanding some attention for himself, a pleading growl leaving his throat while he nibbled at her sweatshirt hood. Giggling, she released Un to take up Ah's head, rubbing one hand between his ears as she spoke. "Awwww, you're just a big baby, aren't you! Don't worry, I'll give you some attention too."

Akito saw how the stable lad's mouth hung open in shock, his pitchfork now lowered to wear the tip dragged the ground, his grey eyes disbelieving.

The fox youkai couldn't keep a low chuckle from issuing out of his throat, amusement gracing his pearly-blue eyes at seeing how Kagome handled the dragon with such ease.

Stepping forward till he was standing right behind her, his implement dragging dejectedly behind him, the youth asked in an awed voice, "How do you do that, My Lady?"

Kagome started, surprised that the boy had come to stand behind her. Turning her head while still stroking Ah Un's scaly hide, she smiled at his stunned face.

"What, you mean these two?" Facing forward again, she gave each one a kiss on their large snouts, hugging their faces to her own cheeks while saying, "They aren't really that bad. They may talk big, but really, they are nothing but big babies." Pulling back a bit, she tapped Ah on his chin, grinning up at him. "Isn't that right, pretty boy? Just like an over-grown puppy!"

Grey eyes stared at the miko in bewilderment, not understanding how she could describe his master's mount in such a way.

An over-grown puppy? Was the girl daft? The damn lizard had taken a chunk out of his hide more than once, an evil gleam in its eyes every time.

Absently rubbing the spot on his upper arm where the beast had managed to bite him earlier, he shook his head, his green hair moving with the action.

Girls just made no sense. This one more than the others living here. How she could coddle the big ugly beast he had to tend was beyond him.

Besides, he doubted Lord Sesshoumaru would think kindly of his own mount being referred to as a cute loveable lapdog.

Although, the dragon youkai did allow Lady Rin to dress him up in flowers and anything else she could find. So maybe the lizard just liked human females and his master and that was it.

Coughing a little behind one hand, Kagome felt Un pushing gently against her stomach, looking for the treat she had brought for them. Smiling, she withdrew the candy bar, waving it in front of the two-headed dragon, their eyes following the white package intently.

"Is this what you two want?" Stepping out of their reach, she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest while giving them a mock-hurt look. With a fake sniffle, she said sadly, "You guys only like me because of the treats I give you."

Ah reared back to regard her a moment before rolling his eyes, Un whining at her plaintively as though trying to tell her he didn't think of her like that at all. When Un finally started pushing at his gate, the poor wood protesting with a loud groan, Kagome decided it was time to relinquish the candy. She didn't want to explain to Sesshoumaru that his stable was now messed up because she had been teasing his dragon with a Cookies N Cream bar.

Waving her hands in a soothing gesture, she began tearing away the white foil. "Okay, okay. Calm down and let me unwrap it first. Sheesh, you would think you two were starving with the way you act."

Ah gave her a grunt at that, his head held arrogantly as though behaving in such a way was beneath him. Quirking a raven eyebrow at his display, she withdrew the white chocolate bar, balling up the wrapper and placing it in the pouch on her sweater front.

Waving a finger at him, deftly moving the candy out of Un's muzzle that was trying to get close to it, she said with a grin, "You know, the more I am around you the more you remind me of your master."

Ignoring the surprised glances that got her from the other occupants of the stables, Kagome went on, breaking the bar into small pieces so she could feed it slowly to the dragon. "He has this thing about thinking he is too good to act anything but perfect too."

Sticking a small square into her mouth, she chewed on it thoughtfully, handing out a piece each to the awaiting dragon, completely unaware that she had an audience now listening to her every word. Even Akito was waiting to see where the girl was leading with her little one-sided conversation.

"But you know what I think? I think that just like you, Ah, he is a lot nicer than he lets on." Ah made a grumble that suspiciously resembled his version of a scoff before extended his neck out towards the hand that held the chocolate. Handing him another piece, she went on. "No, I'm serious. Sure, you guys may act all big and tough, but really, you can be nice when the situation warrants it."

Akito's eyebrows raised towards his hairline, noticing that almost every other demon in the building had the same expression. Even the stable lad was starting to look at the miko like she was a little crazy, his grey eyes doubtful.

They all knew their leader to be fierce, stoic, and a good commander.

Nice? That was never a word they would think to describe the Taiyoukai they served. Deadly, yes. Evil, at times. But nice? No way.

After giving the dragon youkai a final piece, she moved back from them, shaking her head while grinning at them. "Uh-uh. These last few pieces aren't for you, ya little piggy."

Blocking out Un's whimpers of protest, the girl turned with a sunny smile to the stable lad next to her, holding out a tiny piece of the white food with small black dots in it.

"Here you go! It's something called white chocolate."

The lad delicately took the candy from her fingers, holding it as though it was some fragile heirloom he had been asked to take. Bringing it to his face, he looked it over carefully, taking in the sweet odor of it before popping it into his mouth.

Kagome watched with humor as the boy's expression went from a concentrated frown, to a surprised grin. Steely eyes shining, he said energetically, "Hey, this stuff is really good! Thanks, Lady Kagome!"

"No problem!" she chirped. Glancing over to Akito, her eyes lit up as she made her way over to him, holding out the last little rectangle.

"Here you go, Akito-kun. I saved you a piece."

Taking it from her, he bowed his head in thanks before putting it in his mouth, savoring the rich flavor of the foreign food.

"Thank you, Lady. It tastes very good."

Pleased that her little present was so well accepted, she patted the hand holding his spear, not thinking twice about touching her guard in such a familiar way in front of the servants.

Akito was aware though, and had to forcibly push down the blush that wanted to rise to his cheeks.

"I'm glad you liked it, Akito-kun."

He breathed an inward sigh of relief when she turned her attention back to the stable lad, inquiring about his name and how long he had worked for Sesshoumaru.

The girl's lack of restraint when it came to touching others was disconcerting to say the least. In a society where things like placing your hands on another being was usually restricted to inflicting pain it was difficult to not cringe when this one human did.

The even scarier part...was that he was growing used to it.

"My name is Joren, My Lady." His small chest puffed out proudly as he said with importance, " and I have been serving under Lord Sesshoumaru for about twenty years now."

Kagome's eyes widened as she took in the sight of him. "Twenty? But you don't look a day over fifteen years old!"

Smiling gently, he replied, "But Lady, demons age a lot differently than humans."

Blushing, she grinned, embarrassed at having forgotten that yet again. "Yes, I seem to keep forgetting that. Sorry about that, Joren."

The youth shook his head. "No harm done, Lady."

Looking back over to the dragon that was currently shifting about in its stall with impatience, she smiled indulgently while going over to pick up their leather halters that were hanging from a peg next to their door. Hefting the large harnesses in one hand, she unlatched the gate before stepping inside, the top of her head the only thing visible over the tall wooden frame.

Akito moved in closer to keep an eye on her, in case she got into danger while being in the small confines of the stall with the demon. Joren came to stand beside him, peering over the top rail to watch with interest as the dragon moved out of her way, giving the miko enough room so she wouldn't feel crowded by his bulky frame.

The youth frowned in annoyance. They never did that for him. In fact, that dragon took particular enjoyment of using its tail to smash him against the wall when he least expected it.

Soon, Kagome had the two halters on the youkai, taking their lead-ropes up in one hand, Ah Un following docilely behind her.

Opening the door for her to pass through, the fox demon made sure they were completely out of the stall before following along behind his charge. Joren gazed off after them, trying to figure out just how the girl got the dragon to obey her so well.

Maybe she had put a spell on the demon...

Shrugging it aside, he went to work on the stall, glad that at least today there would be no more visits to the infirmary to get a bite taken care of.

Really, that scaly beast must like the taste of his skin...

Almost two hours had gone by since Sesshoumaru had talked with Akito, and in that time he had taken care of the morning missives calling for his attention and managed to go by and see how Rin was doing.

The little girl had run up to hug his leg, chattering with excitement about a new word she had learned today, the owl youkai who instructed her standing next to a map hanging on the wall, her hands folded in front of her as she watched her master and his ward interact.

Since there was much left for him to still accomplish, he had left the two, promising Rin that he would stop by and see her again later tonight before the little girl would let go of his leg.

What was it with human females and their need to latch onto him?

He was just walking towards the main hall when the sound of little webbed feet running from behind him caught his attention. Stopping, he turned to watch Jaken hurry to intercept the Taiyoukai, his beaky mouth panting when he finally reached his master.

Bowing, he said breathlessly, "Sesshoumaru-sama! The wolf prince, Kouga, is at the front gate asking entrance." His yellow eyes bugging out a little, he asked, "What would you like done with him, My Lord?"

Sesshoumaru turned away from the youkai, saying over his shoulder as he approached the doors to the main hall, "Escort Lord Kouga to the main hall, Jaken. Inform him I shall await him there."

Bowing again, the little toad youkai jumped to his feet, calling out, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" before running back the way he had come.

Two guards opened the large engraved doors to the main hall, bowing respectively to the dog demon as he walked through before closing him inside.

The Taiyoukai walked slowly down the long rectangular room, making sure the servants had remembered to clean the floors and open a few windows that would allow sunlight and fresh air in.

He rarely conducted business here, reserving using the place unless it had to do with entertaining audiences with foreign lords.

The perfect setting to confront Kouga in.

One entire wall was taken up with various banners that sported the Taisho crest of sakura blossoms in the colors of his house. There was even a few where a large white dog demon was sewn into silk surfaces, the silver threads shining in the light that streaked through the windows on the opposing side of the room.

Towards the front was a small raised dais where the Lord of the house was to sit, a little table set to the side in case any documents needed to be looked over and signed, a bamboo brush with a small bowl of black ink sitting atop it.

Other than that, the decoration of the room was bare. The whole purpose of the lack of decor was to give anyone that came in here the idea that the Taisho family was one that did not hold material possessions in high esteem. Instead, it was their heritage and the lands they governed that held their notice, not something like a pretty vase or expensive piece of tapestry.

Frivolous trappings were for lords that spent all their times giving banquets instead of keeping a close watch on their provinces.

Seating himself gracefully on the dais, he waited patiently for the wolf prince to be brought to the room, confident that Akito would be able to keep Kagome occupied enough where she wouldn't notice the youkai's arrival.

A knock sounded at the door making the Taiyoukai stiffen where he sat, his face set in impassive lines, his voice emotionless when he called out regally, "Enter."

The double doors opened, Jaken rushing in ahead to announce, "Lord Kouga Sarumara, Prince of the Northern Region wolf tribes."

Sesshoumaru watched as Kouga walked into the room, still wearing the clothes he always traveled in, his feet and lower legs covered in dust and mud, leaving a trail behind him as he sauntered down the aisle towards the dog demon.

His vibrant eyes made quick work of looking over the room before settling on the Taiyoukai seated with royal arrogance at the end of the passage, causing a smirk to lift one corner of his lips, exposing one of his fangs.

Stopping right in front of the dog youkai, he sat down Indian-style across from him, one clawed hand resting on his knee, the other holding his chin up as he said, "Nice place you got here, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru ignored the comment, instead ordering Jaken, "Leave us. We are not to be disturbed for any reason."

"Yes My Lord!" he squawked before yelling at the guards who manned the doors to close them and allow no one to enter.

Kouga glanced over his shoulder at the ruckus, rolling his eyes as he turned back to regard the dog demon. "How can you stand that little toad?" He wrinkled his nose. "Isn't his smell alone enough to make you want to get rid of him?"

Amber eyes clashed with green as Sesshoumaru said icily, "I do not think you came all this way simply to inquire as to my servant's personal hygiene."

The smirk left the wolf's lips, his demeanor becoming more formal as he straightened his back and looked the Taiyoukai directly in the face.

"No, I did not come here to talk about that." His eyes became intent as he spoke the next words, trying to convey the meaning behind what he was saying. "I have come, Lord Sesshoumaru, to collect someone that you currently have in your castle."

"Indeed," the dog demon replied, no emotion showing on his face. "I assume you mean Kagome Higurashi."

Kouga smirked. "I always knew you were a lot smarter than your dumbass half brother."

One silvery eyebrow arched, his amber eyes cold. "While I am, of course, flattered at such an educated deduction, I would be even more pleased if you would get to the point of your visit, Lord Kouga."

Respect entered Kouga's orbs, a genuine smile curling his lips as he folded his arms over his chest, his tail tapping lightly behind him on the floor. "You know what, I like you Lord Sesshoumaru. You're not a loud-mouthed brat like your brother, that is for sure."

He inclined his head, his long hair lifting a little as a breeze floated through the windows, the lengthy tresses dancing about before settling back into place. "Once can but hope so, Lord Kouga. One does not rule a province by hurling insults at his warriors."

The wolf demon chuckled. "Not usually." Turning serious once more, he added, "I am here to collect my future mate and then leave your lands."

"Future mate?" Sesshoumaru questioned. He already knew of this demon's infatuation with the girl, the question is, would she come to return it one day.

Waving a hand through the air, Kouga boasted, "Oh it's nothing official yet." A cocky grin replaced his once serious air. "But rest assured, one day soon Kagome will be my mate, and then the wolf tribes will reign with greater prosperity because of it."

A foreign emotion curled around Sesshoumaru's chest and settled like a venomous snake in the region of his heart.

Could it be, jealousy?

Surely not! He had no prior claim to the girl. No more than this arrogant wolf had at any rate.

So why would the prince's words make him want to reach over and crush the demon's windpipe in his clawed hand, let his blood trickle in rivers down his striped wrist.

"I am afraid you shall have to postpone your future plans for Kagome," he replied, none of his inner feelings showing through.

Kouga narrowed his eyes, one raven eyebrow arching in speculation. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Because, the girl is ill and not near well enough to be moved from this castle at present." He watched as concern quickly spread across the youkai's features.

"Is she alright? What do you mean ill? Where is she now?" he fired off the questions in rapid succession, his emerald eyes burning with worry into the Taiyoukai's own.

"The girl is—" he started, but he never got the chance to finish.

A loud commotion could be heard outside, the sound of his guards yelling "Halt!" along with the more feminine tones of Kagome obviously not listening to the command.

Kouga half turned as well, easily recognizing the sound of the miko's voice and her scent that was now floating softly into the room since she was so close.

Sesshoumaru scowled. Damn, hadn't he told Akito to keep the girl away from here?!

An angry yell of, "I said move out of my way, damn it!" was heard seconds before one of the doors was pushed open, the heavy wood seeming to be resisting the girl's efforts to move it.

Kagome's panting red-faced form filled the doorway, her blue-grey eyes immediately following the familiar tug of shikon shards that she had detected a few minutes before.

Walking slowly into the room, one hand now rubbing the center of her chest as though to massage an ache away, the miko stared with disbelief at who Sesshoumaru was with.

Stumbling further into the room, her legs feeling leaden and a light buzzing resounding in her head, she tried to catch her breathe enough to talk.

Kouga's sharp eyes watched the girl he cared so much about struggle to walk properly. Hell, she couldn't even stand up completely straight.

He noticed that a tall blue-haired demon had come in behind her and closed the door before moving to follow the miko closely. The wolf prince noticed the way the kitsune was hovering near her shoulder, a worried light shining in his odd blue eyes, the hand around his spear tight.

Sesshoumaru moved to rise. He could easily hear how the girl couldn't seem to catch her breathe, her blue-grey eyes were becoming a little hazy as she moved towards them.

Something was wrong with her.

Meanwhile, Kagome stared at Kouga, her chest feeling impossibly tight and the ringing in her ears growing steadily worse.

Maybe she shouldn't have ran the entire way here and then tried her best to push aside two full grown demon guards to get in here.

Coughing unevenly in hard shudders, the room beginning to swim in a nauseating way, she dragged her feet forward a couple more steps, now but a few inches away from the two demon lords who were both standing, regarding her with worry.

Vaguely, as though from a far distance, she heard the muffled sound of Akito saying, "My Lady? My Lady, can you hear me? Kagome?!"

She could detect how concerned he was, and really, she wanted to reassure all of them that she was fine. But as a darkness at the edges of her vision began to completely cover her eyesight and a weightlessness invaded her body, Kagome was more worried that she would never be able to inhale again.

Her body began falling forward at the same time that black shrouded her sight completely, no longer being able to hear anything but her own thoughts.

The only one that stuck with her was, 'Funny, I was never afraid of the dark...until now.'

Then Kagome Higurashi did something she never could readily remember doing before.

She fainted.


	26. Shatter

Kouga sped forward and caught Kagome by the upper arms, the girl's knees half-bent, her head lolling forward bonelessly till her forehead rested against his collarbone. He started in surprise at how hot her skin was. Even through the fabric of the clothes she was wearing the wolf could feel the heat radiating from her body. The short pants of breathe she was releasing against him were sporadic and shallow, his demon hearing easily deciphering the wheezy quality as she drew air into her lungs.

Turning the unconscious human sideways, he bent to put one arm beneath her lower thighs, the other along her upper back, lifting the slight weight of the miko against his body. The kitsune that had come in with Kagome was now crowding Kouga a little, his pearly-blue eyes flashing a warning at the wolf prince, his fangs visible for an instant as he snarled.

"You will remove your hands from Lady Kagome now." There was a clear threat in his voice, an aggressive tilt to his blue head while he brandished his spear in a tight-knuckled grip.

Doing some growling of his own, Kouga clutched her tighter to his chest, as though physically keeping the other demon from taking the girl. Green eyes narrowed in anger, he said softly with dangerous menace, "I would like to see you try and make me."

Sesshoumaru, meanwhile, grit his teeth in annoyance as his personal guard and the wolf prince snipped at each other, Kagome between them.

Now was not the time for petty spats over who got the human back to her room. The important thing was for her to get there no matter who took her.

Akito, angered that his charge was being manhandled by some unknown demon, raised his spear and jaki, intent on getting her back.

Who knew what this mangy looking wolf would do to her!

A flash of silver caught his attention, breaking his death glare on the wolf youkai so he could see what it was.

Kouga, not noticing that the fox youkai was no longer staring at him, went to shoot forward, fully intending to kick the arrogant kit in the head before putting Kagome somewhere safe.

But as he went to leap forward, his hold on his burden loosened a bit, and with a shock of surprise he felt her be removed from his arms, a brush of what felt like silk fluttering across his forearms.

Landing awkwardly, his eyes confused as he stared down into his empty hands, the wolf prince glanced at the fox. He looked just as surprised as Kouga, his navy eyebrows almost disappearing into his white bangs, his jaki level lowered as he gazed at something behind the wolf.

Turning to see what his adversary was focused on, Kouga clenched his clawed hands into fists at his sides, his body stiff at what he saw.

Sesshoumaru had his tail securely wrapped about Kagome's limp body like a snake, coiling around from her knees to just below her shoulders. He positioned her until the miko rested fully against his front, her chin notched over his shoulder, the proximity of her head allowing him to feel how the girl struggled to breathe regularly.

It sounded like there was something preventing her from catching a lungful of air, as though she couldn't use the organs to their full capacity.

Amber eyes narrowed with disgust at the other two demons, as he said with icy calm, "You will desist this foolish bickering now! I will not have such nonsense sully my castle." Casting a glare at his personal guard, he watched in satisfaction as the ice youkai stiffened to full attention. "You will go and find Cheiro immediately and inform her that I require her presence in Kagome's room." The kitsune bowed sharply before departing, his strides long and purposeful.

Next, the dog demon gave his full attention to the wolf prince who currently had his arms crossed over his chest, his emerald eyes defiant.

Before Sesshoumaru could open his mouth to speak, Kouga spat out, "Do not even think to order me around like one of your damn servants, Sesshoumaru."

Arching a silvery eyebrow, the he replied evenly, "I was not about to, Lord Kouga." The wolf looked unconvinced, a scoff leaving his mouth as Sesshoumaru continued. "However, I would appreciate it if you refrained from antagonizing the youkai under my employ while you are here in my castle. Akito was assigned to guard Kagome and was only fulfilling his job." Grimacing, he added, "Although he may have been accomplishing it with a bit more energy than I would have liked."

"Gee, you think?" came Kouga's sarcastic rejoinder, his own raven eyebrow raising in speculation as he watched how the impassive Taiyoukai ran clawed fingers through the girl's hair when she stirred a bit and whimpered.

Tightening his hold, Sesshoumaru walked past the wolf, not surprised at all when he heard the arrogant demon following close behind. As he reached the doors, he turned his head in profile to say, "When I leave this room I am going to use the fastest mode of transportation I possess. With the shards in your legs I am sure you can keep up."

With a smirk Kouga unfolded his arms, standing in a lunge pose. "Ready when you are."

Sesshoumaru faced forward, concentrating his power with practiced ease, creating a white sphere of energy around him and Kagome. With a flick of his wrist he opened the doors, speeding out of the room as soon as the heavy wood was moved, ignoring the puzzled exclamations of the guards.

He could hear the fast rapid pounding of feet as Kouga raced along with them, other occupants of the castle moving out of the way with shocked expressions at seeing a white ball of light and a whirlwind traveling through the hallways.

The Taiyoukai smirked, enjoying the unsettling effect this had on the other demons.

In mere seconds the trio had reached their destination, the sphere disappearing with a bright flash to reveal Sesshoumaru still cradling the unconscious human. A violent wind made his long hair blow about his body eradicably, Kagome's dark tresses tangling and mixing within the demon's own as Kouga arrived, skidding to a halt beside them.

Glaring frigidly at the smiling wolf demon, Sesshoumaru prayed for patience in dealing with the arrogant prince.

The door to her room was open, letting the dog demon enter without hindrance. Sweeping the chamber with an assessing glance, the window half open and allowing a bit of light to dance across the floor, he noticed that her belongings were still everywhere, but it looked like someone had at least tidied it up a bit. The bed was neatly made, her clothes folded where they lay towards the end of it, and the vast assortment of lotions and things she used to bathe with were in precise rows on the table by the armoire.

Kouga followed him inside, looking around with interest at the small objects which reflected the girl who owned them.

Thus far he had only ever seen her with that huge yellow pack on her back, its contents a mystery. Now, however, he got the chance to see some of them, and he had to admit they all intrigued him.

For example, what was that odd grey box looking thing that had screens on each side?

He was brought from his contemplation of it when Sesshoumaru said, "If you would move her clothes from the bed I'll place her down on it."

The wolf demon quickly complied, gingerly scooping up the assortment of fresh smelling garments, unsure where to place them now that he had them.

Drawing back the heavy white cover, the Taiyoukai gently lowered her to the plump mattress, removing his tail slowly so as not to rouse her. He then moved towards her feet, his own foot hitting something that was on the floor.

Stepping back a little, he looked to see what it was, a smirk tilting his lips when he saw the clear bottle with the red liquid in it lying on its side just beneath the bed.

Did the girl place it there? Or perhaps it was Akito...

As though thoughts of the fox demon had summoned him, the kitsune came into the bedroom, Cheiro close behind with her leather bag in hand.

Giving the other demons a surprised look from her pink eyes, the feline made her way past the guard to her new patient's bed.

She frowned when she saw the condition of the human. There was color high on her cheekbones, perspiration filming her skin along her brow, the girl's head was moving from side to side in agitation and her breathing wasn't nearly as healthy as it should have been.

Bending over her, Cheiro placed her halm over Kagome's chest where her lungs were, concentrating as she tried to figure out how much lung capacity was being used.

Akito was standing beside Kouga, his earlier antagonism gone as he watched the healer work on the girl, something close to real worry roiling through his system.

There was also a fair amount of guilt flowing them him right now too. He should have made her stay with Ah Un instead of letting her run all the way across the palace grounds to find his master.

But really, she hadn't given him a choice! One minute she was happily putting a handmade crown of flowers on Un's head and the next she was scampering off, yelling something about shikon shards. He had followed her, unsure if he should use actual force to stop her since it was obvious anything less wasn't going to keep her from wherever it was she wanted to go.

Finally, he had just let her have her way. He never would have guessed that the girl's destination was the one place Lord Sesshoumaru did not want her to be.

The fox youkai looked over at his master, the Taiyoukai standing at the foot of the bed, his amber eyes watchful as the palace healer continued her examination.

His hand clenched around the wooden pole of his spear. He just knew Lord Sesshoumaru was going to have some choice words to impart after the way he had behaved in the main hall.

He could hardly wait...

Kouga, seeing the tall armoire against the wall, went over to it so he could deposit the clothes he was carrying. Opening the piece of furniture with some difficulty, the wolf demon then placed the garments in their proper places, a little confused as to what a few of them were.

Like what the hell was that small piece of pink material that didn't look like it could be used for anything? A wash clothe maybe?

Shrugging it aside, he finished his task before coming to stand next to Kagome's guard, crossing his arms back over his chest in his usual arrogant stance. The cat with the pink hair was running her hands lightly along the miko's throat, a look of deep concentration over her marked features.

He hoped the healer could help Kagome. It made him nervous and anxious when the girl he cared so much about was suffering so badly. The wolf prince promised himself that he would demand the Taiyoukai explain to him later why it was the human's health was so bad.

Wasn't the damn dog demon supposed to be watching out for her? At this rate, she was better off with that bastard hanyou, and he treated Kagome like dirt!

Sesshoumaru, innocent to the others' thoughts, was keeping a close eye on what Cheiro was doing to the girl.

Worry was not an emotion he had indulged in for decades. Needless to say it was a bit difficult to deal with now. Especially at the volume with which he was feeling it.

When the girl had burst into the room at first he had felt annoyance. It seemed that no matter what she was intent on defying him at every turn, even going so far as to interrupt an official meeting between Lords.

That had quickly evaporated when he had noticed the condition she was in. Something that could possibly be likened to fear had spiked through his cold heart when he had seen the effort it had taken Kagome just to breathe, the staggering gait of her walk towards them. She had looked as though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing when her blue-grey eyes spotted Kouga, surprise written clearly on her pretty face.

He hadn't even been conscious of rising, moving towards the human, his body seeming to act of its own free will to help her.

But what amazed him the most was his reaction when the girl had pitched forward, unconscious, the fragile human body that housed her spirit crumbling under the pressure of her illness.

Never had Sesshoumaru felt such all consuming fright than at that moment. It had nearly felled him with its force, the wrenching of his heart accompanied with an urgent cry of denial screaming through his head almost driving him to his knees.

The frantic thought the she might be dead, that the girl may have pushed herself too hard and caused her body to completely give out had flashed through his mind. He had felt a disconcerting amount of relief when he had heard the sound of her heartbeat, the uneven pant of her breathing.

It may not have been the healthiest sound in the world, but it proved she was alive and that was all that had mattered.

When Kouga had taken her up in his arms the dog demon was also unnerved that his initial reaction was much the same as Akito's had been. A possessive anger had begun to rise, his demonic instincts kicking in at having another male putting their hands on something that he perceived as his.

Only, Kagome wasn't his. Under his protection and care perhaps, but not his potential mate or even someone in a close relationship with him.

So why had he needed to put such restraint on his own raging blood that was fighting to snatch the miko out of the wolf's arms?

It was good fortune that the arrogant demon had been so set in arguing with Akito. His lack of control had given Sesshoumaru the opening he needed to take the ailing human from him and appease the beast that had settled docilely inside him once her scent surrounded his body, her form close to his own.

Cheiro's voice pulled him from his revery, her eyes intent on his when she spoke.

"My Lord, Lady Kagome seems to be suffering from a lung ailment of some sort. It would appear that her illness has worsened instead of improving." Gesturing to the fitful girl on the bed she went on. "The reason her breathing is so bad is because her lungs have become inflamed, some portion of the organs impacted enough where she cannot use them to their full potential. When she exerted her body so hastily it seemed to have aggravated her respiratory system enough to where the Lady couldn't even inhale enough to give her brain sufficient oxygen to function." She paused a moment, allowing her master to take all of that information in. "In short, My Lord, she hyperventilated and because of the sickness she has her body can't recuperate as quickly as it usually would."

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes moved to watch Kagome, his brow lowering in a scowl as the girl's breathing still wouldn't even out. "What can be done for her?"

"I can concoct a brew of herbs and water that can be boiled over the brazier. The steam and vapors should ease her enough where she can breathe better," came her quick reply, the cat youkai already having a plan to aide the human.

Nodding his head sharply, the dog demon's voice was authoritative when he said, "See that it is done then."

Bowing, Cheiro left to retrieve the herbs and pot she would need, not having brought them with her when Akito escorted her here.

As the healer disappeared out the door, Kouga came to stand beside Sesshoumaru, the dog demon's eyes still trained on Kagome's sporadic movements on the bed. The miko kept tossing her head on her pillow, her hands convulsively clenching into the cloth beneath her, a stray hoarse whimper escaping her throat.

Reaching down, Kouga captured the hand closest to him, entwining his fingers within her own, his palm resting against hers.

Kagome didn't seem to even notice that someone was touching her, her fingers tightening and then releasing around the wolf's larger ones as though there was no one there.

Akito tensed, but remained where he stood. This time he would not act before thinking things through. Besides, if his master was willing to allow the contact then there was no way he could gainsay it.

He did feel a small bit of petty satisfaction when he saw that the girl didn't seem to know the other demon was holding her hand. There was just something about the over-confident wolf youkai that he did not like.

His patience wearing extremely thin, Sesshoumaru kept his face in indifferent lines, silently wondering what was taking Cheiro so long to get back here.

It wasn't bad enough that the possessive feeling was back again now that Kouga was touching the human, but he also was overly anxious because the healer hadn't returned yet, even though he knew it was only perhaps a minute since she had left. Not nearly enough time to accomplish her task.

'Damn the girl and what she has done to me!' he thought viciously, his hand fisting at his side, a hard glint in his amber eyes.

It was her fault that his emotions, which were usually non-existent, were in such turmoil right now. And it was also her fault that as the seconds ticked by and the prince still had a hold of her hand it was becoming increasingly hard to quell the desire to rip off the appendage in contact with her.

By the time Cheiro returned the atmosphere in the room was wrought with tension, fluctuating waves of jaki flowing about, clashing against one another.

Frowning, she placed the water filled pot on top of the brazier, making sure to add the designated herbs that would make the steam rising from the boiling water beneficial.

Facing back towards the other three demons, she placed clawed hands on her hips, one pink eyebrow arched. "Excuse me, My Lord, gentlemen." When she had all of their attention she folded her arms over her chest, giving them a flat look. "I must ask you to leave so that I might attend to Lady Kagome." When it looked like Kouga would protest she cut him off. "Do you want the Lady to get better? Then I suggest you leave the chamber so that I might do my job and help her."

Akito looked to their master, a question clear in his blue-pearl eyes. Sesshoumaru stared deeply at the cat youkai for a moment, as though determining whether or not she was speaking truthfully. Meanwhile, Kouga was looking at the miko again, his emerald eyes laden with worry as he bent to place a caressive kiss on the back of the hand he held, gently placing it to ly across her stomach.

The healer didn't miss the way the wolf demon's actions made the other two male youkai tense up, their jaki flaring briefly before it was tampered down again.

Rolling her eyes, she thought disdainfully, 'Men. I swear.'

Ignoring the Taiyoukai and his guard, Kouga began to leave the room, stopping to glare hotly at the feline, his voice hard when he told her, "I expect Kagome's health to be improved within a few hours. I won't have her lost because of some shitty archaic medical practices, understand?"

Cheiro stiffened, her eyes sparking in anger. "Do not insult me, sir. The Lady's condition will get better by the time you see her again."

With a "It had better", the wolf prince left, yelling at a passing servant to show him to his quarters.

Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed, feeling the familiar throb of a headache at his temples. That cocky wolf really needed to be brought down a peg or two. No wonder his half brother was constantly fighting with him. He had no idea how Kagome managed to stand both of the idiots snapping at one another.

He would have killed them both by now.

Motioning for Akito to follow him, the dog demon left the room, not bothering to say anything to the bristling cat youkai. She would calm down in time.

After the door closed them outside in the hallway, he gestured for the fox youkai to remain at his usual post. "Akito, stay here and await for Cheiro to finish. Once she has you will come and get me." Turning to walk towards his own rooms he said over his shoulder, "Do not let Lord Kouga enter if he should try before I deem it allowed."

"Yes, My Lord," the arctic fox bowed, glad at not being taken to task immediately over his behavior in the main hall.

Maybe he would be lucky and there wouldn't be any lectures from his master coming his way...

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, a bright pink light causing her to snap them closed, groaning as she sat up, her body stiff. Rubbing her palm down her face, she cautiously lifted her eyelids halfway, letting her pupils become used to the illumination while standing up. All her joints ached, her muscles feeling as though she had just finished running a three mile race in a matter of minutes.

Stretching her arms out to keep her balance, she blinked, finally focusing on what was giving off that blinding light.

A shiver snaked down her spine when she saw that it was a large orb floating in front of her, the inside of it swirling with something that resembled pearly pink smoke.

The shikon no tama, in all its complete glory. She frowned, taking a few hesitant steps towards the levitating sphere, its size easily that of a Great Dane. No cracks, fissures or any other signs of breakage marred its shiny surface.

It looked like it had when it had first been taken from her body, just a lot bigger.

Coming to a halt about a foot away from it, Kagome looked up into the writhing colors, the pink of its light bathing her body in an eerie glow.

This couldn't be real...

She clearly remembered shattering the shikon, its tiny fragments spraying across the Japanese countryside in a starburst of trailing lights.

Chewing her bottom lip, she raised a hand, her fingers reaching out, intent on touching the glassy orb.

Suddenly, a streak of magenta light flew right past her right shoulder, her hair blowing forward with the speed at which the object had flown by the girl's body.

Clenching her hand into a fist, she stepped back, startled as the magenta light slammed into the side of the large jewel, flaring out at first before seeming to be absorbed into the mass of roiling pink.

Kagome's breathe caught, her lungs crying out in protest, a tightness in her chest.

No. Not again...

She watched in sick horror as the jewel's interior churned, spider-webs of white lines beginning to appear all over the shikon.

'No!' the miko denied in her mind, bringing her hands up to shield herself as with a burst of brilliant light the jewel shattered.

But instead of the pieces streaking out in a million directions as she remembered, the shards simply fell into a spread out pile right below where it had floated.

Lowering her arms till they rest at her sides, Kagome gazed at the sharp fragments that were now glowing softly, confused as to why they would act so oddly.

Approaching them warily, she stepped gingerly through the pile, the sounds of glass crunching underfoot ringing out starkly. The tightness in her chest was still there, but she could breathe a little easier now, even if the rest of her still felt rough.

Suddenly, a force seemed to drag her violently down onto the sharp shards, making her land on her side, thousands of pricks from the tiny pieces stabbing through her shirt, imbedding deep into her skin.

Crying out, she flung a hand in front of her as though to catch herself, succeeding in only impaling the palm on a particularly large piece, her form still being dragged harshly down.

Her entire side on fire, Kagome wondered if this was what Inu Yasha felt each time she sat him, the hanyou uncontrollably shoved to the ground.

Panting shallowly, her face turned sideways so that even her cheek was lying against the spiky implements, she struggled to move, panicking when she found that her body wouldn't listen to her mind's command.

After a few moments the pressure lessened, allowing her to slowly drag herself up into a kneeling position on all fours. More pieces poked through her jeans, tearing through tender flesh, making her wince.

Yet, no matter how much pain she was in, no tears fell from her eyes. It was as though she couldn't cry any more, even if the sensations to do so were there. The lump in her throat, racy speed of her heartbeat, and the dry prickle behind her lids. But no saltwater fell.

Groaning, her body now sweaty from continuing to struggle against what was keeping her from rising completely, her blue-grey eyes widened as something made her choke.

Coughing violently, head down-bent and shoulders heaving, Kagome tried to clear her airway. Suddenly, her mouth was filled with small fragments of the glassy jewel, cutting at her tongue, lacerating her lips as she spit them out.

Blood mixed with shards and spit expelled from her heaving body, the girl's mind horror-struck at what was happening.

The shards of the jewel were choking her, keeping her from being able to breathe, invading her body.

Scared, she caught a flash of silver ahead of her, a faint outline of another person standing in the shadows beyond the weak glow of the shattered shikon.

Raising her head a little, Kagome looked with blurry eyes through her bangs, nothing discernable about the figure off in the distance except for a long mane of white hair.

At last, she no longer felt like her throat was being blocked with the cutting fragments. Drawing in air gratefully, the miko also felt the force holding her down lighten even more, letting her stand.

Groaning, she slowly made her way onto her two feet, her injured hand limp at her side, crimson liquid running hotly down her fingertips, drenching the ground beneath her.

If she thought her body felt bad upon first waking in this hell, now it positively felt on the verge of no longer working. Cradling her injured appendage close to her equally wounded side, Kagome began to stagger towards whoever was in the shadows, the metallic taste of her own blood heavy on her tongue.

The miko had taken no more than three steps before the figure began to fade away, their face turned towards her. But she couldn't make out their features. Her vision was already swimming, Kagome stopping to stand on trembling legs in the outskirts of the shard pile.

"Wait," she called weakly, the hand that was whole reaching out as though to keep the other form from fading, leaving her alone.

However, their outline became fuzzy, transparent and ghostly.

Fear arced through her, giving the girl the strength to yell out, "Please, don't go! Wait!"

The person didn't seem to hear her pleas as with a last look at the girl they disappeared completely.

Dry sobs left her throat, desolation filling her being as Kagome's legs gave out and she was kneeling in the bed of the shattered shikon no tama once more.

She was alone. Alone to put the pieces back together and fend for herself. The very pieces of the jewel she had broken were slowly draining away her life, the red of her body's precious fluid spilling onto the pink shards like an overturned bottle of glue.

But instead of her making the enchanted orb whole again it was tearing her apart inside. The jewel had stolen her ability to defend herself by the injury to her hand, lacerations on her tongue and lips keeping her from speaking, and as if that wasn't enough, it had made her so weak that she couldn't even ask for help from others.

Anger replaced her sadness, a fiery rage building through her bloodstream.

Damn this stupid jewel! Damn it to hell! It was all its fault that her life had become so painful, so empty.

But her rage quickly died out, exhaustion replacing the brief spurt of adrenaline that had fueled it in the first place.

Slouching wearily, at last a few tears trailed quietly down her cheeks, one side mixing with the blood from her previous injury. The hand that throbbed was laying limply against her jean-clad thigh, soaking through the rough material in an increasing warm puddle.

Alone. Always alone.

Two more tears fell from her closed eyes, hesitating on her chin before splattering to her lap.

Why was she always alone? Wasn't she worth being around? To be held in value by someone else?

She couldn't think straight any more, her mind foggy and her body becoming numb. Kagome was thankful. At least it would take the pain away.

Before darkness could claim her a second time a face flashed into her mind.

Amber eyes over striped cheeks. Chiseled lips set in a thin line. Long silver hair flowing in a shimmery river down a proud back.

Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru," she said weakly before she knew no more.

Cheiro was just smoothing the blanket over Kagome's shoulders when the girl suddenly cried out, "Sesshoumaru!"

It was weak enough that it didn't sound like anything more than a stage-whisper, but the vehemence, nuances of pleading fright filtered through her voice just the same.

Sighing, the feline youkai looked at her patient with a sympathetic gaze. The girl's hair was now braided and lying over one shoulder, her original outfit had been changed from the sweat shirt, thermal, and jeans to a set of flannel pink pajamas with smiling full moons on them.

Humans wore the oddest things...this one especially.

It had been about forty-five minutes since she had been left alone with the miko, and in that time the vapors seemed to have helped her breathing immensely. No longer was it uneven and choppy, her throat straining to inhale the precious oxygen it needed to function. Even the temperature she had been running was now a lot lower, her skin dry and cooler.

However, the girl was still moving about a trifle fitfully, twisting the buttoned fabric of her long-sleeve shirt so that the V of it exposed the old scars along her neck and collarbone.

The healer wondered what or who had given the miko those markings. They looked vicious. But then, the human also had an odd star-shaped scar at the indent of her waist, so perhaps she just collected random strange wounds like others did haiku.

There was an instant when Cheiro had been finishing up weaving the girl's hair when she had smelled the acrid scent of the girl's fear along with an alarming rise in her purifying powers.

It had made the cat demon set the girl back down quickly before moving to stand a little away from the bed, watching the fretful miko closely.

Luckily, it seemed that the spike in power had only been a very short spurt because it left as fast as it had flared. Even stranger, Kagome had calmed for a few moments, giving the healer enough time to come back and fix the blankets over her.

But now it seemed the girl was having another nightmare, stuck in her own mind suffering inner demons. No pun intended.

The human's raven brows drew together over her closed eyes, the orbs moving rapidly beneath their fragile lids. Her small hands were once again twisting and clawing at the comforter, as though she was looking for something.

The cat demon knew that she would have to find a way to calm the miko down, otherwise she would end up irritating her lungs and throat and undo all the work that had done.

Cheiro pushed a stray lock of her hair behind one pointed ear, trying to decide exactly what would get the human to quit thrashing about. Glancing around the room as she thought her gaze fell on the large yellow bag the girl had brought with her.

Perhaps there was something in there that would prove useful. She would have to ask Lord Sesshoumaru if he might be able to suggest anything since he was more familiar with the pack's contents.

Decision made, she went to the door, opening the decorated wood to see Akito standing at his usual post. Standing on the threshold, she looked down the hallway, frowning when she saw Kouga coming out of a room that was on the opposing side to Kagome's and right next to Sesshoumaru's. The youkai prince was now dressed in the usual male attire of the castle of pants and haori, except these were green with white cypress leaves on the lower sleeve and left collar.

She had forgotten that since he was considered a Lord that the wolf would be placed accordingly in the royal wing.

'Fantastic,' she thought sarcastically, turning her attention to the guard who was now facing her. Aloud she said, "Akito, could you please get Lord Sesshoumaru for me?"

"Of course, Cheiro," the arctic fox replied before hurrying off to retrieve his master. He ignored Kouga, intent on relaying the message to Lord Sesshoumaru as soon as possible.

A whimper from inside the room made the healer go back inside, leaving the door open so that the Taiyoukai could come right in. The pale light shining through the half-open window was bright enough so that the feline youkai could see that Kagome was now turned onto her side facing the entrance to the chamber.

The healer was displeased to note that she was still not resting peacefully. One arm was stretched out beneath the pillow her head moved upon, the other reaching outside of the blanket, gripping the edge of the mattress.

She brushed a hand over the miko's forehead, trying to offer some comfort even if she wasn't sure Kagome could feel it.

At least her scent wasn't blanketed completely with fear like before. Now it only held traces of it along with that of the apples/vanilla that the girl possessed.

'Poor Lady. What things plague you so?' she thought while tucking the miko's bangs back behind her ear.

A sound behind her made the healer glance over her shoulder, a scowl coming to her face when she saw who it was.

"What are you doing in here, Lord Kouga?"

The wolf prince kept his eyes on Kagome as he moved to stand next to Cheiro, his face worried. Even the cat youkai could easily see that this demon cared deeply for the ill miko. She had forgotten that his breed of youkai had no problem declaring their emotions, or acting on them for that matter.

Much different from what she was used to seeing.

"No need to get all defensive, healer. I simply came to see how Kagome was doing."

Standing away from her patient, the cat demon crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he quickly took her place, even going so far as to perch on the side of the bed by the human's hip.

He did it so naturally that if Cheiro didn't know any better, she would have assumed the female lying at his side was his mate. Usually, something as personal as taking up space together on a bed was restricted to mated couples, or at least lovers.

However, this prince was neither.

But she let it be, hoping that perhaps his presence would calm the girl enough to let her body relax into a serene sleep.

Kouga draped his tail over Kagome's upper thigh, disengaging the hand from its deathgrip on the mattress to clasp between his own. He could tell that she was having a nightmare by her scent and the way she wouldn't keep still.

The dainty fingers of the hand he cradled curled into his palm, the fragile nails scraping lightly against his skin as he stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips.

When he had learned that Kagome was staying in the Taiyoukai of the West's castle he had assumed the demon lord would let no harm come to her. He had thought that he would find the miko in good health, probably playing with the dragon and little girl Sesshoumaru kept with him all the time.

Instead, he was angered to see she was gravely ill, the thinness of her face and dark circles under her beautiful eyes letting him know she had most likely not eaten properly or had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Part of that, he knew, was the hanyou's fault. The stupid half demon had put her through emotional hell within the last month. But this sickness she had...that he knew she had caught while with Sesshoumaru.

How had the dog demon allowed her to get so ill?!

Lips thinning in displeasure, he absently brushed his bangs out of his eyes, the lack of the headband he usually wore letting the long strands trail in his face.

Tracing her features with his eyes, he paused upon seeing the edges of the claw scars she bore on her skin. He still felt guilty every time he saw those thin white lines trailing over her like tattoos.

She had claimed there was nothing to worry about, that she could handle tending the injured wolf without any help.

He should have known better. But you couldn't change the past and he was grateful that he had managed to get to her in time to pull the wolf off her.

Kouga had been intent on killing the animal, enraged that one of his own pack would dare to attack her. But Kagome pleaded, telling him that it was only acting out of instinct and not malice.

Not being able to deny her anything, he had let the wolf live with the stipulation it was to stay well away from him in the future.

A calloused finger ran delicately along one of the clawmarks, following it all the way to where it ended just beneath her collarbone by her shoulder, the warm cloth of the shirt she wore being pushed aside as he went.

Cheiro remained silent, watching the wolf's actions with interest. If nothing else, she had to admit he meant no harm to the girl.

Movement at the door alerted her to the fact that her master and his guard had arrived, the former's amber eyes hardening as they saw the prince touching Kagome.

Sesshoumaru pushed down the annoyance he felt when he entered the chamber only to see the wolf youkai already taking up residence on the girl's bed, his hands on her as though they had every right to be there.

Which they didn't. Not as far as the Taiyoukai was concerned. What even irked him more was the familiar way he was tracing those scars she bore.

Almost as if he knew their origin...

Striding with his usual measured steps, he soon halted beside the palace healer, Akito close beside him.

"You needed something, Cheiro?" He willed himself not to glare at the wolf prince who was ignoring them anyway in favor of paying attention to Kagome.

She nodded. "Yes, My Lord. I thought that you might know of some medicine the Lady keeps in the pack she carries that could prove useful in helping her recover."

"It is possible," he said, bending down to pick up the bag that lay on the ground. Sitting it on top of her table, he opened it and began looking for the white box with a big red cross she kept all her medicinal needs in. Since there wasn't nearly as many things inside that there usually was he found it quickly.

Setting it down next to the bag he unclasped the latch on its side, flipping the plastic lid open, revealing the assortment of bandages, creams, and other supplies she kept in there. Sifting through bits of gauze, a small pair of scissors, he came across the reddish-orange bottle her brother had said she kept the pills for her headaches in. Extracting it, he looked through the colored container, making sure there were some of the white tablets there in case she needed them later.

A satisfying rattle let him know there were plenty. Putting it back in its designated spot, he began searching for another bottle like the last. She had said something about things called antibiotics. If he could find those then the girl could take them, and hopefully start getting better.

Frustration built up inside him as the kit revealed no such medication.

Damn. It looked like they would have to wait and see if the taijiya, Sango, had them with her. Good thing the group she traveled in was due to arrive this afternoon.

Closing the box with a snap, he put it back inside the bag before giving his attention to the patiently waiting cat youkai.

Akito, he saw, had maneuvered himself until he was by the miko's bed, his sharp cold eyes watching the interaction between the wolf and her intently.

His personal guard looked like he wanted nothing better than to take his spear to the prince. A sentiment Sesshoumaru was in accord with.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to find any of the medication the girl has said would help her heal," he informed Cheiro.

Sighing in disappointment, she glanced over at her patient, an emotion resembling regret shining in her pink eyes.

"That is alright, My Lord. I had just hoped to perhaps give her something that would calm her down." She looked back at him, her eyes locking with his. "The Lady seems to be experiencing nightmares that aren't allowing her to rest."

As if on cue, Kagome whimpered and coughed in her sleep, the hand in Kouga's withdrawing as she rolled over onto her back. The wolf youkai let the finger on her collarbone fall away to smooth the pink and yellow material of her shirt over her shoulder, the slashes now fully visible.

"Is there nothing you can think of to help her, healer?" Kouga asked softly, his vibrant green gaze turning to trap her own.

Well aware that all three youkai were looking at her expectantly, she said with a slight hesitation, "Th– there may be a way." Giving all of them a warning glance she continued, her tone a bit doubtful. "It's a bit old fashioned and isn't really a medicine at all, so it might not have any effect."

Kouga waved a hand in dismissal. "That doesn't matter. The fact that it might succeed is good enough for me."

Folding her hands in front of her, the cat demon squared her shoulders. "Very well then. The type of procedure I have in mind is something to the affect of Aura Harmony. As you all know every living being has a specific aura they carry with them always, sort of like a fingerprint. Each one is different to every individual out there. Like most things in life these essences have their own special rhythm they beat to, and much like a melody, if you add a second aura to it so that they compliment one another, it is theorized that they can blend. Once this occurs, if one of them was say, in distress, the other could calm it down, reassure it if you will."

The prince frowned, soaking up all this new information. "So basically what you are saying is that we just have to find Kagome a person who's aura can co-mingle with hers and that will help her out?"

"Yes, that is the gist of it, Lord Kouga," she answered quietly, inwardly hoping this would actually work. She was running out of options...

"Fine. How do you find out if you are compatible or not?" Kouga asked, impatience thick in his voice.

Pink eyes staring coldly at him, she said flatly, "You would have already known, Lord Kouga. The test is always done by touch, and since you have already placed your own skin against Lady Kagome's with nothing happening then it is safe to say that you are not the right aura."

Narrowing his emerald eyes at her, he rose, his clawed hands fisting at his sides. "Are you sure about that, healer? I would tend to think I would be the best candidate since I know Kagome so well."

"Cheiro is not a liar, Lord Kouga," Sesshoumaru cut in, drawing the wolf's attention from his servant and to himself. "If she says that you are not the right one, then you aren't. Accept it."

The prince growled a little as he stalked away to stand by the window, his arms folded in a defensive gesture over his chest. "Alright, Mr. High and Mighty, then you try it!"

One silvery eyebrow arched, his voice thick with disdain when he said, "Me? I seriously doubt the human and I have the same color blood, let alone compatible auras."

Kouga growled again, his tail standing straight out behind him, the hair along it bristled. "Are you saying my woman isn't good enough to even be compared to you?! That her life holds less value than your own?!"

Sesshoumaru was saved from making a reply as Akito's soft cold voice floated to their ears, making them all turn to stare at him incredulously.

"I'll try it." The kitsune's hand was white-knuckled over his weapon, pearl-blue eyes watching the sick miko intently.

Cheiro interceded, instructing the fox demon while taking his weapon, "Please, take a seat next to her, Akito."

He sat down slowly, making sure not to jar the girl in the bed as he perched in the same spot Kouga had moments before. Never once looking away from Kagome, he asked, "Now what, Cheiro?"

Sesshoumaru and Kouga remained silent, both interested to see if the fox might actually be the correct one.

"Now, you must place your bare skin against her own. You'll know if there is a reaction because Lady Kagome will act as though she knows you are there, her subconscious picking up easily that someone who can help is with her."

He hesitated, one clawed hand hovering a little above her abdomen before he reached forward to put his palm over her cheek. A warm fissure shot up his arm and spread throughout the rest of his body at the first contact, the sensation making him shiver in response.

It felt like a comforting embrace was wrapping around him from the inside out, blanketing his senses with contentment.

When Akito ran his fingers down the side of her face it sent another wave of soothing heat along his bloodstream.

Never had he felt anything quite like this before. It was amazing. It was addictive.

It wasn't working.

The fox demon frowned, his pearly-blue irises soft with worry as he stroked her skin again, noticing that the miko hadn't calmed at all during his ministrations.

"Why isn't it working?" He was surprised at the depth of emotion in his own voice, the clear bewilderment and, yes, even a trace of hurt lacing the tones.

He couldn't understand that he could feel this way and yet she didn't get any of the same sensations in return.

Cheiro placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, able to see that the ice youkai was upset that he wasn't the right one.

"It is because of no personal fault, Akito. Sometimes you can find someone that is like a universal conductor for auras. Lady Kagome, apparently, is one of those rare people." Squeezing his shoulder, she continued. "Unfortunately, the bad news about that is, although she is able to pretty much synchronize her own essence to others, consequentially, there is probably only one other being out there who could meld with hers."

Casting a look over to the wolf prince who was watching them, she asked, "You felt it too, didn't you? When you placed your skin on hers?"

He was silent for a moment, reluctant to reveal that aspect of his relationship with the human to them. The wolf had thought those emotions he felt when he touched Kagome were restricted to him alone. It was very disappointing when you found out it could happen with anyone...

"Yes. Yes, I felt it too." Resignation thick in his voice and on his face as he turned away from them to stare out the window.

Awe lit the healer's features as she regarded the human they were discussing. "Then it is true. I never thought I would ever come across one like her in my lifetime."

Sesshoumaru was a little surprised that this new information affected the feline so strongly. Puzzlement flashed in his amber eyes, the only outward sign that he didn't fully understand what was so special about Kagome.

She was just another female human. True, a very annoying girl, but still only human.

"Is having such an ability so rare?" he finally asked.

Cheiro lightly tapped on Akito's shoulder, signally for him to stand up and take the spear she was holding.

After she had handed the weapon back to its owner, the guard moving a few steps away from the bed to compose himself, the cat youkai answered her master.

"Yes, My Lord. Exceedingly rare. In order for a creature to be able to do what Lady Kagome can they must have such a large soul, a kind and gentle heart, that they have the capacity to forgive and harbor great compassion for all living things."

The dog demon felt a tightness in his chest at her words. Everything she had said described Kagome perfectly.

Before her he had not come across a person with as giving a personality as she. Always, the miko put others' welbeing ahead of her own, to the point of neglecting her health in favor of helping someone else.

Which was why the girl was in the situation she was now.

"My Lord," Cheiro called, getting his attention. "My Lord, if you would please take a seat by Lady Kagome. I know it probably won't work, but at this point it is better to be safe rather than sorry."

Sesshoumaru stiffened, his mind violently protesting the suggestion as his body followed the healer's orders and sat rigidly where the previous two demons had.

"Now, if you would be so kind, My Lord, as to touch her please."

A sense of foreboding trailed along his nerve endings, his heart already telling him what he didn't want to know.

Somehow, he knew. He just knew it would be him. Those brief times he had felt her hands on his body, the soft caress of deft fingers brushing his skin, a spark he'd tried to ignore had flared to life within him.

That was the real reason he hadn't wanted to be around her. She awoke things within him that hadn't been there before, and it unsettled him. And even though, while she was awake, the girl's emotions were overshadowed with the sadness dealt by his half brother, the result of it causing her aura to be subdued, the dog demon still felt a brush of those emotions along his nerve endings. But when she slept and was in close proximity to him, Kagome always searched for him, gaining the most comfort from his presence and scent.

'Kami, just kill me now!' he thought in frantic despair.

Of course, even He wasn't willing to cooperate with him. Damn meddlesome human females and Gods alike! Neither of them ever listened to a thing he said.

Feeling as though he was consigning his soul to eternal hell, Sesshoumaru sighed and picked up the hand lying closest to him.

Warmth. It invaded every facet of his being, spreading in calming waves to his heart, making the frozen organ speed up its tempo. The fragile tug of her fingers softened his eyes to a liquid gold, the Taiyoukai's body relaxing under the continuous bolts of caring shooting from her skin to his.

This was a lot more potent than any previous time he had come into physical contact with her. Comparing the others to now was like holding up a lighted match next to the sun. There simply were no similarities.

The sound of the other occupants of the room moving to stand around them didn't fully register to the dog youkai, his senses absorbed in drinking in the cadences of Kagome's essence like a drowning man needed air.

She was no longer moving fretfully on the bed, her body turning on its side to wrap around where he sat, putting as much of herself in contact with him as she could. Her breathing had become slower, mirroring the more normal pace she had when healthy.

The fear had disappeared from the miko's scent completely till there was only the enticing odor of apples and vanilla filling his nostrils. It further unknotted the muscles in his shoulders and arm so that when Kagome pulled at his hand, he let her take it where she wanted.

A side of his mouth lifted in an indulgent smirk when she tucked his palm under her cheek, her other arm coming around to hug the appendage against her chest.

"Sesshoumaru," she sighed in her sleep, giving him a squeeze like he was her favorite stuffed animal.

Was he forever to be this human's personalized pillow?

"Kami, it's you, My Lord," Cheiro said reverently, awestruck at the instantaneous change in her patient.

It was official. He was definitely cursed.

"This is bullshit!"

The sudden yell broke the Taiyoukai from the content web he had been entangled in, his eyes sweeping to the direction the voice had come from.

Kouga stood with hands clenched at his sides, glaring angrily at the dog demon. Pointing a clawed finger towards the silent youkai, he continued his tirade, not caring if he was loud enough to wake Kagome up or not.

He was too intent on restraining himself from murdering Sesshoumaru.

"You can't tell me that she would have chosen you over me!" His emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion, another growl escaping his throat. "It wouldn't surprise me that since she got this way in the first place from being here that you weren't manipulating her somehow now!"

Akito scowled, taking the insult to his master personally and moving to place himself between the two demons so he could face Kouga.

"You will cease your idiotic insults now, Lord Kouga," the prince's title coming out in a snarl from the ice youkai.

Baring his fangs, the wolf took a step forward, crowding the other demon. "Why don't you act like a good little kit and butt the hell out. This has nothing to do with you, fox, so back the fuck off."

A pearly white began to slowly bleed into the arctic kitsune's eyes, his own teeth flashing at the prince's words.

"You are mistaken, cub. This has everything to do with me when you start throwing your foolish opinions about Lord Sesshoumaru about."

Now Kouga's eyes were getting a silver sheen to them, denoting to the fact that he was becoming further enraged.

Both demons' jaki levels had risen so high that Kagome could feel it in her sleep, the miko clutching at the hand she held tightly.

Sesshoumaru's own jaki rose, easily surpassing that of the wolf and fox while crimson blocked out any white of his eyes, the amber tinged with red. "Enough!"

Akito and Kouga stiffened. They could feel the icy power of the Taiyoukai's anger lapping along their bodies, setting the hair along their skin on end as if they had touched lightning.

Cheiro, during all this, had chose to depart the room, not wishing to get in the middle of an altercation. She also wanted to go write down this new exciting development quickly so no details would be overlooked, that way when she went back over it later everything would be there.

Gently disengaging his hand from the girl, he stood and unwound the silvery length of his tail to drape it over Kagome to calm her once more. When he had broken contact she had started to search blindly for him, the evil auras brushing her senses painful.

Since Sesshoumaru didn't relish the idea of being purified because she thought she was in danger, he lightly tapped the end of his tail upon her chest until the girl hugged it to herself as she had his hand.

Reassured that the human would now remain still, he turned to face his servant and the prince, letting them get a good look of his swirling eyes.

"You will both desist this imbecilic display of egos. I have already warned you once, and I shall not give you the luxury again before dealing with your defiance. While in my home, Lord Kouga, you will behave as a youkai of your station and not enter into petty arguments with my personal guard." The wolf remained silent and sullen, backing off a bit to stand away from Akito. "And you, Akito. You would do well to remember your place in the Taisho palace, which is not that of my champion." The fox stiffened, his head bowed as his master berated him. "It disappoints me that I should even have to say this to you to begin with. A youkai of your integrity knows how to conduct himself at all times, so in the future be sure and do so."

The kitsune bowed deeply, keeping his eyes trained resolutely upon the floor. "Yes, My Lord. Forgive my deplorable behavior. It shall not happen again."

"Be sure that it doesn't," the Taiyoukai replied coldly. "Now, Lord Kouga, I believe you are under the misimpression that I somehow orchestrated all this."

"Feh! And are you saying you didn't?" the prince challenged.

Ice crystals dripped from his words when Sesshoumaru told him, "That is precisely what I am saying. Do I seem the type of youkai who has the time or the inclination to attempt something of this caliber? You insult me if you think I would lower myself to meddle with a human just to anger you for no apparent reason."

A flush spread across the wolf's cheekbones, embarrassed at how ridiculous his accusation really was.

When he put it like that. . . . .

"No, I suppose not," he admitted grudgingly, turning his profile to the dog demon.

The red slowly left his amber eyes, the level of his jaki lowering back to normal now that the other demons were no longer threatening one another.

With a start of surprise he felt the caressive twining of Kagome's fingers sifting through the fur of his tail, calm extending to him through the light touch.

Was she trying to treat him like an upset animal that needed to be coddled?

For the second time that day his sharp ears picked up the running of webbed feet over his polished hallways, heading straight for the miko's room by the sound of it.

Kami, what now?

A breathless Jaken skid to a halt into the room, his small body prostrating itself at the Taiyoukai's feet, his little hat almost completely on the side of his head.

Sesshoumaru had to push down the desire to step on him. It would have proven a good relief for some of the aggression he was feeling right now...

"My–my Lord," he squeaked out between pants. "I found— you as fast— as I— could."

The dog demon wished for patience. By the time the toad got his message delivered he would probably be another fifty years older.

"Spit it out, Jaken. I do not have the time for your babbling."

Bulbous yellow eyes looked with anxiety up at his master. "Of course,– My Lord! I will tell you the — message now!" He slowed his breathing enough to get out in one sentence, "Inu Yasha and his group have arrived and are waiting in the main hall for you right now!"

Kouga's "It took them long enough" was barely heard by the dog demon.

Perfect. Wonderful. Now he had his idiot half brother to deal with along with everything else.

Life just kept getting better and better for him...


	27. The Drawing of the Three

At first, he thought he would be able to just go and meet his half brother, getting the initial confrontation over with before telling the group where their quarters were going to be. It rankled, but Inu Yasha would have to be set up in the royal wing along with him and Kouga. Even he couldn't go against tradition enough to disrespect the hanyou in a palace where the previous Taiyoukai had legitimately sired him.

In theory, this was a good plan of action.

So why wasn't he carrying it out?

Simple. When he had made to try and untangle his tail from Kagome's grip the girl had tightened around it like a boa constrictor. Even though he tried to physically reach over and remove her arms she just mumbled something in her sleep before turning away, taking the silky appendage with her.

For the first time in longer than he could remember, Sesshoumaru Taisho was stuck. And what was even more embarrassing was that his assailant wasn't some great demon bent on his destruction.

No, it was the fragile hands of a human female that made it so he couldn't leave to carry out his duties.

Which left only one other option.

Bringing his 'guests' to him.

Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful. Just what he had in mind.

Biting back a sigh of frustration, he sat back down on the edge of the bed by her hip, trying to look his usual detached self.

But even he had to admit there was no way that would happen with a girl using his tail as a blanket, dainty fingers running through the silver strands every once in a while.

Kami, he knew she would end up ruining him somehow. Who would have thought it would happen in this way?

"Jaken." He waited for the small youkai to quit babbling before he continued. "Go tell the servants to prepare rooms for our guests," he then focused on his guard. "Akito, you will inform Shurin he is to meet Inu Yasha and our other guests in the main hall. He is to then assign them proper quarters and instruct my half brother to come to this room as soon as possible."

The fox kitsune bowed before exiting the room, casting one last glance out of the corner of his eyes at the wolf still standing by the window.

Kouga flashed him a cocky smirk making the guard's lips thin in anger as he strode out the door to complete his task.

The prince then turned to regard Kagome and the dog demon, his body much more relaxed than it had been a few minutes before.

If Inu Yasha was going to be there soon he didn't want to seem like he was lacking in control. Especially when in the presence of the girl he loved and another Lord.

He had better breeding than that.

"You seem to be stuck, Lord Sesshoumaru," he said, a taunt clear in his voice, one raven eyebrow arched.

The Taiyoukai gave him a flat look, clearly not amused by the remark.

Chuckling, the wolf moved over to the only chair in the room, picking up what was on it and placing it on the table by the backpack. Sitting down gracefully, Kouga crossed one leg over the other, folding his arms over his chest with a rustle of green and white silk, eyeing Sesshoumaru with ill concealed humor.

He was slowly getting over the fact that Kagome's aura had chosen the other demon's. It didn't mean they were mated now or anything.

Hell, she wasn't even lucid at the time, so it wasn't like she had consciously decided to have the dog demon with her. It all made perfect since to him now. The only reason she had sidled up to Sesshoumaru and not him was because she recognized the youkai after having spent the last week or so with him.

At least, that was what he convinced himself.

"Don't you have some place to be, Lord Kouga?" Sesshoumaru asked, his patience wearing thin at being the source of the wolf's amusement.

Examining the nails on one hand, he replied cheerfully, "Nope. I only came here so I could take my woman back with me, and since that isn't possible right now I'll just content myself with staying by her side until she is better."

The Taiyoukai grit his teeth.

When was this day going to be over?!

Kagome made a soothing noise, burying her face in his fur while patting him lightly.

Scratch that. When was he going to be able to get out of this evil girl's clutches?!

Inu Yasha paced back and forth across the gleaming wood floors, his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face and his white hair flaring out behind him with each turn.

The sunlight pouring through the windows made the sweep of his mane glow like a halo, the furry ears nestled within flickering in all directions. A clear sign of their owner's agitation.

After what must have been his hundredth pass by his seated companions, the sound of a door opening caused the hanyou to stop and spin to face the entrance of the room, his gold eyes intent.

Miroku, Sango, and Kikyo rose from their spots on tatami mats so stand beside their tense friend, flanking him on all sides. Shippo was fidgeting where he perched on the monk's shoulder, his little body shaking a bit at the thought of seeing Kagome again.

A youkai with electric green eyes and long black hair pulled up into a high ponytail atop his head strode forward. There was a magenta teardrop gracing his brow, a decorative sash about his lean waist with a sword laced at his side.

A small grin tilted his lips, a happy greeting in his eyes as he came to a stop directly in front of Inu Yasha.

Bowing deeply, surprising the little group with the action, he straightened up, attention fixed on the half demon.

"Lord Inu Yasha. It's been a while," he said good-naturedly, clearly glad to see the other youkai.

Miroku and Sango shared a puzzled look.

They had thought that their friend wasn't well accepted by the place of his birth. But if this demon's reaction was anything to go by the hanyou had some comrades here.

Inu Yasha inclined his head, keeping his obstinate stance and expression bland.

"Shurin. I see you haven't changed."

Bright orbs swept over a red clothed body, a smirk replacing the smile on the rain youkai's features as he took in the sight of his master's younger sibling.

"Aw, but I can not say the same for you, My Lord. The wilds of Japan seem to agree with you."

Shippo was sure that comment would get the other demon at least a smack across the head. After all, the little kit said less and the hanyou bashed him over the skull often enough.

They were all surprised when Inu Yasha just gave a smirk of his own, one eyebrow arching at the demon's teasing.

"Keh. You wouldn't last one damn day out there, brat. Living with my brother has made you too soft to live like a real demon."

Warm laughter left Shurin's throat, his vibrant eyes dancing with delight. "Perhaps. Although I must say I prefer living in a huge palace rather than spending the night in some random tree." Giving Miroku a conspiritual wink, he whispered loudly, "Besides, ladies aren't too impressed when they find out your house is a branch."

The monk grinned back, immediately liking this particular demon. It was rare for them to come across any that weren't either obsessed with the jewel or hell-bent on some random scheme of ruling a piece of the countryside. He could tell, if nothing else, their stay in the Taiyoukai's household would afford them a much needed break from the outdoors and the inhabitants therein.

"Oh, I agree," he nodded sagely, as though giving the matter much thought, his beaded hand coming to rest on his chin. Giving the now glaring hanyou a sympathetic look from purple eyes, he said consolingly, "It's alright, Inu Yasha. You can't help the instincts that tell you to sleep in vegetation." Ignoring the way the hanyou growled a little at him, he asked, "Or is that felines? Are you sure you're half dog demon?"

"Alright, that's enough you two!" He spat out, giving the chuckling pair a mock-threatening scowl. "Knock off the crap already." Turning his attention back to the smiling rain youkai he demanded, "Where the hell is my brother? I thought he was going to meet us."

The smile left Shurin's face, a dullness coming to his eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru sent me to retrieve you, My Lord. He is currently...indisposed somewhere else and needs you to come to him." He tried to keep his answer as delicate as possible considering the information that Akito had told him.

It wouldn't be good for his master's image if it was known a miko was restraining the dog demon better than any binding spell.

"Indisposed?" Doubt colored every nuance of the word.

"Yes, My Lord. He has asked that I escort your companions to their chambers and let Akito take you to his whereabouts." He made an expansive gesture with his hand, indicating for the other five to follow him. "If you will all come with me I can take you to your quarters where you can rest until Lord Sesshoumaru can meet with you."

Muttering an expletive, the hanyou unfolded his arms and stalked past the waiting demon. "Fine. Where is my brother's personal guard?"

"I am right here, My Lord," the fox demon stepped through the doorway, watching the other Taisho approach him.

Glancing back at Kikyo and the others, he said over one shoulder, "Just follow the brat and he'll set you guys up. Whenever I'm done talking with Sesshoumaru I'll come find you."

Sango stepped forward, holding Kirara in her arms, brown eyes a bit worried. "What about Kagome-chan? Is she alright?"

"Do not worry, My Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru has seen to her every need," the rain child reassured. Inwardly adding, 'Personally.' "I am sure you will be able to see her later this evening as well."

Shippo frowned. "I want to see her now! You guys have better not done anything to her," he growled, little tail fluffing out with the force of his emotions.

Inu Yasha stopped next to the arctic youkai, fixing the other kit with an annoyed look. "Relax, Shippo. I'm sure she's just off somewhere playing with that little girl or harassing the palace guards."

'If he only knew...' Akito thought, remaining stoically silent.

The little demon subsided, grudgingly going along with what the hanyou said. "Alright. But I still want to see her as soon as possible."

Shurin began ushering them towards the door. "You will, little kit. Just wait until later tonight."

Rolling his gold eyes, the half demon looked over to the silent guard. "Lead on, Akito."

Bowing, the kitsune turned on his heel and began striding in the opposite direction that the others were taking.

Sighing deeply, he stopped in mid-inhale. Scowling, Inu Yasha breathed in again, growling a little when he caught a familiar scent emanating from the demon at his side.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway they were traveling down, he grabbed the ice demon's arm, effectively keeping him from going any further.

Arching a navy eyebrow, Akito looked at his master's brother, unimpressed by the snarl on his lips.

"Is there a problem, My Lord?"

"Keh. Cut the shit, Akito." Bringing the arm he had closer to his face, he sniffed again, his gold eyes sparking with anger. "Why in the hell do you smell like Kagome?!"

Smoothing his face into indifferent lines, he answered icily, "If you would release me, My Lord, I can take you to Lord Sesshoumaru and he can explain things to you."

Dropping the appendage violently, Inu Yasha clenched his hands at his sides, ears flattened to his head as he stomped past the guard and began making his way towards his half brother's chambers.

"Hurry the hell up then. I want to know what is going on."

Following after the upset hanyou, Akito tried to suppress the urge to do some growling of his own. Now it seemed not only was he to deal with that arrogant wolf, but his master's loud-mouthed brother as well.

Kami, he needed to find a new job...

Sesshoumaru was trying to get a firmer hold on his patience, the virtue all but non-existent as the day wore on. It seemed events were in motion that were trying their best to keep the Taiyoukai from having any today.

Kagome sighed in her sleep, her warm breathe rustling the tiny hairs, making him shiver in reaction.

Where the hell was his idiot brother and Akito?

Could Shurin not even perform this simple task?

As he was seriously considering dumping the girl on the floor, waking her up and thus gaining freedom, Inu Yasha came storming into the room, Akito trailing behind him.

"What the hell is going on, Sesshoumaru?" Glancing about his surroundings, he saw all the items littering the room that belonged to Kagome, a deeper frown gracing his brow. "Why are you in Kagome's room?" Jerking a thumb in Kouga's direction, he snarled, "And what the hell is that damn wolf doing here too?"

"Feh. Mind your manners, puppy," the prince said calmly, regarding the half demon with a smirk. "Try being quiet for once so you don't wake Kagome up."

Eyebrows raising in surprise, he stalked across the floor, approaching his brother with suspicion clear on his face. "Wake Kagome up?" Looking around his sibling's seated form he noticed for the first time that the bed he was seated on was occupied. By the girl in question no less.

Reaching to grasp the pummel of Tetsusaiga tightly, Inu Yasha glared into Sesshoumaru's impassive features, his body stiffening aggressively. "Get the hell away from her, Sesshoumaru. I don't know why you're in here or what is going on, but I'll be damned before I let you stay that close to her when she's defenseless."

Akito gave his master a questioning stare over the hanyou's shoulder, ready to remove the half demon if his Lord so wished.

Waving a clawed hand to leave it for the moment, the dog demon's amber eyes settled on his brother's, unruffled by the threat.

"Believe me, little brother, I would have left the human's side already if she had allowed it."

Confusion made the half demon hesitate, his hand no longer tightening over the sword hilt as though he would draw the weapon. "Allow? Since when has anyone made you do anything, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. Why don't you tell the puppy why you had to have him brought here," came Kouga's mocking voice. The prince was enjoying every minute of the Taiyoukai's discomfort. It was a sort of petty payback for the slight the wolf had suffered earlier.

Giving the figure lounging on the chair a cold glare, Sesshoumaru turned back to his brother. "If you would use your brain for once and stop bristling like a scalded cat I could give you a better explanation. But in order to do that I have to quit being interrupted"

Gritting his teeth at the insult, he stayed where he was, refusing to back away from his spot by his brother and the miko. "Fine. Explain already."

Akito, seeing that the situation was taken care for the moment moved to stand post inside the room, his bright eyes staring at the wall on the other side of the bed.

He had already heard what his master was about to say, having been here earlier.

"The day before we made it back to the palace the girl started getting sick. I am not precisely sure what the human came down with, but even the medicines she has been taking have not worked effectively." Worry was quickly replacing the animosity in Inu Yasha's eyes, his gaze moving to watch the girl wrapped around his brother's tail with concern. "The palace healer could not treat her because the girl wouldn't be able to handle any of the remedies we have here. Not being entirely familiar with human illnesses, no one could tell that her condition was worsening until today when she fainted from over exerting her abused respiratory system."

"She fainted? How could you not notice she was getting sicker, Sesshoumaru?" His voice was thick with worry and anger at learning about Kagome's health. Waving a hand in her direction he fixed the dog demon with a scowl. "For Kami's sake! I can hear how bad she sounds from here! You're going to tell me you didn't know what that noise meant?!"

Amber eyes narrowing in annoyance, he replied frigidly, "I have not had much contact with the human in the last few days. There is a castle to run and I don't have the time to play nursemaid to some female. The few brief times I was with her she seemed healthy enough if a bit tired. Even Akito, who I assigned to her as her personal guard didn't notice anything. She kept playing it off, saying she would be better after taking that medicine of hers."

Kouga listened to the exchange closely, learning a few facts that he hadn't known about. Like Kagome being ill for the last few days for example. He had pretty much deduced she must have been sick for a while to be this bad, but hearing it from the Taiyoukai's own lips just confirmed everything.

Were both the Taisho brothers so inept when it came to caring for a single woman? He couldn't wait to get Kagome away from them so he could look after her himself. At least then he would be comforted with the knowledge that she would be taken care of properly.

Sesshoumaru tried to remain calm, but it was becoming increasingly difficult in the face of his brother's foolish accusations. Not to mention he knew the wolf demon was enjoying this little show a bit too much.

How could he have forgotten how easily his idiot sibling managed to make him angry? The brat and Kagome would make a formidable team at demolishing his self control whenever she decided to wake up.

A small cough followed by a sniffle from the occupant of the bed made all four demons glance her way, varying expressions of concern, indifference, and annoyance on their faces.

Inu Yasha watched as she repositioned herself until she was lying on her stomach, her breathing getting a little more labored as her weight pressed down on her ribcage and lungs.

Stepping forward to move her to a more comfortable spot he was brought up short, hands still in the process of reaching towards the girl, when Sesshoumaru used his tail to gently put her on her side to face towards them.

She squirmed a little, snuggling into the blankets and soft fur before becoming peaceful once more, her breathing now less wheezy than before.

Slowly, his fingers curled into his palms, the long sharp nails digging into the calloused flesh until they made indents deep into his skin. Putting them back by his sides, the hanyou moved his head to regard his brother's expression, the Taiyoukai currently looking down at the girl with something resembling exasperation mixed with indulgence in his amber eyes.

Keeping his face averted from the half demon, Sesshoumaru said softly, "That is why I couldn't leave to meet you in the main hall. After she fell unconscious I had Cheiro examine her and the healer said that since we didn't have any of the antibiotics that Kagome had mentioned we would have to try other means of improving her health."

"You call sitting next to her with your tail wrapped around her like a snake a method of making Kagome better?" he scoffed, disbelief overshadowing his words.

Glancing at his sibling from the corner of his eyes flatly, he answered simply, "Yes."

Akito inwardly counted down the seconds until he knew his master's younger sibling would start yelling.

'Three. Two. One.'

"What kind of bullshit are you spouting now, Sesshoumaru?!"

'Aw, there we go. The boy never could keep himself under control,' the fox youkai thought, waiting for his master's response.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Tell me, Inu Yasha, do you yell everything because you're hard of hearing or because you know other people don't listen to you when you talk?" Amber eyes hardening in displeasure, the Taiyoukai continued. "In the future you will refrain from screaming out every sentence. I assure you that everyone can hear you perfectly well without the benefit of the entire countryside being a victim to your tantrums."

"Yeah, dog boy. In other words, shut the hell up for once!" Kouga added in, not missing an opportunity to take a jab at his nemesis.

Cracking his knuckles, Inu Yasha turned a menacing glare towards the wolf. "What was that, ya damn wolf? Why don't you come over here and make me!"

Before Kouga could even rise to the challenge a groggy, "Sit boy" came from the miko, the result being a bright flash of light around the hanyou's neck seconds prior to him crashing face-first into the ground.

Akito's eyes widened, shocked at what had just happened. He hadn't noticed the fanged necklace around the hanyou's neck when he'd first seen him, and would never have guessed what it was used for.

Muffled cursing could be heard throughout the room as the spell kept him in place, his hands pushing futilely at the floor, trying to lever himself up.

Chuckling darkly, the wolf prince clapped his hands, still sitting on the chair. "Well done, puppy. You got her to sit you even while sleeping. Now that takes talent." Tapping a finger against his chin in consideration he eyed the struggling half demon harshly. "Of course, one also has to wonder how many times she's had to use it on you if she even does it in her sleep..."

Finally getting his face free of the floorboards, Inu Yasha glowered at the other demon. "Shut the fuck up, you bastard! As usual, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"Both of you stop," Sesshoumaru cut in. In the past few hours there had been more arguments and squabbles over this one female and around her than he had seen in his entire life. "Inu Yasha, if you were quieter I am sure she wouldn't have uttered the activation for the spell in the first place. I told you to talk softer. However, it would appear that as is normal for you, you had to learn this lesson the hard way."

Levering himself up, the half demon sat indian-style on the floor, putting his haori covered arms together in front of himself while turning his head away from his brother and Kouga.

"Keh. Whatever." Even he knew when his sibling was reaching the end of his tether as far as patience went. At times like that it was best just to do as the dog demon told you.

"Now, if I could get back to my explanation without further interruption?" He glared first at one demon, then the other. When the two stayed quiet, he relaxed his features back to an impassive mask. "The healer suggested a technique that hasn't been used in a very long time. A procedure she called Aura Synchronization. The basic premise is that you find a matching aura that can blend harmoniously with the patient's. Once the two join the healthy one should be able to calm the other one down, allowing them to heal and rest easier."

Interest made Inu Yasha turn to give Sesshoumaru his full attention. "How do you go about testing it out?"

"By touch," a frown came to his lips as he answered. "The Synchronization works by putting bare skin against bare skin. Usually, it is not that difficult to find a match. However, with the girl we found out she was a rare exception to the rule. From what Cheiro said, Kagome has the ability to pattern her essence to anyone else's while, adversely, but one individual can do the same for her."

Dawning comprehension appeared on the hanyou's face. "You mean that she would only respond to one person and that's it?"

"Precisely."

'That would explain her scent on Akito,' he thought before working out what it meant for his brother to be with the girl. Ears flattening with realization, he said bitterly, looking between his brother and the female latched onto him, "It was you, wasn't it? She chose you."

He sighed. "I don't think she chose anything. It just...happened."

Inu Yasha felt an ache in the region of his heart. Even though he had relinquished what little claim he had to Kagome it still affected him, seeing other demons in contact with her. His own bastard brother no less.

The jealousy he had always felt for the girl wasn't something he could turn off and on at will. It would be there, probably forever. Especially after all the years they had spent together. She had changed him without even intending to. The one person who had wished for him to remain as he was somehow altered his life without him realizing it till after the fact.

Funny. Kagome would constantly reiterate to him how she liked him for who he was now and not for what he could become. It made it harder to let her go, the one person in the world who didn't want him to change a thing about himself. But while he was maturing and learning what he really wanted in life, Inu Yasha had also been accepting that one day he would have to separate from the miko.

It was his way of repaying her for all that she had done for him. Not near enough payment, but all he had to give.

However, that didn't mean he had to accept her new choice of 'friends' gracefully. Was the girl stupid? He'd have to ask he what the hell she had been thinking when she agreed to come here with Sesshoumaru. Obviously the wench still couldn't be trusted to keep herself out of trouble.

"Accept it, brat," Kouga called to him, a note of understanding in his usually cocky voice. When Inu Yasha glanced at him with surprise, one brow arched, the wolf shrugged. "Hey, I wasn't any happier about it either, but I figured it was alright since it wasn't something permanent or anything." Smirking, he gave Sesshoumaru a narrowed look. "I mean it isn't like your brother even wants to be the one so it's not like you have to worry he has designs on her."

The hanyou glanced quickly to his silent brother, golden eyes sharp as they probed the emotionless facade he usually wore. His voice was a little wary when he said, "I guess..."

"Be at ease, little brother. Lord Kouga is right. I have no intention of prolonging contact with the human once she decides to wake up so I can leave," Sesshoumaru replied for his brother's benefit. He didn't think his ears could take much more yelling over something he was beginning to see as trivial.

Perhaps in time he could convince himself that the feelings this girl invoked in him meant nothing...

Kagome moved her leg underneath the white blanket until her upper thigh was in contact with Sesshoumaru.

Then again...maybe not.

Damn, couldn't she at least let him entertain false hope for even a little while?

Deciding this conversation was now at an end, he got Akito's attention. "Akito, please show Inu Yasha to his quarters."

The kitsune stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, My Lord."

As the hanyou stood up, a frown of concentration on his forehead as he thought over what they had just discussed, Sesshoumaru addressed him.

"Inu Yasha, Kagome said something about the taijiya having a medicine called antibiotics with her. If she does then get them so they can be given them to the miko."

The hanyou gave him an irritated look at being ordered around, a fang visible when he bit out, "Fine. But if I go then the wolf bastard has to leave too!"

"Hey! I'm not leaving my woman here with him!" Kouga pointed at the Taiyoukai while glaring at the half demon.

Kami, this was like minding the palace nursery with a room full of unruly demon brats!

Annoyance flashing in his amber eyes, Sesshoumaru cut off the protesting prince.

"Lord Kouga, I ask that you please quit the room and allow the girl to rest. I doubt that can be accomplished with you and my brother snapping at each other like a couple of mongrels over a bone." Ice dripped from his words, disdain on his striped countenance when he added, "You cheapen Kagome's worth to you by entering into such childish and petulant behavior. You say you want the girl as your future mate, so treat her accordingly and let her recover fully so she can handle you two."

Once again, the dog demon had put him in his place. Damn, that was becoming a habit he could well do without.

Standing with stiff movements, he flicked his tail from side to side as he faced the seated youkai.

"Alright, I'll leave. But I'm checking back up on her in a couple of hours." With one last meaningful glare, the prince turned and stalked out of the room, his tail still swaying behind him.

Once he was out of earshot Inu Yasha asked with one white eyebrow arched, "So why exactly is he here again?"

"He has as much right to be here as you, Inu Yasha. Do not forget that though his manner may be coarse he is still a prince and a Lord in his own right. I would not dirty the Taisho house by turning him away, especially since his reasons for being here are legitimate."

"If you say so," was the hanyou's response before he began to walk out of the room. Pausing at the doorway, Akito waiting behind him to escort him first to his chambers and then to get the medication, he spoke to his brother over his shoulder. "Besides being sick, how is she?"

Sesshoumaru knew exactly what he was referring to, eyes watchful when he answered the half demon's question.

"Damaged."

That one word caused his brother to stiffen, pain flashing briefly across his features before he left, the guard close behind after closing the bedroom door.

A momentary weariness made him sigh, the tense line of his shoulders and back relaxing till he was almost slouching.

Keeping those demons in line was more trying than training young youkai who were hungry for their first battle.

They had more spirit than common sense.

A small noise from Kagome drew his attention, the steady beat of her heart and breathing accelerating a little, signs that she was coming back to consciousness.

Of course now would be when the annoying human would decide to wake up. As punctual and obliging to his desires as ever.

He watched her frown, one hand leaving his tail to lay across her forehead, a groan escaping her throat. Sniffling, she squinted her blue-grey eyes open, sweeping the orbs about her in puzzlement before they came to rest on him.

Opening her eyes wider, she didn't bother sitting up, her aching muscles and throbbing head causing her to think twice about moving.

Kami, she felt even worse than she had the last time she'd woken up. Apparently, passing out wasn't conducive to not having a headache once you came around.

It felt like with each beat of her heart the spot at her temples was throbbing too.

"Sesshoumaru?" she croaked, her voice rough from the sore throat she had. Coughing a little, she swallowed painfully. "Wha—what are you doing here?" Frowning, she added, "And how did I get back in my room?"

"I brought you here when you fainted. Cheiro asked that I stay with you for a while since she had some errands to run." He didn't want to tell her the real reason he was there. Kami only knew what the human would think then. Knowing her she would probably smile and start preaching about how she knew he was a good person after all and he wasn't as bad as he made himself out to be.

Blinking, she rubbed at the side of her head, moving the fingers of her other hand against whatever they lay upon.

Why did it feel like she was petting Buyo?

Glancing down, she couldn't keep herself starting in surprise at what she saw.

Sesshoumaru's tail was draped over her body on top of the white blanket, her hand clutching in the white fur and holding it to her middle.

'What the hell?' she thought intelligently.

"Um..." she sent a shy glance at him from under her long lashes, chewing on her bottom lip as he arched one silvery eyebrow at her in inquiry. "Can you explain why I have your tail on me?" Worried that she would insult, she added in a rush, "Not that I really mind or anything! It's just that...well..." she finished, waving her free hand helplessly.

Amusement rose in the Taiyoukai as he watched her blush and flounder for a way to ask him why she had a hold of his tail.

Did she even realize she was hadn't relinquished her hold on it at all? If anything, now that she was aware it was there her hand was around it tighter than before.

"You seem to have a certain subconscious fixation with that part of me, girl. Every time I turn around you have a hold of it, cuddling it like your favorite stuffed toy."

Her blue-grey eyes widened even more, the girl's mouth hanging open with shock. "Yo— you mean this has happened before?"

Pretending to give it serious thought, deriving enjoyment from dragging the moment out, he replied after a few seconds, "Yes. Let me see, it has occurred at least three times, to my knowledge." Slanting her a smirk he couldn't help teasing her a bit. "However, considering how you seem to show up while I am asleep and unable to defend myself, who knows how often you accost my person."

Making a sound of mortification, she finally let go of the silky strands to cover her flaming face with both hands, her voice muffled as she said, "Oh Kami! I can't believe I've done that again and again." Lowering her shield enough to peak through her fingers, she eyed him with regret. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I don't mean to use you as a pillow when I sleep."

An unfamiliar pang went through him, a gentle tilt to his lips forming that he couldn't stop if he tried.

"Don't worry about it, girl." He amazed himself further when he actually brought the tip of his tail up to tap lightly on the back of her hands, silently asking for her to lower them.

Giggling as the soft fur tickled her skin, the noise a little breathless and squeaky from her inflamed vocal chords, Kagome captured the moving appendage between her hands. Holding the twitching tailtip to her collarbone, she noticed that even though her body felt like crap there was a slight warmth underlining it all.

Not as though she was over-heated from a fever, but more along the lines of sitting next to a fire after coming in from a snowy day. There was also a calm overlaying her emotions, causing her to act a little less formally than she normally would in this type of situation.

The headache she had couldn't even completely block out the soothing effect she got from drumming her fingers upon the now docile extremity.

She didn't analyze it too much since thinking just made the ache in her temples worse and besides, Sesshoumaru seemed to be suffering from the same ailment of character that she was if his expression was anything to go by.

The miko hadn't seen a warmth like that in his eyes since the time he was trying to conjole her into helping him bathe.

At the memory, and what almost happened because of that incident, a fissure of what could have been awareness trailed along her nerve endings, making her shiver a little.

Or maybe it was her sickness...yeah, that was it. She was only feeling a tad flushed because the fever was coming back, not because of thoughts of a certain dog demon half-naked as she washed his hair.

Nope. Not at all.

Grinning, she replied cheerfully, in an attempt to cover up her sudden discomfort, "Okay! I won't worry about it then." Giving him a teasing look, she waved his tail at him with one hand. "But if that means you are giving me permission I might have to take you up on the offer. You never know when I might forget my sleeping bag and need a blanket." Using her other hand, she started sifting through the hairs, looking them over critically. "This seems like it would make an alright cover in a pinch."

A mock scowl came over his handsome features, the rest of his tail tightening a bit over her body. "So now I am to be a blanket as well? My, but I keep raising higher and higher in bed linen status."

What was he doing?! Since when did he, Sesshoumaru Taisho, Sovereign Lord of the Western Lands, enter into playful banter with someone?

Especially this woman in particular. Had that aura mixing created some harmful side-effects?

By the way they were both acting he was beginning to think so...

Smiling, she sniffled a bit, merriment dancing in her eyes. "Yep. Aren't you proud? I know I would be impressed if I was you."

"I'm sure," he drawled, inwardly trying to return to his usual cool facade. But as long as he was this close to her, and she was gaining such solace from being in contact with him, those addictive sensations kept being transmitted to him.

He would have to think of something that would cause her to want to either let him go or perhaps leave the room.

The Taiyoukai was brought from thinking over possible ways to get the plan done when she asked him a question.

"Sesshoumaru, is Kouga actually here? That wasn't a figment of my imagination, was it?" Her voice was soft and she kept plucking at his tail as though it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen.

"Yes, he is here."

Her fingers stilling, she slowly raised her eyes to lock with his, the girl's expression becoming mildly inquisitive. "Why?"

Brushing a few stray tendrils of hair behind his ear, he traced her features with glowing amber eyes.

"I think it best if you ask him that."

A sigh left her body, a cough leaving her chest towards the end of it. Covering her mouth until it past, Kagome felt a tinge of resignation.

She had a pretty good idea why the wolf youkai was here. Really, she loved him dearly as a friend, but he had never inspired the depth of feeling that Inu Yasha had.

Almost as though he could read her thoughts, Sesshoumaru told her quietly, "You should also know that my brother and your friends are here as well."

The girl stiffened next to him, clenching convulsively on his tail, as she asked incredulously, "Inu Yasha...is here? But— but why?"

Her growing distress was making her breathing a little choppy and the once relaxed beat of her heart had sped up. Frowning, his new connection with the girl kicked in of its own accord, his aura reaching out to balance her own.

A wave of comforting warmth swept through her body, causing her to gasp and then calm down enough to ease up on what she was currently squeezing in her hands.

The near panic of before was draining from her, leaving soft contentment in its place.

"I would imagine my brother came here to keep an eye on you. Apparently, he doesn't trust my abilities in looking after one human female." He kept his voice low and even, not wishing to agitate the miko even more. The sooner she wasn't in emotional upheaval the quicker he could get his tail back and leave.

There was still the matter of questioning Shurin, meeting up with his brother's companions, and an assortment of other duties he needed to attend.

He couldn't get any of that done until Kagome let him go.

"I see," was her only response as she slowly let go of his tail to fold her hands over her middle beneath the heavy weight of bone and fur.

Why did her now depressed mood bother him so much? Damn this aura synchronization technique! It was complicating things between them further.

"I have asked him to find out if the taijiya has the antibiotics you said you left with her. If she does then I'll have Akito bring them in so you can take them."

A wan grin flitted across her lips, leaving almost as quickly as it had come. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru. I appreciate it." Wanting to be alone to come to terms with the fact that Inu Yasha was actually here, she asked, "Do you think you could have someone get me some water? My throat hurts."

He could tell it was just an excuse to get him to leave, and really, hadn't that been what he wanted all along? For her to let him go so he could continue with his day?

Then why was he suddenly reluctant to follow through?

Disgusted with himself and the connection, he rose gracefully, removing his tail to wrap around his shoulder. But even as he withdrew from her, physically and emotionally, he couldn't prevent himself from brushing the tip of the appendage caressively against Kagome's cheek.

A sad chuckle filled the air as she reached out and grabbed his striped wrist, giving it a squeeze before releasing it.

"Thanks, Sesshoumaru."

Nodding, he turned away, leaving the miko and her sorrow behind. Closing the door quietly behind him, he saw Sora passing by on his way towards the main hall and the kitchen area.

"Sora."

His cousin stopped, bowing in his direction. "Yes, My Lord?"

"Bring the girl something to drink and locate my brother," frowning he added, "apparently he doesn't seem to remember how to get about the castle without getting lost."

Grinning, Sora bowed again. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. I'll go right now." With that, he left to complete his errand.

Satisfied that his orders were being carried out, he went back to his quarters, determined to finish up all the other things he had yet to do.

It was going to be a long day...


	28. Inquisition

Inu Yasha stormed down the hallways of his brother's castle, a small reddish-orange bottle clasped tightly in one hand. When he had gone to ask Sango for them the taijiya had been anxious as to why he would need them. It had taken a good twenty minutes just to reassure her and the monk that their friend was fine, and another five just to get the kit unattached from one of his ears.

Even bonking him on the head repetitively hadn't worked. Finally, with the combined efforts of Miroku and Sango, the little youkai had relinquished his hold to go pout on the large bed in the corner of the room. They had all met up in the demon exterminator's room since the humans didn't feel exactly comfortable in a castle full of demons. Kikyo had also commented that the amount of curious stares they had received upon gaining entrance to the palace was disconcerting.

For her to have said something meant the others must be experiencing it ten times worse.

The hanyou had explained that Kagome was sick with something that would probably go away within the next couple of days, and that the healer had asked for the girl to take the pills just to be sure.

He didn't want to tell them the truth...that their friend was very ill and needed the medication badly if she had any hopes of improving at all.

Damn his brother and his lack of knowledge where the human immune system was concerned! She wouldn't have gotten this bad if he, Inu Yasha, had been there to tell her to stop being an idiot and go home and rest.

No doubt that comment would have gotten him sat a few times, in which he would have bitched and moaned for a while, but in the end he obtained his objective. To get her home where she would rest and get better.

Not to mention Fall was fast approaching Japan, and even though the palace was well fortified and sturdily built, it was still a castle and therefor drafty.

He would have to remember to tell Sesshoumaru to give her more blankets...she had a tendency to get chilled at night.

And perhaps let his brother know that Kagome usually drank something called chamomile tea whenever her throat was sore.

Plus, she would have to have someone keep an eye on her day and night since she never was good at just staying in bed and letting others do things for her.

Shaking his head at himself, he couldn't stop a wry grin that came to his face.

Who was he kidding? He was just worried about her and was making excuses to get a chance to see her. When Sesshoumaru had told him to go and get the pills the hanyou had felt a tingle of excitement race along his spine at the thought that he would be seeing the miko again.

He cared for Kagome. A lot. Absence and distance hadn't lessened the feelings either, but then again, neither did they make them particularly stronger.

When the Taiyoukai had said she was 'Damaged' Inu Yasha had felt his heart wrench as though his brother's striped hand was embedded in his chest, his clawed fingers slowly squeezing the life out of the organ.

Guilt. Bitterness. Regret. All of those emotions were now constantly overshadowing him since that meeting in her bedroom, dogging his steps like the most diligent of hunters.

Sooner or later the full force of it would catch up to him, and like the predator it was, it would take him down without any mercy. Prolonging the agony as long as possible without offering any peace in return.

So in a way he was fulfilling Kikyo's wish and she didn't even know it.

Go to Hell with her? He was in Hell right now, and the worst part was, it was a prison of his own making.

He was his own jailer, his morals the bars and that lovely thing called being noble the lock that brought it all together. Except there were no keys forged which could release the catch within the device keeping him in, no mystical power that could magically make those fiery bars disappear.

Inu Yasha had made sure of that when he'd decided on his course of action.

Turning a corner, he saw the lithe form of his brother's personal guard standing outside of Kagome's bedroom, the ornate door firmly closed.

Stopping before the kitsune, he leveled a glare at him from his gold eyes, holding up the pill bottle and shaking it.

"I have the medication, so let me in already so I can give it to her."

Akito returned his glare with cold blue eyes, his face expressionless. "I will ask the Lady if she wishes for you to deliver them or if she is not to be disturbed."

Before he could turn to enter the room Inu Yasha's voice stopped him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" There was a definite growl underlining those words, a scowl forking his white eyebrows down into a V on his forehead.

Fixing his master's half brother with a cool stare, he answered, "It means that if Lady Kagome doesn't feel up to any company right now I will take the bottle from you and then give it to her personally once you have left."

The hanyou swept him a look that was anything but complimentary. "Keh. Personally, huh?"

A spark of anger lit the kitsune's eyes for a second before they leveled back into their still depths, the hand on his spear white-knuckled. "As I am the Lady's personal guard then that would be the proper term to address my answer in, My Lord."

Inu Yasha was beginning to feel very irritated at Akito. He had known the kitsune for what seemed like forever, the arctic youkai having been assigned to watch over Sesshoumaru since he was a pup. But that didn't mean the half demon took being talked down to gracefully.

Especially by a servant, no matter how long he had been with the family.

Cracking the knuckles of his free hand in a clear threat, he snarled lowly, "Listen to me, Akito. Don't talk down to me like I'm some pup that needs to be put in its place. I may not be the current Taiyoukai, but I am still a Taisho in my own right and that means you stop treating me like shit!"

Akito heard a door open down the hallway, frowning inwardly when he saw that it was the wolf prince, leaning against his doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the confrontation closely.

Great. Now he had an audience while dealing with his master's obnoxious brother. Perfect.

Kami, when was his shift over so Sora could have some fun for a while?

Speaking in an even, flat tone, he replied, "Forgive me if it seemed I insulted you, Lord Inu Yasha. I was simply answering your question. If it was worded in a way that you found offensive I apologize for it."

The hanyou continued to glare, ignoring Kouga to keep his attention on the guard that still stood in front of Kagome's door.

"Why don't you just let the kit go in there and ask Kagome if she wants to see you, pup," the wolf youkai called, Inu Yasha's ear swiveling to catch what he said. Kouga shrugged where he lounged in the doorway. "If she wants to see you then you can go in there."

The fact that the arrogant demon was actually all but giving him permission to see 'his woman' pretty much confirmed that he doubted the hanyou would be granted entrance into the place.

Keeping his eyes on the stubborn youkai before him that had still refused to budge, Inu Yasha yelled to the prince, "Stay out of this, ya mangy wolf. This has nothing to do with you!"

Akito inwardly asked Kami to be kind and strike both of the canine youkai down right then and there. It would save him from a headache he knew would be coming after prolonged contact with them.

The sound of the door behind the kitsune forestalled any argument between the half demon and the wolf.

Turning in surprise, the arctic kitsune moved to stand to the side, bowing when he saw Kagome leaning heavily against the half-open door, her hair now out of the chopsticks and mussed around her pale features.

"My Lady."

She gave him a tired smile, the usual rose color of her lips looking darker against her bleached complexion.

Her nose was red from all the sneezing she had done all day, dark smudges under her blue-grey eyes that stood out starkly against the unhealthy pallor of her skin. Coughing behind one hand while keeping a hold of the door, she asked from behind her fist, "Did you bring the medicine, Inu Yasha?"

The fox was amazed at the change that came over his master's brother when the girl had appeared. It was almost like a completely different demon was standing there.

He was no longer looking ready for a fight, his ears a little flat, like a puppy that is worried about displeasing its owner, his gold eyes shifting all down her body to make sure that she was okay. Looking more subdued than Akito had ever seen him, Inu Yasha held out the small bottle to her, the pills rattling a bit within their container.

"Yeah." His voice was gruff when he added, "It figures that as soon as you go off on your own you get yourself sick and don't even have the right medicine to take."

Kagome silently cringed on the inside. She knew this was just his way of showing concern, but that didn't take the sting out of his words for her.

Lowering her hand, she reached out to take the bottle, her eyes solemn when they met his. "I know, Inu Yasha. I'm sorry for putting you to so much trouble." She sniffled a bit, hugging the pills to her chest, her hand clenched around it.

The hanyou shifted uncomfortably, his ears flattening even further to his skull until they almost disappeared in his long hair.

Damn. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad! Now what was he supposed to say?

Akito's eyes grew even colder at what the hanyou had said, stepping a bit closer to the ill human while quelling his own anger.

Did the brat have no respect? The girl was ill and he was giving her guilt over retrieving a measly bottle of medicine?

How Lord Taisho would have been disappointed at his son's behavior. The Taiyoukai would have raised him better than this...

Kouga came to stand behind Inu Yasha, nudging him out of the way with his shoulder with a scowl.

"Good job, puppy. As usual, you know exactly what to say to make someone feel like shit."

Inu Yasha caught his balance quickly, fisting his hands at his sides as he confronted the wolf. "What the hell, Kouga?! Kagome knows that wasn't what I meant, so butt out!"

Akito heard a soft sigh at his shoulder, turning his head to the source of the sound.

Kagome was watching the two as they started to bicker in the hallway, her body slouched even more against the wood of the door as if it was the only thing holding her up. The inside of her room was dark except for a candle lit next to the brazier, the floor next to her bed littered with little white pieces of tissue and the blankets crumpled in a misshapen heap.

The kitsune felt a stab of compassion for the human. It had to be hard to not only be ill, but having to juggle multiple male demons at the same time must make it more tiring.

Facing her fully, he asked quietly, drawing her blue-grey eyes to his own, "My Lady, shouldn't you be laying back down? You don't look like you feel well."

She sighed, her whole body moving with the action, a cough bubbling out of her throat towards the end. Once it had past she rubbed the center of her breastbone with a grimace, swallowing audibly.

"I'll go back to bed in a minute, Akito-kun. I just want to break these two up first."

Kouga and Inu Yasha were now standing toe to toe, throwing insults back and forth at one another like they usually did.

Akito frowned at them. "Lady, I can break them up and have Lord Sesshoumaru remove them for a while if you like. That way it would be quiet enough for you to sleep for a few hours."

Her uneven laughter made him look back at her, his sharp ears analyzing the odd sound of her abused lungs working to produce the noise.

"As tempting as that sounds, Akito-kun, I think I'll just talk to them a moment. No need to evict them from their own bedrooms on my account." With that, she moved forward slowly, the smile dying on her face as she came to stand to the side of the fighting demons.

The fox youkai remained where he was, but kept a close watch in case one of the brats didn't see her there and accidentally struck her from one of their flailing fists they were using to punctuate their insults. They hadn't gotten into actual corporal battle yet, but with the way they were using hand gestures to get a point across it was obvious it was only a matter of time before it escalated to such.

"Guys," she called softly.

They both stopped in mid-sentence of whatever they were saying to turn their heads to the miko at the same time.

Kouga frowned in worry, his green eyes concerned as he grabbed a hold of her free hand between his own. "Kagome. I'm sorry for upsetting you with all this yelling but," he nodded towards Inu Yasha as he said, "the puppy over there was mistreating you and I wouldn't have it! No one makes my woman feel bad!"

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing the poor wolf probably meant and believed every word he spoke so passionately. Kouga had a thing for loud declarations of emotions whenever he encountered her.

"It's alright, Kouga-kun. I know you guys don't get along all that well, and really, Inu Yasha didn't make me feel bad." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm just tired and being sick makes me a little more sensitive than usual."

"Yeah, well he should still watch his mouth," the wolf replied, giving the hanyou a glare from the side of his eyes.

Withdrawing her hand from his, she patted his wrist lightly, not knowing that her touch made the youkai feel as though a warm embrace had just enveloped his soul. "Thanks for wanting to defend my honor and all, Kouga-kun. That's really sweet of you."

A cocky smirk came over his handsome features, his fangs flashing briefly. "Anything for my woman."

After three years, she had given up on getting the prince to call her by another title. He was set on that and so 'my woman' was what it was going to be.

Plus, she was too tired to get into nit-picking about something so trivial. If the wolf hadn't stopped now he never would.

Bolstering her resolve, she kept her smile in place with effort and turned to Inu Yasha, who was standing there with his arms across his chest, head turned away from them.

"Inu Yasha, I really do appreciate that you got me the medicine."

He flinched as though she had struck him before turning to look at her, his eyes unhappy and regretful. "It's no problem, Kagome. You know I didn't mean anything by what I said."

"I know," her voice was quiet, her blue-grey orbs searching his features, a bittersweet pang traveling to her heart.

Why couldn't she have gotten over him completely by now?! Or why couldn't she have felt this way about Kouga? The prince obviously held affection for her that he wanted badly to be returned.

But Fate never did go her way. Her life was living proof of that.

A tenseness settled over the small group. Undercurrents of emotions flying about the individuals, clashing and meshing together.

The miko and the hanyou just continued to stare at one another, lost in their own little world.

Akito, deciding it wasn't good for her to be standing out in the drafty hallway, touched her sweat-shirt clad shoulder gently.

She started, looking at him with huge blue-grey eyes that were a little dazed before she seemed to remember where she was.

"Lady, don't you think you should take the medicine and go rest? It is rather cold here and you are barefoot."

"You're right, of course." Giving the other two males a smile, she waved to them as she began to back up towards her room. "I'm going to go lay down for a while, guys. Could you do me a favor though?"

She waited for both of them to nod before continuing, halting as she reached the threshold of her room, fixing each demon with a hopeful grin. "Do you think that for the duration of your time here you could, maybe, try and get along? Please? I don't think Sesshoumaru would appreciate having the inside of his castle remodeled because of an argument you two got in to."

Kouga, feeling a bit contrite that he had made Kagome even have to ask, smiled gently, his eyes warm. "Okay, Kagome. I'll let the puppy be just for you."

"Thanks, Kouga-kun." She looked to Inu Yasha, arching one raven brow.

"Keh!" He crossed his arms over his chest again. "Whatever. As long as that mangy wolf stays out of my way I won't have to pulverize him."

She rolled her eyes. That was as good a confirmation as she was going to get out of that one.

But beggars can't be choosers.

"Thanks, Inu Yasha." Putting her hand on the door, she paused before closing it all the way, peaking at the three youkai still watching her. Her voice was quiet when she said, "It really is good to see you guys again. I— I've missed you." Glancing up at their stunned expressions, she put on a big fake smile. "Tell the others I can't wait to see them and should be well enough to come by their rooms tomorrow morning. Goodnight!" And with that she closed the door.

Akito was the first to move, going to his usual spot by the doorway. Kouga and Inu Yasha slowly turned to give each other a look, the wolf prince narrowing his eyes at the half demon for a moment before turning on his heel to go back to his rooms.

"Why don't you go see your quarters, Inu Yasha. That should keep you quiet long enough for Kagome to rest," he called mockingly over his shoulder before disappearing into his own room.

Inu Yasha growled, clenching his fists before spinning in the opposite direction to stomp off to his own rooms.

'Well, that could have gone better,' he thought, disgusted that the first meeting with an awake Kagome had gone as it had.

He would make up for it later. Explain to her that he hadn't been trying to insult her about getting the medicine for her and all that.

He just had to wait till later. When they were alone. The last thing he would do is humble himself before that bastard wolf or his brother's damn guard.

Yes, he would just arrange to see Kagome alone.

If you could actually get a person alone in a castle...

This was going to be a lot harder than he had thought. Talking with the miko was going to be like arranging a meeting with his brother if you were a visiting Lord.

Kami, but he hated formalities.

Twilight edged the trees in wisps of ash-grey lace, almost as if night itself was weaving a shroud. Sesshoumaru stared out across the vista of buildings beyond his chamber window, bemused by the tightness in his stomach. Odd, to feel evidence of emotion after all these years. A little like recalling bits of a language long forgotten, enough to trouble one's peace but not enough to be of any practical use.

Doubtless Kagome would be delighted with the news, if ever he went mad enough to tell her what he was experiencing. But tonight he would have preferred to deal with matters in his accustomed way, to be without any feelings at all. At least during the interview that lay before him.

He had to question Shurin.

Nearly five hours had past since he had left Kagome, pressing matters in his castle demanding the Taiyoukai's attention and the girl herself wishing to be alone. As soon as he'd broken contact with her he had begun reconstructing the walls around his emotions, locking them back away after the aura synchronization unleashed them.

But no matter how he pushed away those feelings, he could still hear her strained laughter, her sickness massacring the sound as effectively as she did singing.

Pushing the disturbing memory to the back of his mind, Sesshoumaru focused on the meeting to come.

Gathering his wits, he began planning the tactics he would use to get the rainchild to spill any information he might have. An unnecessary effort, Kagome would insist. No doubt she believed Shurin would work himself to death attempting to aid Sesshoumaru, were he but asked.

"That boy could no more assassinate you than I could," she had said, fierce protectiveness shining in every line of her earnest face. For whom? The Taiyoukai or the young youkai she had befriended?

He felt an odd jab that couldn't possibly be jealousy.

Self-disgust poured through him. Kami forbid she should ever truly get a glimpse of the cold, dead place in his chest where a heart was supposed to be. Even a miko-born female would have to turn away from him, revolted, despairing.

Damnation, what the devil ailed him? Sesshoumaru jammed his fingers through his bangs in frustration. He had a job to do— question the young soldier who was his only link to the youkai who had ambushed him in Inu Yasha's Forest.

The task should be simple enough. In his years as the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, he'd been nigh legendary for his ability to pry secrets from the most determined demons' souls. He had always discovered just the right leverage, but here, when his own life might well hang in the balance, what was he doing? Nursing something appalling akin to feelings of betrayal, and imagining the reactions of a woman to whom the concept of logic was as foreign as fairy tales were to him.

The dog demon had to admit his mentor had been right about one thing. Emotions were a curse. In over sixty-three years, he had been burdened with precious few of the damn things. Once events were over, he turned his back on them, buried them, walked away.

But part of him very much feared he would carry shadows of two recent events long into the future. Watching helplessly as Kagome fainted right in front of him and that moment when it was confirmed that his was the only aura hers could blend with.

He paced about the room a little, hand fisted at his side, glancing out the window as he past it.

He glimpsed a familiar figure striding toward the palace across the courtyard, defiance and wounded pride in every step. Shurin, either already feeling ill-used or preparing to give the performance of his life. Was it possible that a person Sesshoumaru thought of as a guileless youth had the skill of a desperate actor, realizing that he must get into character before striding upon the stage?

The Taiyoukai scanned the room, choosing to sit at his table next to the brazier rather than entrenching himself behind the intimidating breadth of his desk. Harsh tactics would achieve nothing with a youkia like Shurin, except to make his wounded pride harden into something about as permeable as a wall of solid marble.

Carefully, he curled his fingers about the cup of tea at his side, as if he were no more concerned with this meeting than with those he and his former personal aide had participated in a hundred times before.

But this time was different, damn it all.

Within moments the rain demon was knocking at the door, entering at Sesshoumaru's command. With a bow, the aide stood at grim attention, his jaw raised in the stubborn angle of someone wrongly accused, who would sooner take a caning than admit how hurt he was by the injustice.

For an instant, the dog youkai heard Kagome's plea on Shurin's behalf. Then he shoved it away.

"I assume you've been expecting my summons, Shurin."

Eyes far too tempestuous for comfort locked on cool amber, something distressingly like a tremor managing to work its way through the rainchild's voice. "I expected you to send for me long ago. Would have welcomed it."

The youth's words nudged a raw place in the Taiyoukai, that secret place where he wondered if he truly had been avoiding Shurin because he dreaded the youkai's answers. Damned if he'd let anyone, especially the personal aide, suspect his own self-doubt.

"I see." Sesshoumaru took a sip from his tea, keeping his eyes trained on the other demon. "Other affairs had to be put in order before I could tend to this matter between us. A castle must operate smoothly, even if its ruler has been attacked by cowards who dared not face him honorably." He turned the full force of his piercing gaze on him.

A choked sound came from the young demon's chest. "You cannot possibly— I don't believe you truly think that I -"

"Attempted to kill me? Even you must admit that the evidence is rather damning. Perhaps you would explain how you came to be in that particular stretch of Japanese wilderness with the General."

"When you disappeared, I was mad enough to think I might be able to find you. After all the time I've served you, I might know your ways while others. . ." Shurin's gaze faltered— the first sign he was hiding something.

"While others what?" Sesshoumaru probed, never taking his eyes off the rain demon's face. He could feel the dread invading his own body, one breath at a time. He couldn't keep his shoulders from tensing beneath the immaculate fabric of his haori. "Just Say it, Shurin, whatever it is," he urged, wanting this over with. "I've been stabbed, endured the indignity of being tended by a human, and now have to deal with my half brother in my house. Not to mention the fact that your own future hangs rather precariously in the balance. I beg you, have no concern about offending my sensibilities."

"Others might not— not trouble themselves to look terribly hard," the youth burst out, his face washing red at his superior's tone.

Sesshoumaru chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down the elemental youkai's spine.

"You think this lack of devotion should wound me to the quick? I assure you, it concerns me not so much as this." He snapped clawed fingers, the crack seeming like the recoil of a whip in the room. "Your. . . , devotion, however, does nothing to explain either how you happened to be searching in the area I was ambushed, nor what you were doing with a General not assigned to the main palace where you work. A General who would claim he has good reason to wish me in my grave."

He was appalled to find some part of him was actually waiting— no, hoping— for an explanation. Something to wipe away the ugliness, the suspicion that now tainted years' worth of Shurin's awkward smiles, his clumsy antics, his occasional embarrassing displays of something almost like affection.

The rain child treated Sesshoumaru more like an adored older sibling instead of his ruler.

Only a fool would search for innocence where the stench of guilt was so thick.

He stiffened, resolving to waste no more time and instead to push harder. "I haven't been an easy master. I'm certain there are plenty of youkai here in the Western Lands who wouldn't blame you for acting against me. Did you plot with those assassins, Shurin? Perhaps take a bribe?"

"No!" Aghast, Shurin stared at him with such a betrayed expression that a person would think the aide had been wounded in Sesshoumaru's place.

"Then explain how you became entangled in this mess. It should be simple enough."

Shurin's hands clenched into fists, the hard knots of fingers shaking against his pant legs. His vibrant eyes glistened, overbright. "Before you turned up missing I came into your room to get some paperwork you wanted me to deliver. I caught a glimpse of a letter on your desk. I didn't read it all, just. . . saw something about Inu Yasha's Forest."

Sesshoumaru fought to keep the blood from draining out of his striped cheeks, horrified at his own carelessness. He'd thought the missive to be stashed away, but there may have been a point when he'd been so distracted that he hadn't put the letter somewhere safe before leaving.

Was it possible that he had been so lost in thought, trying to guess why the sender of the missive would contact him, that he'd blundered this badly? Hadn't taken into consideration Shurin's fumblings?

No, there was still too much that didn't make sense.

"Do you make a habit of prying into my correspondences?" he demanded, low, dangerous.

"No, but the last time I had seen you, you seemed so strange. I was worried." He flushed. "I felt so guilty about reading the missive, I turned right around and left without the paperwork."

He would have to look for that damn piece of paper after this was over.

"My correspondence rifled and the paperwork left undelivered. Really, Shurin, such a shoddy job in attending to your duties is quite unforgivable."

The young demon's chin bumped up a notch. "Perhaps so, My Lord, but I'm glad I read the letter, no matter what the consequences! At least when you turned up missing I was searching in the right place! If Lady Kagome hadn't found you, I would have."

"And if you suspected I was near Inu Yasha's Forest, why didn't you call out half a contingent to comb the countryside thereabouts, searching for me?"

"Because you're such a private person. I had already trespassed on your privacy. If there was something amiss of a personal nature, I didn't want to betray you. So I went out and looked myself," his electric green eyes were pleading for Sesshoumaru to believe him.

The Taiyoukai's jaw clenched. Did Shurin understand him so well? The thought was terrifying...

"You searched with such energy you were magically transformed into two demons? Quite a trick, boy," he replied over the rim of his teacup.

"Lord Daija had parties of warriors searching everywhere. He'd even called in some soldiers that were on scout duty so they could help with the effort. When I ran across General Kaizon I made an inquiry about you. He told me he, too, was looking. It only made sense to join our resources. The object was to find you." The rain child was clearly agitated, but he remained standing as he was, determined not to embarrass himself in front of his master.

"And General Ryosuke was as eager to do so as you were, right, Shurin?"

A hard glint entered his bright green eyes, his lips thinning with the force of his next words. "No. No one was as anxious to find you as I was, My Lord."

Sesshoumaru knew that another youkai would be touched by the catch in the rain demon's voice.

"When you failed to find me, you and General Kaizon simply parted ways?"

"No. I— I disliked General Ryosuke after a while. There was something. . . when he encountered the miko. . . I realized I'd been foolish to charge off on my own. I left him and came here to the castle, intending to confess to Lord Daija about the letter, your privacy be damned. I had seen bloodstains by the Bone-eater's Well in Inu Yasha's Forest, and a swatch of fabric I was certain was from your uniform." He made a helpless gesture with one hand. "But before I could raise another search party, you came riding up on the back of Ah Un with Rin."

"And robbed you of your role as my savior. How thoughtless of me." The words sounded cruel even to the dog demon's own ears.

He was many things, ruthless among them, but never could he remember making a gratuitously brutal comment, especially to someone with such pitiful defenses as Shurin.

What the devil had gotten into him?

Cowardice. Despite Shurin's word, his earnest explanation, Sesshoumaru didn't dare believe it was the truth. To believe would mean that the boy had been fool enough to care for a cold-hearted bastard not worth half of the anguish spent on him. To believe would mean the Taiyoukai had wronged the youth in a way no apology could ever mend. It was far more comfortable to maintain this familiar suspicion of everyone's motives. It saved the dog demon from questioning his own too closely.

"When you left General Kaizon where was he headed?"

"To continue to search for you. But he went in the wrong direction. I made certain of it," his voice was steely, his eyes a little harder than before.

"You didn't know where I was, Shurin. Considering that, the mention that you could've sent anyone in the wrong direction is questionable at best," the Taiyoukai shot back challengingly.

The rain child grit his teeth in frustration, a flush now on his cheeks. "I sent them in the only direction I was certain you hadn't gone. Planted some signs that you'd traveled that way."

"Because you didn't want them to find me? Steal your glory?" He taunted, the tea forgotten on the table as he felt his own irritation building.

"No. Because I couldn't shake this— this strange feeling—"

'Kami save me,' Sesshoumaru thought, repressing a shudder. Not another person gifted with Kagome's intuition.

"It was the way General Kaizon looked at Lady Kagome in that clearing. Something about his face." He stared intently into his master's eyes. "I think he meant to kill you."

Sesshoumaru looked at Shurin's face, probing, wishing for once that he did have the power so many claimed, that he could peer into the rainchild's head, sift through his darkest thoughts, his guiltiest secrets. See if the tale he'd just told was the truth.

But he was a youkai that did not possess that power. Time alone would tell. Meanwhile, both he and the rain demon would be left with uncertainty gnawing inside them.

Using up his last reserve of patience for the day, he bit out, scowling, "Shurin, listen to me. Tell the truth now, whatever it might be. I won't insult your intelligence by telling you all will be well. If you're involved in the attack upon me, you will be punished. But I'll do what I can to ease the penalty if you just tell me who is behind these attacks."

"My Lord!"he cried out as though the Taiyoukai had thrust a sword into him, pain etching across his youthful features.

"Think, Shurin. It may mean the difference between being outcast from the Western Provinces and dying before a full day passes." Sesshoumaru ignored the way the look on his aide's face tugged at something that could have been guilt in his chest.

Could the boy's face get any whiter? The mark on his forehead looked blood-red, his bright eyes gleaming into his own. He looked so infernally young all of a sudden. Almost as Inu Yasha had looked when he was a pup and his older brother would brush him away with callousness and indifference.

Damn, but he had to end this meeting quickly. That time spent with the miko today had really messed him up.

"No one in his right mind would believe this story you've spin, Shurin. Save yourself. General Kaizon hasn't the resources or wit to concoct such a subtle plan. Give me the name of the person behind this treachery. Loyalty is for fools. I assure you he'll be happy enough to let you die if by doing so he can save his own skin." He watched the rain youkai's reaction closely, waiting for an answer.

The aide trembled where he stood, the distinct sound of thunder roiling outside as the wind picked up and large grey clouds began to move across the sky.

"I told you the truth! I didn't betray you! I stumbled upon the General while I was searching. If I knew who lured you out to that place to be killed, I vow, I'd hunt him down. He'd answer to me!" Lightning streaked brightly through the heavens, the first patters of rain beginning to wash upon the castle.

Shurin was breathing hard, his green eyes roiling like the clouds he called forth outside, his emotions clearly getting the better of him.

Why the devil did the youkai's impassioned vow disturb Sesshoumaru so? It was almost painful. . . He help up his hand to stop the flow of Shurin's words, ignoring the growing storm outside. "Enough. Such an exuberant defense on my behalf is in bad taste, considering the circumstances. I suppose there is only one thing to do."

Listening to the deluge outside, lightning screaming across the sky again, the Taiyoukai considered for a moment.

Give the boy enough space. If he was indeed guilty he would bolt. That would be all the answer Sesshoumaru would need. Strange thing was, now that he'd come up with the plan, he had a sudden urge to bind the demon to his usual tasks— so close by that the dog demon could hardly move without tripping over him.

Blast, wasn't this complex enough without him sabotaging his own efforts?

"What are you going to do, My Lord?" Shurin asked stiffly, his green eyes still roiling, but not as badly, the rain outside softening to a light drizzle.

Amber eyes locked on emerald, his voice emotionless when he answered. "I shall wait and see if your story bears out. I'm certain that duties can be found for you somewhere in the castle."

Shurin swallowed hard. "My Lord, please. You have to believe I'm telling the truth. I've tended you for years. I thought we'd begun to– to trust one another."

"You were mistaken, Shurin." Why in Kami's name was he now feeling a tad regretful? If the rain youkai was the guilty demon then it would be foolish to keep him at his side. "I was taught never to trust anyone."

The words must have seemed harsh to the aide, as if Sesshoumaru was brushing him aside. Just like he had his younger brother time and again. The elemental demon could never guess that he had just trusted him, with a truth the Taiyoukai himself had only recently come to understand.

Picking up his now tepid tea, he dismissed the warrior, a full-fledged storm raging outside as the youth left the room, something suspiciously smelling like tears following him out.

He sat for a long time in the dim room, wind howling outside, driving hard sheets of rain against the palace walls, as though attempting to batter the strong edifices down.

Sesshoumaru mulled over the inner wound he'd unintentionally exposed, at least to himself, where the rain youkai was concerned.

When had he started trusting his personal aide? How had it totally skipped his notice that he did?

A particularly violent clap of thunder resounded directly over Sesshoumaru's quarters, the force of it causing the walls to shudder and his ears to ring.

Shurin was definitely letting his feelings be known on the matter. As usual, with an elemental youkai, they always acted on their emotions with usually chaotic results.

He stared into the bottom dregs of the cold tea, lost in thought over the confrontation he had just had.

And he still had to go and speak with his brother's group, letting them know Kagome was alive, if a little unwell.

A throbbing began at his temples, a growing intensity that would no doubt take even his youkai powers a great deal of energy to counteract.

Standing, he exited the room, intent on getting this last bit of his duties done before retiring to his own chambers.

Thunder roared, wind howled, and lightning lit up the sky in a beautiful display of wanton destructive force.

He seriously doubted he would be allowed any rest this night. Shurin would make sure of that...


	29. To Soothe

Kagome awoke in the late afternoon, a storm last night keeping her awake until the early hours of the morning. Stretching underneath the weight of her blanket and yawning loudly, she stared up at the ceiling, one arm draped over her middle and the other rubbing at her sore throat as she tried to organize her thoughts. Today she would have to meet with Shippo and the others. Last night she hadn't been up to the encounter, but even ill health wouldn't be able to keep her friends at bay now.

Sniffling, she grimaced at how bad her body still felt. Although, Kagome couldn't be too surprised considering it was only last evening that any antibiotics had been available for her use. Speaking of which...

Glancing to the table by her bed, she saw the small bottle resting innocently upon the lacquered surface, its white label catching the sunlight pouring in from the window so the black letters looked even more pronounced. Rolling onto her side, she reached over and picked it up, peering closely at the directions on its side.

'Take one every eight hours,' she read silently, shaking the bottle while calculating if it was the correct time to swallow another white pill or not. Levering herself into a sitting position, she grabbed another tissue as she sneezed, discarding it carelessly onto the floor beside its comrades before looking for the dainty gold watch she carried every with her.

She had placed it on the table next to the cup of water last night, making sure to keep some form of timepiece close by so that she wouldn't accidentally overdose herself with medication.

Catching the glint of sun reflecting off shiny metal, she saw that about nine and a half hours had past since she fell asleep. Plenty of time so that taking her medication would be fine.

Pushing her messy hair away from her face and over her shoulders, she frowned a little when she noticed that the light sweatshirt she was wearing felt too warm. A flush rose up in her cheeks, Kagome kicking the blanket off her legs, the cool air nice on her bare feet.

Leaning back against the cold wall at the head of the bed, she gave a sigh frustration when she found out that there was no water in the cup nor inside the small carafe beside it.

Feeling particularly lazy this morning, she put the glass back while calling out hoarsely, "Akito-kun! Kito-chan, can you come in here for a minute?!" She ran the bottle through her fingers, hoping the kitsune had heard her even though her voice wasn't able to yell all that well.

She smiled cheerfully when a second later her door opened, the fox youkai's head poking around the heavy piece of wood, one navy eyebrow arched as he looked at the girl lounging on her bed.

"You needed something, Lady?"

Gesturing with her hand, she wiggled her toes a bit, giving him an engaging smile as he came into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Kito-chan, could you do me a favor?" Clasping her hands in front of herself, she made her eyes big and hopeful as he came to a stop beside her bed, the fox making sure to step around the wadded up delicate paper on the floor. "Pretty pretty please?"

Akito watched the female's antics, amused at the picture she made with her wild hair, too white skin with the color high on her cheeks and over her nose.

Lips tilting on one side in a small smirk, he leaned, relaxed, against his spear, blue eyes a little less frigid than usual.

"You know you have but to ask and I shall do anything you like, Lady." Waving his clawed hand towards her still prayer-like stance, he added with a low chuckle, "There is no need for such theatrics to get your way."

She laughed, coughing behind one hand, still clasping the pills in the other. Slouching where she sat, the girl gave him a grin when the youkai's gaze turned concerned.

Her voice was husky when she said, "Ugh. The reason I called you was to ask if you could, maybe, get me some more water so I could take my medicine?" She shook the bottle for emphasis.

"Of course, Lady. It would be no trouble at all." The fox demon reassured the human, quickly sweeping his sharp eyes over the side table, noticing that, indeed, there was none of the refreshing liquid there.

She must have been really thirsty last night to have drank it all...

"I'll get it for you right away, Lady." He made to move away from the bed, but was pulled up short when she grabbed onto his hand, causing him to stiffen at the sensations that simple touch sent through his body.

Turning back towards her, he held himself rigidly, trying to hold back the blush that wanted to take residence in his cheeks.

Kagome, innocent of what the contact was doing to the demon, pulled his hand up till the back of it was resting against her cheek, closing her eyes and leaning into it with a sigh.

"That feels nice," she moved his hand till it was now on her forehead, her eyes becoming covered by the appendage. "I think I have a fever. Does it feel like I have one?"

Akito moved closer till his side was almost touching her shoulder, trying to determine if the miko did, indeed, have a fever. It was hard to tell, what with all the random emotions flowing chaotically through his system, but he still managed to keep his stoic facade in place.

"It does feel like your skin is a little warm, Lady." He flipped his hand over until the calloused flesh of his palm lay on her brow, not being able to resist the urge to gently sift his fingertips through the fringe of her bangs. Akito willed some of his power into his hand so that it made his skin even cooler than before without producing any ice. "You should stay in bed and rest some more today. The only way you are going to get better is if you let your body heal."

Kagome sniffled, enjoying the cool feeling of the ice youkai's touch, the light scraping of nails through her hair soothing. Both her hands now lay, folded, in her lap, the bottle held between them.

Her words were soft, a little wistful as she answered him. "I wish I could, Kito-chan. Really, I feel awful." Sensing that he was close, she listed to the side until her side rested upon him, taking comfort from the contact. Whenever she was sick at home Souta always came in and spent time with her, either talking or listening to music or whatever. Being with Akito made her feel a little better, like she did when with her brother. The girl had no idea that everything she was feeling was being past on to the fox youkai, too intent on just enjoying having someone to lean on.

Akito stiffened at first when she had moved to use him as a support, the hand on her forehead freezing in mid-caress. But he soon relaxed when he realized she was only seeking something to take her mind off of how bad she felt.

A foreign jab of compassion shot through his heart, his eyes going from their iceberg hue to the warm blue of spring skies while he repositioned his hand to resume pushing the silky strands of her raven locks away from her face.

"Then why not simply remain in bed. I'm sure your friends would understand," he kept his voice low, not wishing to disturb her since she looked so peaceful, her head resting lightly along his ribs, blue-grey eyes closed.

"I can't. I already put off meeting with them yesterday and I know that even though they might say it was okay, I would feel too guilty, just leaving them in the dark," she frowned a little. "They came all this way to see if I was alright, after all. The least I can do is reassure them Sesshoumaru hasn't conveniently deposited me in a dungeon or whatever."

She didn't see the smirk that flashed over his features, the knowing look in his eyes. The arctic kitsune seriously doubted his master would dispose of this human any time soon. The more he saw the Taiyoukai with the girl the more he noticed the subtle ways he treated the miko differently from anyone else in the castle.

He really did wish he knew the exact relationship between the two...

"Lord Sesshoumaru has already met with them, letting them all know you are safe, Lady. Plus, I am sure Lord Inu Yasha would have told your friends not to worry about you while you're here." At the mention of the hanyou's name her eyes opened, staring with a dark sadness at the window.

"I'm sure he has," her tone was distracted, the light glaze in her eyes letting the arctic youkai know her mind was on other things.

From the looks of it, not altogether pleasant thoughts either.

Removing his hand, he tapped a claw a couple of times on her forehead, causing her to start before looking up at him with raised black brows.

"I need to get your water for you so you can take your pills, Lady," he grinned at how the comment made her flush in embarrassment as she returned to her spot on the wall.

Once she was no longer in contact with him, he moved to stand in his usual straight-backed pose, face now back to its regular impassive lines.

Kagome gave him a sheepish look, thinking she probably made the guard think she was some clingy female at using him as a place to rest her body like that.

"Sorry about that, Akito-kun. I didn't mean to glob onto your side and force my problems on you like that."

Surprise etched his handsome features at the genuine remorse lacing every word she spoke.

Did she honestly think what she had done was offensive to him in some way?

He felt his expression softening, unable to prevent it even if he tried. Which he didn't.

"There is no need to apologize, Lady. Believe me, I wasn't offended or appalled at your behavior."

She chewed on her lower lip, looking unsure but hopeful. "Are you sure? It's just whenever I get sick at home my brother usually keeps me company and since you remind me of him a little I guess I got carried away."

The fox youkai was a bit amazed that the girl would already view him with such open trust and affection after only knowing him briefly. But then again, he was quickly learning that he found it relatively easy to adjust to the emotions she evoked in him, so perhaps, considering her personality, it wasn't so unusual at all.

"I'm honored, Lady, that you would compare me to your brother." He gave a small bow, a smile in his eyes when he rose to stare down at her. "If my presence can offer you even the tiniest bit of comfort do not hesitate to use it. I assure you, I do not mind at all."

A relieved sigh left her body, glad to know that he actually seemed alright with her odd behavior. The sunny smile she aimed at him lit her eyes to a shiny greyish blue color he had never seen before, the strange hues mesmerizing him a bit.

"Thanks, Kito-chan! You really are like Souta in some ways." Winking, she added with a smirk, "Except, I doubt if you would pull my hair to get my attention or throw water on me when I wouldn't wake up fast enough in the morning."

Navy eyebrows arced up nearly disappearing in his white bangs. "No, Lady. You never have to fear such treatment from me." A small smirk of his own briefly lifted his lips before he added, "Although, I can relate when it comes to the antics of younger siblings. My younger brothers pulled some similar stunts on me and the other older kits when we all lived with one another."

Kagome looked at the kitsune with interest. "You have brothers, Akito-kun? That's great! How many?"

"Five, Lady, including myself. I am the second to oldest," his tone was proud when he spoke of his family, affection lingering in his eyes as he thought about them.

"Wow," her eyes widened at the number, clearly impressed. "Your mother must be a very strong woman to raise five male kits."

He nodded, smiling at the mention of his mother. "Yes, she is a remarkable woman. She manages to keep us and our father in line at any rate. Which I assure you, is no easy task."

She laughed, enjoying getting to know more about the kitsune. Kagome always did love hearing about people and their families, the things that made their life special and worth living.

Drawing up her knees, she wrapped her arms about them, the bottle of pills now laying forgotten on the pristine sheets. "Tell me, what are your brothers' names? What do they do for a living? Are some of them still at home?"

Amused at the curiosity this human always possessed about others, he answered her questions patiently. "Starting from youngest to oldest there is Keisuke, Toryn, Najoro, and Kiro. Keisuke and Toryn serve the Lord of the Eastern Provinces, and have done so for the last twenty years or so. Najoro remains at home still to help my father and mother take care of our own small keep while Kiro is also serving under Lord Sesshoumaru right now."

"Really?" She looked excited at the news that one of his family members was close by, sitting up a little to face him more as she asked, "What does Kiro do for Sesshoumaru? Is he a personal guard like you?"

Akito thought over what his older brother did for a living, figuring out how to word the tasks he was asked to complete.

"Kiro was Inutaisho's personal guard before he passed away, but since coming into the employ of Lord Sesshoumaru his post has altered till he is now the top marksman of the palace."

A puzzled frown marred her brow. "Marksman? You mean like a sniper? Someone that can shoot anything at any distance?"

Shaking his head in the negative, his white bangs moving with the action, he corrected her assumption. "No, Lady. What Kiro is, is the top assassin in Lord Sesshoumaru's army." Waving a clawed hand, he added, "But he is rarely ever sent out so he can usually be found training the warriors in the dojo until he is needed."

A chill ran down Kagome's spine at the news, some of her exuberance of before draining away under those sobering words.

Of course. Every Lord during feudal Japan, especially one with as much power as Sesshoumaru, would have at least one assassin in his employ, if for nothing else than as a make-shift bodyguard. It still didn't make her unease settle down though.

Noticing that the miko seemed a bit disturbed by what he had said, he said, looking a little contrite, "Lady, I didn't mean to upset you. Forgive my tactlessness. I forgot for a moment that you aren't very familiar with the way things are done inside a demon's keep." Trying to rectify his blunder, he offered tentatively, "If you would like, I could introduce you to my brother when you are recovered, that way you could see for yourself that he isn't some unfeeling killing machine."

Seeing how her reaction had made the kitsune feel, she waved her hands in a placating way, smiling in an attempt to let him know she was fine. "Oh please, don't feel bad, Akito-kun! I'm sure your family is wonderful and I would love to meet your brother!" Lowering her hands, she plucked nervously at the soft linen beneath them. "I just... I guess it keeps slipping my mind where I'm at and when."

He arched a brow at her use of words. "When, Lady?"

Realizing her slip up, she moved to get out of bed, causing her guard to step back and allow her enough room so she could walk to the armoire. "Um, could I get that water now, Akito-kun?" Glancing at him over her shoulder, she locked her eyes with his, opening the doors to the furniture that held her clothing. "I'd better get dressed and start my day so I can see my friends."

Inclining his head, he gave a quick "Of course" before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone Kagome pulled out the necessary items of clothing, deciding that today she would wear jeans, as usual, and a dark blue thermal top with a lightweight black zip-up jacket over that.

She was too hot from her slight temperature to stand anything heavier.

Putting the clothes onto her chair, she turned, noticing the Kleenex on the floor, making a face at it before going to clean them up. Catching a glimpse of the radio, she turned it on, putting a cd into it without bothering to see what it was before pressing play.

After that was finished, she began getting ready for the day, thoughts of assassins running through her mind.

She hadn't known that Sesshoumaru would have the very weapon at his disposal that had come so close to ending his own life.

It made her wonder...how many other youkai had the same demons in their own arsenal...

The song 'Going Under' by Evanescence began playing, making her frown. That particular music group had a strange way of using lyrics that resembled her personal life a little too closely. She left it on, though, figuring she should at least listen to it once since Souta had gone to the trouble of making it for her.

Kagome paused in the middle of fastening her jeans, a sudden thought bringing her up short.

Was there an ulterior reason for Kouga to have come here? Why had the wolf prince suddenly decided to come to Sesshoumaru's castle? Just to make sure she made it here safely? Even to her it sounded weak.

She would have to ask him, either today or sometime soon.

Determined, she went back to completing her morning ritual of dressing and such.

Today was definitely going to be trying.

She seriously doubted if learning about Akito's brother's profession was going to be the only surprise that was revealed.

Kami, she could hardly wait...

Inu Yasha and the rest of the group were currently seated around a low table in the formal dining room of the Taisho castle. Long dark wooden tables were positioned in a straight line down the center of the room, silk plush magenta and black pillows set at each spot where a table setting would normally be. Carpets in red with white sakura blossoms on their surfaces offered added cushioning once you sat down, tatami mats and hard wood floors visible along the perimeter of the room. A few beige vases with white irises artfully arranged in their containers were placed sporadically on the tables' polished tops, two banners displaying the Taisho crest lining the walls on either side of where the master would usually be seated.

The chamber could easily hold over fifty guests with room to spare for servants to move about, unhindered as they attended to their duties. But this morning, sunlight coming through the open shoji doors that took up one wall pouring in to reflect off the waxed floorboards, there were only five individuals present. Kikyo had retired already to her rooms, saying something about her soul stealers not collecting enough of their precious cargo last night, making her tired today.

A variety of foods was laid out at their corner of the long line of tables, the remains of which were on the earthen china before them.

They had just finished eating a late lunch, having held off as long as possible in case Kagome awoke and decided to join them. However, as the sun arced higher into the sky and there was still no sign of the miko, the group had decided to go ahead and start without her.

Now they were finished, it was late afternoon, and she still hadn't made an appearance.

Miroku clasped his hands around his cup of tea, holding it at chest level while looking out to the serene scenery of the palace gardens. The beautiful display of sunlight dappling green leaves, birds singing cheerily as they flitted about the bushes and trees, bright spots of color where flowers bloomed in abundance didn't register to him at all.

He was too busy thinking about the meeting with the Taiyoukai last night to take advantage of appreciating the spectacular view Nature had set before him.

They had all been summoned to the main hall, a freak storm giving the entire scenario an eerie atmosphere. Lightning was streaking and thunder was rumbling outside as though the heavens themselves were intent on leveling the palace.

After about five minutes of sitting in the dimly lit room, Inu Yasha pacing the entire time, Sesshoumaru had come into the chamber, a strained look about his mouth and eyes. As though the demon was stressed over something.

The meeting had been brief, the Taiyoukai's words succinct and to the point as his emotionless voice delivered them.

He had told them that Kagome was safe, if a bit ill from a cold she had caught while traveling to the castle. The youkai assured them that the proper precautions were being taken and that the girl should improve within the next few days, that the antibiotics the healer had asked for were just extra insurance that Kagome would recover.

The monk had glanced to Inu Yasha every once and a while during his brother's speech, seeing the guarded set to his features, the half-lidded eyes that veiled what he was really thinking. Nothing in the half demon's folded armed, squared shoulders pose gave away how he felt at the news.

But then, he must have already been aware of all this, considering he was the one to deliver Kagome's medicine to her.

Still...the lack of usual insult throwing or arrogant loud-mouthed ranting from the hanyou towards his brother was a bit unnerving.

It was just so out of character for him.

Once Sesshoumaru was finished with his explanation, Sango had asked when they would be able to see their friend, the nervousness she always felt in the youkai's presence apparent in the slight tremor in her voice when she addressed him.

His face had remained indifferent as he'd told her whenever Kagome deemed it appropriate, that she was resting right now so tonight wouldn't be possible.

Shippo's face had become crestfallen, his little mouth turning down in a frown as he slouched in the taijiya's lap. Miroku had been surprised when Sesshoumaru, seeing the kit's reaction, had gone so far as to let the child know he could spend time with Rin tomorrow after her studies were done for the day.

Even Inu Yasha had arched one white brow at that one, clearly not expecting his brother to make such a gesture towards them.

Ignoring their skeptical stares, the demon lord had then asked if there were any more questions before he left, clearly wanting to quit the room and its occupants as soon as possible.

No one else had bothered to ask anything else, figuring that tomorrow Kagome could answer everything they wanted to know.

Plus, being in the dog demon's presence this long and on such terms was a little surreal. Who would have thought that one day they would all be in the same room together, guests to someone who had tried to kill their friend more than once, being treated hospitably by everyone within the castle.

It was just bizarre.

Miroku still wanted to talk to Inu Yasha first before bringing up the issue of Kouga having smelled Sesshoumaru's blood on one of the youkai who were looking for him. The hanyou could probably shed more light on the mystery so that he wouldn't mistakenly say the wrong thing to the Taiyoukai.

A flash of movement to his left caught the monk's attention, bringing him out of his revery so he could see what it was that had just went by.

Purple eyes came to rest on Sango, dressed in her pastel kimono, her long dark hair trailing down her back in a black river. His hand twitched around the glass he still held, Miroku resisting the urge to reach out and touch the girl sitting beside him.

You would think that with all the abuse she gave him, all that yelling she did whenever he placed his hands in less than kosher places, the demon exterminator would be as far away from him as possible.

Yet, she always sat next to him, continued to walk by his side, offering him a lift on Kirara whenever they traveled long distances. Somehow, he didn't think she was as against his being close to her as she said.

The flash of movement had been her picking up her pet to nuzzle her face against the fire-cat's soft fur, a chuckle leaving her throat when the feline licked her nose affectionately.

Miroku wasn't ashamed to admit he was jealous of that damn cat. Perhaps one day he could get Sango to shower that much attention on him...

Inu Yasha drumming his clawed fingers against the tabletop in a rapid tattoo drew him away from watching the girl with her pet, frowning when he saw the way the hanyou was glaring at the door as though by sheer force of will he could make Kagome appear.

His white ears were rotating about on his head, listening avidly for the sound of her footsteps, his nose continuously searching for her familiar scent.

"Inu Yasha, if you keep that up you're going to leave marks in the table, and I doubt Sesshoumaru would appreciate the new look to his furniture," Miroku said calmly, taking a sip from his tepid tea, grimacing at the bitter taste of the liquid.

The half demon's gold eyes turned to glare at him, frustration obvious on his face and in his voice.

"Screw the furniture and my damn brother! What the hell is taking her so long? It isn't like she has to get ready for a ball or something!" Once again he was giving the hapless door a look of death, his fingers not ceasing in their movements at all.

Sango sighed, lowering Kirara to her lap and stroking the cat's fur, making her pur in contentment under her owner's caress. "Relax, Inu Yasha. She probably either hasn't woken up yet or is still getting ready. After last night's storm Kagome no doubt couldn't get to bed until late like the rest of us." She pulled lightly at the little youkai's ears, grinning as the demon batted at her fingers in retaliation. "She'll be here soon so quit worrying."

"Keh. Who's worried? I just hate waiting for her to get her lazy ass out of bed so she can come meet us." He growled a little in irritation when the remark earned him a smack on the back of the head from Shippo.

The diminutive youkai stood in front of the hanyou, scowling up at him, his tail puffed out behind him, clawed fingers clenched into fists.

"Shut up, Inu Yasha! Kagome isn't feeling good so when she does get here don't treat her like crap and maybe she'll stick around for once." He crossed his arms over his chest, green eyes narrowing at the annoyed half demon in front of him. "Maybe if you didn't insult her and yell at her all the time she wouldn't have gone off with Sesshoumaru in the first place!"

Sango stopped playing with Kirara, her eyes wide at the way Shippo was all but verbally attacking their friend. Usually the little kitsune was throwing threats from a safe distance, not standing up to the hanyou as though he fully meant to smack Inu Yasha again at the slightest provocation.

Ever since Kagome had left all those weeks ago the fox youkai had silently blamed the hanyou for her leaving, his barbed remarks and icy glares coming more frequently towards the half demon as the time lengthened before the miko's return.

When Kagome had finally come back, Sango had thought all of the animosity the kit held for Inu Yasha would disappear because she would be staying with them.

But that hadn't been the case.

After the girl from the future had floored them all with the news that she would be returning with Sesshoumaru to his castle Shippo's resentment had seemed to grow a hundred-fold. However, this was the first time he had actually gotten angry enough to face Inu Yasha and yell those accusations at him.

Gold eyes locked on green, a growl rumbling deep in his throat as the kitsune refused to back down, his tiny body shaking a bit with the force of his emotions.

Inu Yasha wasn't stupid. He had known from the start that Shippo had started to harbor ill feelings towards him since he had brought Kikyo into the group, but he had thought even the kit wouldn't go so far as to bring light to his discontent so bluntly.

"Shut up, brat. Kagome left because she wanted to, not because anyone made her," his fingers stopped their tapping to rest in a clenched fist on the tabletop, his nails digging deeply into his palms. "So quit blaming me for this shit already."

The fox demon scoffed. "You have to be kidding! It's because of you that she ran away to begin with and I bet it was also because you went over there before she decided to come back that she went off with Sesshoumaru!" Pointing at him, he yelled with overbright eyes, "It's your fault she left, your fault she's sick, and it's your damn fault that she probably doesn't even want to see us now!"

Miroku sat, stunned at the confrontation going on between the two demons, his cold tea long forgotten in his hands. Likewise, Sango was staring in disbelief as their two friends eyed one another as though getting ready to enter into a full out battle.

What the hell was going on? Since when did Shippo challenge Inu Yasha like that and not look terrified a minute later, searching for a place to hide from the hanyou's wrath?

His golden eyes narrowing with menace, ears flattening to his skull, Inu Yasha asked lowly, "Just what the hell are you implying, brat? That I'm the cause for Kagome going with my bastard half-brother and then getting sick because he doesn't know how to look after a human?"

Shippo sniffled, a tear running down his cheek as the mixed up emotions inside himself made him confused and angry. He hadn't meant to say those things to Inu Yasha, they had come out as though someone else was speaking them, all his hurt and anger at Kagome leaving him making him lash out blindly.

Miroku's purple eyes were compassionate as he watched the fox child, feeling sorry for the kit who was so worried about Kagome. He heard Sango say softly, "Shippo..."sympathy lacing her voice and features.

Feeling defeated, his shoulders slouching, Shippo's gaze fell to stare at the floor as more tears leaked from his vibrant eyes. "I don't know what I'm implying. I just miss Kagome." He sniffled loudly, hands now twisting in the fabric of his vest, the claws digging into the material almost hard enough to put holes in it.

Sighing, the hanyou relaxed his tensed muscles, the hardness leaving his irises as he watched the kitsune cry. He kept forgetting that Shippo was only a child. A child who had already been orphaned once and was more than likely panicking at the thought of it happening again, even if it wouldn't be in the same way.

The familiar scent of vanilla and apples invaded his nostrils, the odor pleasant and welcome. Smirking, he told the kitsune, "Well quit sniveling, brat, because she's coming here right now."

The fox youkai looked up, green tear-drenched eyes wide as he began wiping the saltwater from his face, expression hopeful.

"Really? Right now?!"

"Keh. Just turn around and look already," the hanyou gestured with his head towards the door.

He needed no further urging, spinning on his heel and crying out in happiness as Kagome opened the door and came in, Akito right behind her.

Holding out her arms, she caught the small youkai, hugging him tightly and smiling. "Shippo-chan! I missed you!" She rocked him from side to side, coddling his body close to her own.

"Kagome! I was so worried about you!" He looked up at her, his hands coming up to touch her face, frowning a bit when he felt how hot her skin was, could see her unhealthy pallor. "I heard you were sick. Are you okay?"

Hugging him to her again, she began walking towards the rest of the group, who were now standing to watch her approach. Keeping her gaze trained on Shippo she replied, "I'm fine, Shippo. Just caught a little cold, but I'll be better soon with the medicine Sango gave me."

Akito stayed by the door, standing at attention while watching his charge interact with the people who had come to see her.

He was curious to see how she would deal with all of them. Dividing her attention equally so no one felt left out probably.

Shippo moved to sit on her shoulder, hugging her neck before settling comfortably, his little claws digging into the jacket she wore so he wouldn't fall off.

Patting him on the head, Kagome then smiled at everyone, even giving Inu Yasha a joyful look as she said, "Hey everyone! Sorry I kept you waiting so long." She took a seat on the other side of Miroku, not bothering to fill the empty spot next to the hanyou.

They all noticed the action, but none of them commented on it, instead watching silently as she scooped some rice into a bowl and began picking at it.

She wasn't hungry at all, but since it looked like lunch had been set out it was only right that Kagome at least pretend to be enjoying it. Once all the others were seated, she put some food into her mouth, asking around the chopsticks, "So, how are you guys? Was your trip here okay?"

Sango leaned over to look at the miko from down the table, her brown eyes warm and soft. "Actually, we didn't run into any problems getting here. Not even when we came onto Sesshoumaru's lands."

Kagome's eyebrows rose in surprise, her chopsticks falling back into her bowl. "Wow. That was fortunate then. I'm glad you guys made it here okay." Silently, she wondered if the reason there hadn't been any interference was because a certain Taiyoukai had known they were coming all along. If that was the case then she had a few questions to ask him.

Turning her attention to Inu Yasha, she quelled the little sting of pain in her heart as his gold eyes stared at her intently. "How long are you guys planning on staying?" She took another bite, sniffling a little while waiting for an answer.

"I'm not sure yet," he said gruffly, arms in their usual spot in front of his chest, his haori covering his hands. "It all depends."

Kagome frowned, confused. "Depends on what?"

"It just depends, alright? Now quit asking stupid questions and eat already." He eyed her up and down before adding with a scowl, "You look like you're about ready to pass out from malnutrition over there."

Frowning back at him, she snapped, "Well, gee, Inu Yasha. It could be because I'm sick. What do you think?" Angrily, she shoved another mouthful of rice between her lips, chewing on the little grains with violent force.

Ugh! Didn't he ever quit! How unflattering could a guy be? He was basically telling her she looked as bad as she felt. Talk about a jerk!

The hanyou inwardly smirked, having got the desired response out of the miko he had been aiming for. She was now eating while sitting there, fuming, not even realizing what she was doing.

Maybe while they were here he could at least make her eat more so she didn't look so thin and worn out. He knew some of her haggard appearance was due to her illness, but he'd noticed even before that, by the well, how skinny she had become.

She looked a lot better when she was filled out, even when her body had a few extra pounds on it. Living in an era where you saw too many starving, emaciated people because of lack of sustenance made the half demon find the ridiculously thin style in Kagome's time a little off-putting. It looked unhealthy to him.

"Kagome-chan," Sango called, drawing her friend's attention away from her thoughts, blue-grey eyes gazing at her inquisitively.

"Yes, Sango-chan?"

Inclining her head towards Akito, she whispered, leaning even further down the table, one hand going out to push Miroku's wandering one away, "Who's the youkai over at the door? I saw him yesterday too, but didn't catch his name."

Miroku, his plans of using the taijiya's current position foiled, turned towards the miko, interested to hear what she had to say.

He had been wondering about the demon too. Why would he be following Kagome around?

Kagome's radiant smile made Inu Yasha glower and Miroku give her a speculative look.

"Oh, you mean Akito-kun?" She waved over at the fox youkai as she said his name, laughing when all he did in return was nod his head to acknowledge he had seen her. Glancing back at Sango, she explained, "He's my personal guard while I'm here. Although, if you ask me, I really think Sesshoumaru made the poor guy my babysitter." Winking at the arctic demon, she called, "Isn't that right, Akito-kun? Sesshoumaru has you stay around me so I don't end up setting the castle on fire or cause his servants to run away in terror?"

The others looked to the fox youkai, the attention seeming not to bother him at all as he replied coldly, "Lord Sesshoumaru assigned me to you for your safety, Lady. I'm sure he didn't have ulterior motives of keeping his palace in one piece."

Rolling her eyes, she grinned at her friends, saying in a stage-whisper, "He's just too nice to admit the truth."

Sango chuckled, happy to see her friend was acting her usual playful self. It was a big difference from when the girl had come back through the well with the Taiyoukai, the shadows all but gone from her eyes.

Inu Yasha tried not to feel too jealous at the way she joked with his brother's personal guard, bristling when she called him that damn nickname just like she always did Kouga.

What was it with her calling every male youkai she ran into by some affectionate pet name?

"Kagome-sama, where are your rooms at? They obviously aren't near ours because we would have seen you," Miroku's question made her blush a little.

Taking a sip of tea, she kept her eyes trained on her glass while she answered.

"I'm staying in the royal wing at the moment. Sesshoumaru is only keeping me there so he can keep a closer eye on me, I think."

"The royal wing?" Miroku glanced over at Inu Yasha sharply. "Isn't that where Kouga and Inu Yasha are staying as well?"

Grinning, she coughed a little behind one hand. "Yeah." She looked over at the hanyou as well, the half demon ignoring them to stare off to the side. "But don't worry, they promised not to fight as long as they are in the castle." She sounded very pleased with that fact.

"Interesting," the monk said softly, almost as though speaking to himself.

It was still loud enough for a demon to hear it, though, even a half youkai.

Gold clashed with purple as Inu Yasha asked testily, "Nock it off, Miroku. Quit worrying about the living arrangements, will ya? Just be happy Sesshoumaru didn't put you in the stables where you belong."

"Hey!" came the indignant cry, Sango rolling her eyes at the two males.

Casting a glance outside she noticed that it was starting to get darker, the burnt orange of the sky making shadows increase and lengthen.

Had they been in here that long?

Getting up, she stretched, moving around Miroku to stand beside Kagome and Shippo, the little kit still clinging to the other girl as though afraid she would disappear.

"Want to go take a bath, Shippo-chan? How about you Kagome-chan?" She asked, smiling when the miko stood up as well, the kit giving a whoop of joy at the idea.

It had been forever, it felt like, since either of them had gotten the chance to indulge in a good bath at a hot spring. The pace Inu Yasha set for them didn't allow time to find any of the warm water every night, so they had to make do with the icy runoff in the streams and rivers they came across.

"Sure, Sango-chan!" The girls and little fox began walking towards the door where Akito waited, heads close together as they joked and talked.

"Oi! Where the hell are you two going?!" Inu Yasha demanded, standing up as the women got to the entrance, Shippo now cradled in Kagome's arms.

Waving at the two men over her shoulder, Kagome smiled, calling out as she disappeared out of the room, "We're going to go take a bath of course! See you guys later!"

The hanyou scowled at the empty spot that used to have a certain miko in it, a frustrated growl bubbling in his chest.

Miroku watched everything with his usual calm reserve, filling up his teacup with warm liquid and sipping at the fragrant beverage while eyeing his friend over the rim. "They'll be fine, Inu Yasha."

Gold eyes glowered at him for a moment before the half demon sat down huffily, clearly put out at being left so abruptly by Kagome.

Filling up another cup, he passed it over to the hanyou, before taking another sip of his own. "Besides, there are a few things I wanted to talk to you about and I couldn't bring any of it up with the others here."

That got Inu Yasha's full attention, his ears flicking forward and his shoulders bunching up with tension at the hint of caution in the monk's voice.

"What is it?"

Miroku frowned. "It's just what Kouga said and everything else that is going on around here." He waved his bead-covered hand to encompass the castle. "I want to know about why we are really here and what the wolf youkai meant when he mentioned that other youkai smelling like your brother's blood."

The dog demon scowled, obviously not liking the questions, but also acknowledging that the monk deserved an explanation.

And so, he gave him one...


	30. To Feel Like a Woman

Kagome coughed as she changed out of her wet bathing suit and into some warm comfy red and blue flannel pants and a red thermal top. She felt so exhausted after spending almost two hours in the hot spring, playing and talking with Shippo and Sango. It was relaxing, not having Inu Yasha staring at her intently, unnerving and bittersweet at the same time as his golden eyes rested on her.

Plus, no Miroku meant not enduring the voyeuristic antics from monks with questionable morals.

While the trio were together, sitting in the heated liquid, they had talked about simple things. The miko had been grateful that Sango had seemed to see that the last thing she needed right now was to engage in emotionally draining conversation.

So, instead, the taijiya and kit had regaled Kagome with little anecdotes of amusing instances during their travels. Shippo got so engrossed in one story he was reenacting that he had almost drowned before she had swam over to get him back out.

He was such an energetic child.

Those few brief hours had offered her a nice reprieve from all of her current problems. She'd forgotten about assassins, arrogant dog demons, possessive wolf princes, and loud-mouthed hanyous while basking in the attention her friends were showering on her.

Throwing the sopping shiny suit on top of some other dirty laundry piled in a corner, she grimaced, a steady ache in her lower back making her wince.

Rubbing the spot through the fabric of her shirt, she chewed on her bottom lip in thought, silently calculating.

The miko had a pretty good idea why she now was suffering from the current discomfort to her person. It always cramped up a few hours just before her period started.

Great. Not only was she sick, now it looked like she would have to deal with being a woman too.

Kagome made sure that the brazier in her room was well stocked to last throughout the night, knowing that each month she always suffered terrible cramps the first few days. During that time it always felt like she couldn't get warm enough.

Even when, at home, she put the heating pad on high and placed it against the bare skin of her back it did nothing to alleviate the pain.

Her mother had taken her to the doctor to see if he could prescribe anything that might, at least, take the edge off so her daughter wasn't stuck in bed, praying for death.

In the end, he had said the migraine pills should work just as well as anything else, but other than that, she would simply have to suffer through it.

Most times, even with the strong narcotic swimming in her veins, she was still hurting enough to keep her awake far into the night, hugging her pillow and whimpering.

Shivering, her whole body feeling cold, she stood as close to the brazier as possible without actually touching the scalding sides of iron.

Brushing out her wet hair, she braided the raven tresses before pushing it to lie over her shoulder so it wouldn't be in danger of catching fire.

That would be the last thing she needed...

Her room had one candle burning on the table next to the bed, its fluttering light dancing over her watch and bottle of antibiotics.

Sniffling, she reluctantly abandoned her spot next to the make-shift heater, the increased aching in her body letting her know it wanted to go back at once.

Gritting her teeth, she rubbed again at her spine while picking up the watch with the other hand.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw how late it was. Almost fifteen minutes after ten. She must have been lost in thought over her time with her friends than she'd realized.

But that did mean she could take her medicine now, and if her cramps got any worse, which they always did, then she would go look for the painkillers.

Opening the bottle, she shook out on white tablet before closing it back up. Swallowing it down with some of the water in the carafe from earlier, Kagome replaced the empty cup on the table, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Grabbing up the thick white blanket from her bed, she hugged it about herself, hobbling over to the only hot spot in the room, hunched a bit like a feeble old woman. Turning so her back could absorb some of the heat, she tried to take her mind off her discomfort by thinking about what Akito had said this morning.

She had never met an actual assassin before, so being introduced to his older brother was definitely going to be an experience. It made her feel a little frightened, knowing that she'd be coming face to face with someone paid to end others' lives.

Being the natural humanitarian that she as, it would be difficult for the miko to view Kiro objectively, without prejudice coloring their introduction to one another.

However, if he was related to Akito, and had been Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha's father's personal guard, then he couldn't be that bad.

At least, she hoped so...

Though didn't the arctic kitsune also say that his older sibling trained the warriors over at the dojo when he wasn't being called upon to fulfill his master's orders?

'What must it be like,' she wondered, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, 'to be taught to be nothing but a weapon who doled out death and taught other to do the same?'

It sounded like a depressing existence to her. But then, demons were a lot different than humans when it came to fighting and dying.

Their blood hungered for carnage like some people sought chocolate or drugs. The fact that Sesshoumaru and the rest of the youkai in the palace had control over their baser instincts impressed her immensely.

She couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to have a bloodthirsty beast lurking within yourself, wanting to be released at any opportunity to rain terror down on the unwary.

An image of Inu Yasha in his full demon form flashed through her mind, scarlet eyes burning like hellfire, a jagged stripe marring each cheekbone and feral razor-sharp claws seeking to rend a person apart.

She shuddered. Yes, she was very appreciative of the fact that all the demons in the castle were nothing like the ravenous creature the hanyou became whenever he lost control.

If they had been, the human race would have perished in a messy death long ago.

Inu Yasha's father must have known his youngest son wouldn't be able to handle the potent life force of a Taiyoukai flowing in his half-human frame. That was the reason behind the gift of the Tetsusaiga, after all. To act as a seal against the hanyou's demonic side.

The sword was forged from the living fang of Inutaisho, so in a way, his father was actually suppressing his own blood within the hanyou, there to keep Inu Yasha's human nature safe.

The fanged weapon didn't only protect other humans, it shielded his son's humanity as well.

Kagome wished there had been a way she could have met the previous Taiyoukai of the West.

He must have been an amazing demon...

Sneezing, she wiggled her toes a bit, noticing that the tiny digits had gone numb from standing barefoot on the cold floor for so long.

Sighing in defeat, the miko went back to her bed, feeling absolutely miserable. Baking her backside hadn't helped with the cramps, and now her feet were so frozen she couldn't even feel them anymore.

Laying down on her side so she faced away from the door, Kagome hugged a pillow to her chest, curling around it in a fetal position with the cover around her. The fabric of her pillowcase felt a little abrasive against her cheek, the skin on her body ultrasensative to touch right now.

Her stomach clenched as a particularly strong wave of pain traveled up her spine, shot towards her lower abdomen.

It made her glad she had declined any dinner tonight, telling Sango she'd rather just head to bed.

Thank Kami for that! If she had eaten anything, she probably would have thrown it up by now.

Groaning into her pillow, Kagome tried to get her mind off her body and think about something else.

All she kept thinking was how unfair life was not to make males suffer menstruation like women had to.

Damn men! They got away with everything!

Sora stood at his post outside of the miko's room, having relieved Akito from his duty about an hour ago. The hallway was dimly lit with only half the torches lining the walls burning, creating spots of shadow down the corridor.

It was very quiet in the royal wing, all of its occupants having gone to bed before he even came to stand guard.

Everyone was asleep. Everyone, that is, except for the inhabitant of the room he stood in front of.

His sharp ears could hear her move about on her bed, coughing or blowing her nose every once in a while.

Pushing his bangs out his eyes, the dog demon leaned back on the wall, his glaive resting against his shoulder opposite his tail.

Now that he wasn't wearing a helmet since he was stationed within the keep, his unruly black mane kept getting in his face.

Especially his shaggy fringe on his forehead.

Rolling amber eyes in annoyance, he growled in frustration as the same stubborn piece of hair fell back over his left eye.

Damn, but if he was able to cut the offensive thing off and be assured it wouldn't grow right back, he would have done so long ago! No matter how odd he would look afterwards.

All at once, the subtle metallic scent of blood invaded his nostrils, the odor making him stiffen to attention.

Breathing in deeply, he tightened his grip on the pole of his weapon, tracing the smell to its source.

His eyes widened in surprise when he realized it was coming from within his charge's room.

Did the girl get hurt or something? It wasn't strong enough to point to a serious wound, but still...

Worried, he rapped lightly upon her door before calling out softly, "Is everything alright, Lady Kagome?"

Concentrating on listening to the sounds inside, he heard her groan, then answer in a strained voice, "Everything is fine, Sora. I just can't sleep because I'm sick."

He scowled, still picking up the scent of blood, wondering, 'If she is injured, why wouldn't she say so?'

"Are you sure, Lady?" He paused a moment, staring intently at the engraved wood. "I thought I smelled blood."

Something hit the door with a 'thud', the wood shaking in its frame, causing the guard to step back with a start.

Sora was even more confused when the miko all but yelled at him, a growl that would do any dog demon proud heavy in her voice, "I said I'm fine, damn it! Now mind your own business!"

He eyed the door warily, holding his weapon in both hands. Never had he heard the girl speak in such a tone to anyone. Always, she was cheerful and pleasant, kind to everyone she came across in the palace.

Unsure of what to do, he shifted from one foot to the other, a fang digging at his lower lip thoughtfully as he mulled over the situation.

Despite what she said, she still could be wounded and perhaps not even be aware of it. Although, how someone could miss themselves bleeding was beyond him, but with this human you never knew...

Squaring his shoulders, he turned to head down the hall towards a set of ornate doors, much larger than any of the others lining the walls.

Taking a deep breath to bolster his resolve, he raised his hand and knocked.

Sesshoumaru watched the moon in the dark sky outside his window, lying on his side in the huge bed, the pale light bathing half his body ethereally.

His long silver hair fanned out behind him, cascading over the plush pillows and bedspread to trail over the side of the mattress much like his tail was, the latter pooling a bit on the floor.

He knew it was late and that, by all rights, he should be peacefully sleeping instead of staring out at the figure that resembled the mark on his forehead so well. Last night Shurin had kept most of the residents in the palace awake with the storm the youkai had conjured up, all of his pain and anger transmitted clearly through the raging thunder and brilliant lightning that had roiled over the castle.

That alone should have made the Taiyoukai tired enough to fall into slumber as soon as his head hit the pillow. But he couldn't seem to close his eyes and let himself escape into a few hours of nothingness.

The day had been pleasantly uneventful, not once having been troubled with the miko's presence the entire time. Even the wolf and his idiot brother had left him in peace, letting the dog demon get some of the work done that he had neglected since returning.

Really, he should be glad he hadn't had to hear the girl's annoying voice, be stuck with dealing with her spastic antics that always seemed to put those around her off-balance.

Then why had he almost found himself awaiting Akito's nightly report with something akin to eagerness?

It was appalling, especially since it was he who had behaved in such a way.

Frowning, he shut his eyes, determined to make himself sleep and forget about human females and their habit of wreaking havoc wherever they went.

A knock on his door quickly dispelled that idea, drawing his attention to the noise so that he sat up so he could see the intruder.

Inhaling deeply, he immediately recognized who it was, calling out icily, "Come in, Sora."

The dark-haired dog demon came striding in as though he were marching in a military procession, his shoulders squared and his back straight. Sesshoumaru could see clearly in the darkness of his room, noticing the way his cousin's amber orbs were showing a hint of concern along with their usual warmth and openness.

A visit this late, especially since the guard should have been watching his charge, could only mean bad news.

Kami, what had the girl done now?

Sora halted after coming halfway across the chamber, bowing respectfully before standing at attention once more, waiting for permission to speak.

"What is wrong that you would disturb me this late at night?" Sesshoumaru moved his hair over one bare shoulder, keeping his face impassive as though he didn't really care what the reason was.

"I apologize for the intrusion, My Lord, but there is something regarding Lady Kagome I thought should be brought to your attention." He locked eyes with the narrowed ones of his master as he continued seriously, "There's the smell of blood coming from her room."

One silvery eyebrow arched, his shoulders tensing at the guard's words, the only outward signs that the comment had bothered him. "Did you check to see if the human was well? Uninjured?"

Sora nodded, his shaggy bangs hanging in his left eye. "Yes, My Lord, I did." He frowned, hesitating on how to explain what the miko had said.

Growing impatient and trying to quell what couldn't be concern for the damn female, the Taiyoukai bit out, "And? What happened?"

"She said that she was fine." The dog demon scowled as he added, "But, the way she said it. . . not to mention the fact that she threw something at me, hitting the door..."

Sesshoumaru scowled, clearly not understanding what the youkai meant.

"She threw something at you?" he asked, scepticism in his tone. Behavior like that was unusual for this human. Something he would have expected from his loud-mouthed sibling, not the miko.

"I know it sounds odd, My Lord. That's why I came to get you. Even though she said she was alright it still smelled like blood was coming from the room."

Pushing the blanket off his body, the Taiyoukai rose from the bed, his black loose pants he slept in falling into place down his long legs as he slipped on a white silk robe that was lying over the foot of the bed.

Pulling his long hair free of the material, tying the sash deftly, he followed his cousin from the room after he gestured for the youkai to leave.

It was clear Kagome was going to be the result of another sleepless night. The girl had a special talent in keeping him awake whether she meant to or not.

The two demons walked quietly down the hallway, the light from the wall sconces dancing eerily over their features.

Reaching their destination, Sesshoumaru could smell the very faint metallic/sweet scent of something bleeding. It wasn't heavy enough to denote a serious injury, or to alert the other occupants of the royal wing of its presence.

A fact he was eternally grateful for...

The last thing he needed was his idiot half brother and that damn wolf raising a ruckus over the girl again.

Those two acted like spoiled children arguing the possession of a favorite toy...

A long forgotten memory surfaced in his mind as he inhaled the scent again, something seeming to click into place in his brain. It was similar to what Inu Yasha's mother would smell like each month, the woman usually taking some concoction that the palace healer made for her whenever she was in discomfort.

Realizing there was nothing to worry about, he gave the anxious demon next to him a flat stare.

"There's nothing to worry about, Sora. The human isn't in any danger."

His cousin didn't look convinced, his expression still pensive. "Are you sure, My Lord?"

The Taiyoukai resisted the desire to roll his eyes.

Was the girl slowly taking over all the youkai in his employ? His mighty warriors were becoming regular worrying nursemaids around the miko.

"You question my judgement, Sora?"

The other youkai immediately became contrite, moving to stand at his normal position by the wall. "No, of course not My Lord. If you say the Lady is alright then she must be."

Sesshoumaru silently cursed the fact the most of the youkai in his castle hadn't come into extended contact with human females, and so didn't understand their cycle like they did a demon's. A female youkai was very different from a human, in that it was years in between what normally came to a human once a month. Only the demons that had been serving while his father was alive with Inu Yasha's mother would know this, though.

The demon lord could tell Sora was still unsure, no doubt would continue to bother him all night until he was positive Kagome wasn't in there dying.

Kami, she was just way too much trouble...if she had cooperated for once and Akito had been standing guard instead of Sora none of this would have even happened. His personal guard was well aware how humans worked and wouldn't have disturbed his master over something so trivial.

He surprised himself when he heard his own frigid tones saying, "I'll go in and check on the human myself so the matter will be settled."

Sora sighed in relief, visibly relaxing as his master opened the door and went inside before he could reply.

Satisfied that Lord Sesshoumaru would take care of everything, he leaned upon the wall once more, content with staring blankly at the wall, letting his mind wander.

Kagome ground her teeth together in irritation when she heard the door of her room open, the book she had tossed at it being shoved out of the way in the process. Digging her fingernails into the pillow she held, she scowled at the wall she faced, not bothering to see who it was.

"Damn it, I told you I was fine!"

Sesshoumaru arced an eyebrow when the girl spoke to him, not even having the courtesy of turning so she could yell at him to his face.

Her rudeness always amazed him. . . .

"Is that any way to speak to a visitor, human?" he asked coldly, coming to a stop beside her bed.

She groaned when she head the dog demon's icy voice, clenching her lids closed in the hopes that, maybe, if she ignored him, he would be nice and go away.

Kami, this was the last thing she needed. When Sora had asked her what was wrong she couldn't help getting a little bitchy towards him.

After all, what girl would want some guy asking them dumb questions while enduring the cramps from hell?

But, she hadn't thought the guard would go and get Sesshoumaru.

That was a surprise she could well do without. . . .

Feeling that he was still standing there, staring at her, she figured her hope of him just leaving wouldn't be answered today.

Figures...

"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" she growled.

Kagome really was in no mood to bandy words with the youkai right now. She was in too much pain. She would have gotten up to take one of her painkillers, but that required moving and remaining curled in a ball was far more preferable.

He sounded indifferent as he replied, "Sora was concerned enough to wake me, saying he thought you were injured."

There came a point where a woman was in too much pain to be embarrassed of the cause of it.

Kagome had reached such a place.

"I'm alright. I just have cramps, okay? Will you leave me alone to die in peace now?" She hugged the pillow tighter as the ache increased with her agitation, knifing through her back.

Maybe if she asked him politely he would kill her...

They showed mercy to animals, didn't they? So why should she be an exception?

Sesshoumaru gazed down at Kagome, seeing how she clutched the padded bed linen as though her life depended on it, buried beneath the heavy white coverlet.

She must be in a lot of discomfort to say something so personal. One thing he had learned from being around her was that this human was very shy when it came to the body.

Frowning, he glanced over to her bag. "Why didn't you take some of those pills that make you sleep then, girl?" He focused on the back of her head, adding with a smirk, "At least then it would make you unconscious and allow the rest of us to rest peacefully."

His remark made anger bubble up inside her, blue-grey orbs popping open to glare as she flopped over onto her back to look up at him.

The Taiyoukai stood, relaxed, by her bed completely unfazed by the threat in her eyes.

"Gee, Sesshoumaru, maybe I didn't go get the damn things because lying down feels a lot better than hobbling around. If you're so worried about sleeping, Mr. I Don't Need Rest Like You Inferior Humans, then why don't you take some yourself?!"

Amber orbs stared down at her silently for a moment before he turned to go and rummage through the pack sitting on her table.

Kagome watched him, quietly seething, rubbing her back with both hands, trying to unknot bunched muscles.

The flash of a white box came into her line of vision followed by the sound of the dog youkai opening the first aide kit to begin sifting through its contents.

Closing her eyes again, she tried to concentrate on making her body do as she wanted, assuming Sesshoumaru was just taking her advice about drugging himself.

Hell, if he kept annoying her she might just shove some of those sedatives down his throat herself...

The rattle of a pill bottle reached the miko's ears, the soft rustle of silk and bare feet padding over the floor sounding like it was coming closer to where she lay.

Lifting her eyelids a fraction, she was taken aback to see the Taiyoukai leaning towards her. She tensed, eyes opening all the way when his tail shot out to wrap around her from collarbone to mid-thigh after he moved the blanket off her.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked as he lifted her form with ease, sitting down in the spot she had just vacated, his back propped against the wall and his long legs stretched out on top of her blanket.

Grunting in pain when he put her on his lap, the new position of sitting up straining her abused muscles, she dug her fingers into the furry length of his tail. He'd put her so that her side rested along his chest, her head brushing his throat when she tried to look up at him.

"Sesshoumaru, what, do you think you're doing?" Kagome demanded, adding with her best death glare, "Don't make me purify you."

He did roll his eyes this time at her paltry show of temper, loosening his tail till it lay in a silken heap about her middle, freeing her arms.

She wasted no time in raising one of the appendages to shake a finger in his face, narrowly avoiding poking his nose with the tip.

"Well, answer me! And it had better be good too..."

"Quit whining, girl. Believe it or not, I'm helping you." He put the bottle in her hand before retrieving the glass of water sitting next to the lit candle, waiting for her to stop gaping at him and open the medication.

Kagome stared down at her hand dumbly, then raised her eyes to train on his stoic face, stunned by his words and actions.

Was Sesshoumaru actually being. . . .nice?

She didn't know whether to think she was hallucinating or if she had just heard wrong.

"He– helping me?" The miko looked confused, her brow furrowing in puzzlement.

He sighed inwardly, cursing humans and their slow wits.

"Did I not just say so? Now hurry up and take one of those pills. I don't want to sit here all night waiting for some woman to work out logic in her illogical brain."

She stiffened at the insult, grumbling under her breath as she violently twisted the top off the reddish-orange bottle as though she was imaging it was his neck.

Oh, he made her so mad! Couldn't he just act like a decent person once in a while? Even if he was an arrogant jerk of a youkai?

Tossing the bitter tablet to the back of her tongue, she took the glass from him and downed the cool liquid in one swallow, shoving the cup back into his hand.

"There! Happy now?" She scowled at him, folding her arms across her chest, waiting for him to put her back to where she was.

After setting the empty cup on the table, he cracked the knuckles of his hand, calling forth the poison just beneath his skin, but not fully to where it would seep from his pores. His skin heated, the friction of the molecules moving through his bloodstream interacting with the acidic venom that naturally flowed in his body.

He felt the girl on his lap jump when he slid his hand beneath her shirt to place his palm directly on the muscles along her spine that were tied amongst themselves.

The link between them opened, his aura at once working on balancing out hers as he gently moved the pads of his fingers along her skin.

He could remember seeing his father do the same thing to his human mate whenever she was in poor health, the action soothing to her.

Perhaps it would work the same for this girl, then he could get some rest...

Kagome was about to protest when she felt him touch her back, but as soon as his skin brushed hers something odd happened. It felt like there as this invisible thread that connected from him to her, a living line of energy that thrummed with what the two were feeling.

Not to mention what he was doing with his fingers felt nice. It made the ache settle down almost instantly to a bearable level.

Giving up on making him do what she wanted, she decided to just go with the flow of things for once. It always seemed like she was constantly fighting one thing or another...she might as well just enjoy this while she could.

One didn't question Sesshoumaru when he made up his mind to act borderline kind. Doing so might make the dog demon alter back into his icicle persona...

The Taiyoukai felt the miko lean upon him more, a sigh escaping her throat to feather softly across his chest, her cheek on his silk-clad shoulder.

With any luck he could get her to fall asleep quickly, letting him return to his chambers to be undisturbed for the rest of the night.

He frowned. Although...last time she had taken these narcotics she had semi-consciously stumbled about her house until finding her bedroom...

And hadn't her brother told him something along the lines that she did that every time she took those pills?

Kami, with his luck she would end up wandering into some hapless warrior's bedchamber, scaring the poor demon out of its skin by trying to cuddle up next to him.

Unless, of course, that demon happened to be the wolf prince...

Sighing in defeat, he resigned himself to staying with the human for the rest of the night, planning on leaving before the sun came up tomorrow. He couldn't risk her disrupting his household any more than she did naturally.

"Did you find out any more information about the assassins yet?" she asked, her voice a whisper in the darkness.

She felt the vibration of his voice through her ears where her head lay, the tone deeper than usual as they left his body.

"No. I interviewed Shurin last night but doing so yielded nothing new on the matter. I'm sure you could see how upset the rainchild was by the storm last night."

Shifting her head till she could look up at his face, amber eyes flashing down to train on hers as she asked, "You mean, that was Shurin's doing last night?" Her raven eyebrows arched down into a V, her lips thinning in displeasure as she eyed him suspiciously. "What did you say to that poor demon? You better not have been mean!"

He scoffed, irritated at the way she defended the youth. "Why so upset on his behalf? That 'poor demon' is probably one of the main conspirators trying to end my life and you want me to invite him to tea and talk pleasantries about the weather?"

"No!" She turned about till she could face him better, placing both hands along the lapels of his robe to balance herself, trying to get her point across. "But you also don't need to be so cruel to him." A knowing light showed within her blue-grey eyes. "I know how mean you can be, Sesshoumaru. Just because you have suspicions doesn't condone giving some child that hero-worships you the third degree."

"Third degree? What are you talking about now, girl?"

Rolling her eyes, she said with patience, "It's a figure of speech, you arrogant youkai!" She ignored the way he tensed and glared at her insult. He gave enough of his own that he should be able to handle some payback once in a while. "In other words, don't badger Shurin until he can't even think straight."

"Human, that is part of an inquisition," he said as though speaking to a dense child, never ceasing the massage of her lower back as they argued. "The point of questioning a potential threat is to put your enemy on-edge enough so that they slip up."

"What, so he's your enemy now? Your own personal aide?" She obviously didn't like his choice of words.

Mouth settling into a flat line, he said, trying to keep a hold on his frustration, "Whatever his position in this castle was before this incident is immaterial. The rain youkai could pose a threat and I will not let his previous service to me factor in to my suspicion of him."

Kagome shook her head sadly, giving him a look of pity that had him wanting to growl. "Poor Sesshoumaru. You know what your problem is?"

He gazed up at the ceiling, telling by the way her eyes were becoming a little glassy, the limp way she put even more of her weight on him that the medication was starting to take effect.

Pretty soon she probably wouldn't be making sense.

Not that she ever did. . . .

"Alright, human, shatter me. Tell me what you think my faults are."

She didn't notice the way he sounded bored, not interested in what she had to say at all. "You," she waved a finger in his face for emphasis, "don't trust anyone. I know you've said that you don't before, but I never realized how serious you were until now. The way you treat Shurin is glaring proof of that."

"As I have told you before, woman, trust is a folly. Only fools put faith in others when they are sure to be disappointed time and again," piercing her with a fierce glare, he added harshly, "You should know what I am talking about more than anyone."

Kagome drew back, as though he had struck her. Even she hadn't expected the dog demon to say something that brutal to her.

She was vaguely aware that the pain in her back was now down to a tiny throb, the floating sensation in her body letting her know the medication was dissolving in her bloodstream.

Maybe that was why she felt so hurt by what he had said. Being overly emotional was common when your hormones were out of wack, but then couple that with a narcotic that made you act less than normal...

No matter what it was, Kagome felt like crying. Sesshoumaru was right. She did know how it felt to be betrayed over and over again by someone you loved. A person that you put your dreams and faith in, only to have them demonstrate just how little they knew you by how they treated you.

She sniffled, her already stuffed up nose making it even harder to breath through her nostrils, a cough rattling in her chest. Regarding his chin with overbright eyes, not wanting to see the disdain in his own, she said reproachfully, "That may be, but I would rather run the risk of getting hurt than turn into an unfeeling block of ice."

Her meaning was not lost on him, and he was alarmed when the connection flowing between them made him feel just how upset his last remark had made her. It unnerved him more when he had a sudden need to take back those cruel words, wipe the sad lines from her expressive features.

This aura connection was becoming a real problem. He didn't want to have to worry that each time he was around the human his body would act on its own accord, much like Tenseiga did.

Damn it, he would have control over this situation and this human! Being the powerful Taiyoukai that he was had to count for something.

But the waves of rejection, of old heartache as the girl remembered those times in her life where her trust had been misplaced, kept getting in the way of him simply dumping her on the bed and quitting the room.

Besides, there was still the chance of her roaming about, so he couldn't leave.

Damnation, it looked like he was stuck again!

With a female that was trying not to cry...and failing miserably.

Sighing, he reached up and wiped the moisture from beneath her eyes with his thumb, using his tail to bring her closer to his chest.

"Don't take it to personally, Kagome." Trying to get her to stop the salty drops of her tears, he added with a small smirk, "If it makes you feel any better I treat everyone the same."

Was he actually trying to comfort her? It was official...extended time spent in her company had made him insane...

But what he said did make her peak up at him beneath spiky lashes, another sniffle filling the silence as she watched him. "Yeah, well, you still don't have to be such an ass."

"My, but those drugs do loosen your tongue, don't they?" he asked archly, raising one silvery brow at her use of language. "I see you picked up more of my idiot half brother's unsavory habits than I originally thought."

Feeling drowsy, she rested her head over his chest, his steady heartbeat lulling her into closing her eyes, one hand clasping lightly to the lapel of his robe. "At least I don't eat like him and yell at everyone like he does."

"Ask Sora that and see what he says," he pointed out causing her to chuckle.

"That was different. Besides, women aren't responsible for their actions one week out of the month."

Sesshoumaru could hear her heartbeat slowing down, the even rhythm of her breathing as she got closer to falling asleep.

"That's convenient." he said sardonically, moving his legs so that he could position her weight where it wasn't cutting off his circulation. She remained a boneless heap in his arm, obliging sliding down so that she now lay lower on his body until her head lay upon his stomach, her arms snaking around to hug at his waist.

Another bad habit of hers. Clamping onto him like seaweed, following him no matter how he tried to get away.

The rest of her was lying off to his side, his tail still draped around her so in case she decided to move in the middle of the night he would be awakened and keep the miko from running off.

Glancing down, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He wasn't even sure if she had heard his last comment, her drug-fogged mind probably not even registering that he had been talking to her.

Sighing, he tried to reconcile himself to the fact that he was spending the night... with a human... in the same bed...and if that wasn't bad enough his own cousin knew it. He would have to remember to tell Sora to keep quiet about the matter since letting anyone else in the castle know would result in chaos.

He could just hear his brother and the wolf prince now...

Kagome inched closer to him, snuggling her cheek against his abdomen before settling down with a content sigh. The Taiyoukai frowned down at her, absently picking up her braid to rub the end between his fingers.

At least one of them would get a good night's sleep.

Why was it that it was always her getting the rest while he dealt with her randomness?

Life was really doing its best to irk him right now...

She coughed in her sleep, his tail tip moving to rub caressingly against the bare skin of her lower back in a soothing gesture that he wasn't even aware he was doing.

Once she was quiet again he turned his attention to staring at the wall, thinking over Shurin and the mystery of the assassins.

Very soon the culprits would grow desperate enough to act rashly, and then he would catch them.

The question was, when and where?


	31. Break of Day

Sesshoumaru awoke to the feeling of a warm body splayed on top of his, the sharp edge of their elbow digging uncomfortably into his ribs. Squinting his eyes open, the first thing he saw was the ceiling, which puzzled him for a moment since he distinctly remembered sitting up before falling asleep last night. Glancing downward, he saw Kagome's dark hair spread out over his chest, her cheek resting at the base of his throat with one arm draped over his shoulder and the other hugging his waist. She was lying half atop her own arm, causing the appendage to be bent at an odd angle that resulted the bone pressing deeply into his abdomen.

Lifting his lids all the way, he shifted till her body slid a little towards the left, freeing her arm and allowing him to finally take a full breath of air without soreness accompanying it. Next, he moved his legs.

Or, tried to at least. But as soon as the youkai attempted it he found out that the girl had compromised that as well, her slender limbs immediately tightening about his own until she had effectively pinned him to the bed. He could tell by her deep heavy breathing that the pills had done their job of putting her to sleep, but it also meant that she would be unresponsive to any prodding so she would awaken and the dog demon could move her off him.

Gritting his teeth, he made sure his tail was securely wrapped around her, which it was since she had been using it as her blanket, before lifting her off him. It was a bit difficult at first since, when Kagome felt herself being moved, she grasped onto his body as though her life depended on it. Needless to say his robe was undone and the silk material of his pants were twisted when he accomplished his task.

Damn, but the girl had been clinging to him like a cat brought too near to water. Lucky for him she didn't have the nails to match, otherwise he would be carrying the marks of her tenacity with him all day.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, he rubbed his palm over his eyes, dispelling any lingering fatigue from the orbs, yawning quietly afterwards as the faint sounds of early morning reached his ears.

A look towards the shielded window let him know that, by the thin sliver of light allowed in at the bottom, it was just beginning to become light outside. He shivered, his body reacting to the cool temperature of the chamber since the brazier had burned down to only embers, not nearly sufficient enough to heat the entire room. Plus Kagome had been a very warm cover all night, so he hadn't even noticed when the implement needed refilling.

Something he would have to take care of now so there wouldn't be the worry of the girl becoming even sicker than she already was. Turning his head in profile, he watched her out of the corner of his eye, ears attuned to the sound of her breathing.

It was a little clearer than yesterday, which he took to mean that the medicine she had consumed was working.

Now that he was no longer lying with her, she had kept inching along the mattress until he was pressed up against his back, the silky length of his tail continuing to substitute for the thick linen she rested on since he hadn't removed it yet.

When she slung an arm around him, cuddling her face into his lower spine as she did, he knew it was time to quit the room and her as soon as possible. Reaching down, he gently unwound her from his form, her delicate fingers curling trustingly within his grasp as he did.

Kami, this human wished to stick to him like wet silk. Anytime he got one portion of himself free she would instantly grab onto him somewhere else. Keeping a hold on her, he stood up while unwinding his tail from her, making certain not to jostle her too much.

Although why he should bother with such a courtesy was beyond him. It wasn't like he cared whether or not she ended up laying in an awkward position that would surely make her sore tomorrow.

No, he was simply being so cautious so she wouldn't become conscious and try to latch herself onto him again, or worse, attempt to engage him in conversation.

Either one would be a veritable hell Sesshoumaru did not wish to go through this early in the morning.

Finally, she was untangled from him, a small frown marring her smooth brow at being left alone, one hand thrown out as though seeking him, even in her sleep.

A feeling that suspiciously resembled affection curled through his system, startling the Taiyoukai with its presence.

Quickly, he pulled the blanket over the slumbering miko, crossing to throw a few more pieces of wood into the brazier before departing with haste. He didn't even want to analyze what had just happened in there while he was looking down at her. It would be best to just push it from his mind, pretend it didn't happen at all.

He did have the presence of mind to retie his robe, though, before calmly stepping out of her chamber, a surprised Sora scrambling to stand to attention from where he had been slouching against the wall.

Sesshoumaru leveled a flat amber stare at his cousin, ignoring the cheery grin on the other demon's face, the speculative gleam in the face that looked into his own.

Some people were just too damn happy in the mornings. This guard was one of them...

"Sora, wake up Akito and have him take over for you for the rest of the day. When Inu Yasha and Lord Kouga wake up I want you to escort them to my study. Tell them it is for a meeting that concerns the both of them." He waited for the dog demon to bow and acquiesce before adding as he turned to leave, "Let Akito also know that if the miko's friends wish to visit her today they may do so, but only if they come to her quarters. She is too ill to be moving about the castle at will." The last he said as he began striding gracefully towards his own rooms.

"Yes, My Lord!" Sora called after the retreating back of his master, still smiling despite his cool reception.

He knew better than to mention casually that Lord Sesshoumaru had spent the night with their human guest. Even if he knew nothing too intimate had transpired, it would still look otherwise to everyone else in the castle. The only other person who would need to know about it was Akito since the guard would be taking over earlier than usual and would no doubt like to know why.

Casting one last contemplative look at the closed door of his charge, he went next door to wake up his comrade.

Just wait until the arctic fox heard this one...

In another part of the castle Kikyo was wide awake, sitting by her window in a dark blue sleeping yukata to watch the sun rise, the cool grey morning enshrouding the scenery like a cloak of mist. Her eyes were dark, emotion held well hidden away from their depths as she continued to stare off into nothingness.

The priestess had her own room in the guests' section of the palace, in between those of the Taijiya and monk that traveled with Inu Yasha. She knew the arrangements had been made so that if she left her chamber one or the other would be alerted to the fact, hear her walk past their doors as she went.

That didn't bother her, though. Really, who could blame them for their close scrutiny and untrusting behavior? After all, she had done a number of things in the previous three years that would look suspicious and potentially harmful to the little group. It wasn't their fault they didn't understand why she did all those things; like giving Naraku that large chunk of the tama long ago, or even the times she had tried to drag the hanyou off to Hell with her.

But then, their perceptions of her weren't high on her priority list of things that she worried about. When you were brought back from the grave, informed that your previous lover, who you thought had killed you in cold blood, was running around with a copy of yourself and chasing after the evil demon that had caused all your misery in the first place you tended to think about more important things than being popular.

However, being here, inside the domain of the Lord of the Western Lands was something she had never expected to happen. Always she had thought the first concern would be for the shattered jewel, to retrieve all of the shards before crazy half demons who were too power hungry for their own good did. Except now it seemed they would be staying here until Inu Yasha helped his brother figure out how to solve the mystery the Taisho household was currently embroiled in.

Truthfully, the priestess didn't mind it that much. In fact it offered a chance to spend more time getting reacquainted with the person she loved. There had been little time, if any, to spend but a few moments talking together, speaking of topics that weren't directly related to magical jewels and their danger to the world.

Even though he was now housed in the royal wing of the palace she knew that this may prove the only time in the near future that they might get to spend time together. Kagome falling ill would definitely weigh heavily on his mind, but she was sure that he would still devote some time to her.

He was, after all, her mate now.

The first golden rays of sunlight began to spill across the courtyard, piercing the vaporous mist easily, shedding warmth on whatever it fell upon. The beams spread until they began running over the palace, falling upon the face of a woman sitting at a window, gazing out at her temporary home. A small smile tilted her lips, a hint of something besides indifference flaring in her dark brown eyes making her look much younger than she had a moment before.

Yes, she would take this reprieve to become closer to Inu Yasha. She had been granted a second chance, even if she didn't particularly deserve it, and the priestess wasn't going to let it get past her like her last one had.

Akito stared stoically at the wall in front of him, his eyes cold and impassive even though his thoughts were running in circles inside his head.

Sora had woken him up about forty-five minutes prior, smiling the whole time while jabbering on about how Lord Sesshoumaru was having him take over his post early today, a meeting being called between him, his brother, and Lord Kouga shortly.

The arctic kitsune had been a bit confused at first by the command, but that had evaporated fast when the dog demon in is doorway regaled him of where his master had stayed last night.

He had just barely kept himself from freezing in shock, his brain stumbling over the news that the Taiyoukai had spent almost an entire night with the miko. His comrade assured him that nothing had happened, but that he had retrieved their master when he had smelled blood and the miko had yelled at him.

The ice youkai hadn't understood what Sora was talking about until he had gone to take up his usual position outside her door, the scent he picked up easily telling him what the other guard had smelled last night.

Of course the dog demon wouldn't have recognized it for what it was since he hadn't been serving the Taisho family when Inutaisho was still alive, but he could just imagine how Lord Sesshoumaru had felt at being disturbed over such a matter.

Apparently not he way he would have expected. . . . .

Akito could hear her sleeping inside the chamber, her breathing a little easier than it had been the day before. He was glad that whatever she had taken was actually doing its job of healing her. If she had continued on declining he had begun to worry that she would become too ill to recover.

That would have been something the youkai was taken aback to know had the ability to disturb him greatly. The thought of Kagome possibly not surviving her sickness was more painful than he would've guessed.

Lord Kouga's door opening made him leave his thoughts so he could watch the wolf prince closely. Sora had already informed the wolf and Inu Yasha that Sesshoumaru desired to meet with them in a few hours, but he had assumed the other two demons would sleep in for another hour before starting to prepare for it.

Judging from the way Kouga was fully dressed in a black and gold design of his previous clothing of yesterday, he was awake and ready for his day. The kitsune couldn't prevent himself from stiffening when the prince came to a stop right in front of him, a small smile playing about his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"My Lord?" Akito asked coldly, enquiring as to why he would be there.

Kouga's fangs flashed when he smiled, his tone brisk when he said, "Hey there, ice kit. I want to see Kagome for a few minutes before I go meet with the idiot hanyou's brother."

The arctic fox would have liked to have been able to turn the cocky demon away, but he couldn't. Sora had said Lord Sesshoumaru left instructions that the miko was allowed visitors inside her chambers today since he wasn't letting her leave her room. Which meant that, even though she was still asleep, the prince could go in there and wake her up to talk to her.

Stepping aside gracefully, he opened her door so that the wolf youkai could pass through, giving him a frigid stare that he usually reserved for over-exuberant demons that became too unruly in the hallways.

"The door is to remain open while she has visitors, Lord Kouga," he explained, watching him closely as he entered the room of the sleeping human.

Kouga waved a dismissive hand as he past, calling over his shoulder, "Whatever."

Akito returned to his post next to the door, ears trained on the occupants of the bedroom in case his ward needed him.

Kouga's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkened interior of Kagome's room, the difference in her scent immediately apparent to him as he went to sit down on the bed next to her hip. He grinned down at her, even the smell of Sesshoumaru on her not quelling the amusement he felt at her sleeping so untidily.

Did she always take up the entire bed with the pillow half on top of her head while unconscious? If so he would have to remember to get a larger one for when they became mates.

It wouldn't do to be tossed off one's mattress because your wife pushed you from it with her odd sleeping habits.

Reaching out, he removed the pillow from covering her face, wondering why she would smell so strongly of the Taiyoukai. He knew the dog demon well enough that he didn't think he had tried to seduce her anything. Especially with the current shape she was in, sick and in her cycle. But that did not mean he was happy that Sesshoumaru had been in such close contact with the human Kouga had his sights set on either.

Brushing her bangs away from her face, he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her upper body so he could put her pillow back where it belonged, gently replacing her afterwards. He smiled again when she hugged it to her at once, sighing in her sleep happily, one leg moving to poke out from beneath her blanket next to him.

Arching a raven eyebrow, the wolf prince moved her braid so it wasn't draped over her neck any more, putting it behind her so the girl wouldn't become entangled in its long length. Bending down towards her, he traced her jawline with one clawed finger, making her shiver at the contact.

"Kagome, wake up," he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her by him suddenly being there.

She made a sound like a half-groan before her long lashes fluttered against her cheekbones, lifting to reveal hazy blue-grey orbs.

His emerald gaze sharpened when he saw that she didn't look right. It almost seemed like she was under the influence of some heavy drug that was making her a little less than lucid.

Was it the antibiotic she had taken? It wasn't supposed to make her this out of it, was it?

Frowning, he peered down at her closer, making her open her eyes all the way as she tried to make his features come into focus.

"Kagome, are you okay?" he asked, trying to figure out if she hadn't been poisoned or something.

It didn't look like she was in pain, just suffering from the effects of a strong sedative. But why?

Kagome's blurry mind tried to remember who it was she was currently staring at, a happy smile coming to her face when she successfully placed the face with a name.

"Kouga-kun," she said in a husky whisper, moving her hand from beneath the blanket so she could wave at him, nearly hitting his face when she did so. "Hello, Kouga-kun."

He jerked away from the potential threat to his person, intercepting it with his own so she couldn't continue to wave at him.

Okay, now he knew she was out of it. But maybe that was just how the medicine from her time worked.

Shrugging aside his worries, he decided to just go with it, smiling gently down at her while stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Hello, Kagome. How are you feeling?"

Her brow puckered in thought as she concentrated on her body, taking his question very seriously and trying to find out just how she felt.

After a minute she refocused on the wolf's face, grinning lopsidedly while saying in the same whispery voice, "I feel fine." She wiggled about under her blankets a bit, moving so that her other arm was free of the warm cocoon, which she promptly placed on the hand that was holding hers.

Kouga let her take his hand up between her own, curious as to why she would want to so badly. She lay his arm down to center of her chest till his palm was close to her face, her fingers running along his own, flattening them out and grasping the clawed ends as though analyzing them. One of her fragile fingernails followed the line of his palm's lifeline, her expression engrossed with what she was doing.

Content to let her play with his hand, he brought up the other to move her bangs away from her forehead again, the silky strands falling right back after he did so.

"Kagome..."he waited for her to look at him before continuing, her hands never ceasing in their quest to memorize his skin. "Was Sesshoumaru here last night?"

She smiled brightly at the Taiyoukai's name, nodding against the pillow she lay upon. "Yep. I wasn't feeling good, but he came and made me better."

He gave her a confused look, clearly not understanding what she meant. "How do you mean?"

Kagome tried to make her disjointed thoughts form into enough coherency for her to remember and then say what had happened last night. The drugs swimming in her system made it difficult, but she was determined.

Finally, she began slowly, as though reciting something she had said to herself over and over, "I had these horrible cramps last night, and Sora said something about blood, and I tried to hit him, but it didn't work because the door was in the way, and then he went and got Sesshoumaru and then Sesshoumaru gave me a back massage and gave me one of the painkillers I have until it went away." She smiled as soon as she was finished, proud of herself for getting out what she wanted to clearly.

At least, clear in her own mind. Kouga was still trying to piece together everything she had told him.

He was a bit unsure about the whole trying to hit Sora thing, but from what he could gather the Taiyoukai had come here by the guard's summons and had helped Kagome deal with her cramps.

How...odd. He wouldn't have figured the dog demon to be the type to go out of his way to make a human feel better. Especially a miko that had traveled with his half brother.

"But you're feeling okay now?" he questioned, concerned that she might be in discomfort.

Her eyes were gentle with caring when she told him, "I'm fine, Kouga-kun. But thanks for worrying! You are so sweet!"

He was surprised when she sat up all of a sudden, causing him to lean back quickly so her forehead didn't collide with his. The wolf prince was even more shocked when, once she was sitting up in bed, threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

At first, his arms just stayed at his sides as his mind tried to process that Kagome was actually embracing him, her cheek on his collarbone. When he was able to move again, he hesitantly hugged her back, circling her back till his hands rested lightly upon the curve of her spine.

She yawned before saying sleepily, "You know, Kouga-kun, even though Inu Yasha says you are nothing but a dumb wolf I still think you're nice." She patted him like she would a child, snuggling closer to him since he was warmer than the air she was now exposed to. "Although I wish you guys didn't fight all the time."

Kouga could tell that the drugs were making her act out of character, the usual restraint the miko would have gone under the weight of the narcotics in her bloodstream.

Which meant she probably wouldn't even remember any of this when she really woke up later.

He sighed, a little disappointed, but still happy that he was getting the chance to hug the girl he liked so much.

Running a hand down her back, he moved his head to rest his chin on the crown of hers, inhaling the scent of her shampoo deeply. "Thanks, Kagome. You don't have to worry about us fighting right now. You made us promise not to, remember?"

She brightened where she sat, saying happily, "Oh yeah!" She leaned back in the circle of his arms until she could look up at him but not enough to be released from his embrace. Grinning, she tapped his forehead. "What happened to your headband?" She frowned as though sad, giving him a look of sympathy. "Did you lose it?"

He rolled his eyes, chuckling down at the girl he continued to hold. "No, I left it off since there is no reason to wear it when I'm not running around on the countryside."

Kagome nodded, a serious light in her blue-grey orbs when she said, "Yes, it wouldn't be good to run around in Sesshoumaru's castle." Leaning forward she whispered behind one hand, as though imparting a big secret, "I don't think he'd like that too much."

He smirked, amused at the uninhibited Kagome he was encountering for the first time. She might not make a lot of sense, but at least she was still easygoing and trying to keep everyone out of trouble.

Some things would never change about her, even if she wasn't in her right mind.

Mock solemnity, that completely fooled her, blanketed his features and tone. "I'll remember that and make sure not to run or even walk fast inside the castle, okay?"

The miko considered what he said before nodding. "Yeah, that would be wise. I wouldn't want to see you get in trouble."

When she yawned again he decided he should probably let her go back to bed. Since she wasn't completely healed yet rest was the best thing for her right now.

As though she had read his thoughts, she coughed a little, once she finally lay on her back on the mattress again. He smoothed the blanket over her shoulders, the girl ruining his action when she put her arms out on top of it as soon as he moved away. She was reaching out for something towards the end of the bed, her eyes trained on whatever it was that had her attention.

Following her line of vision he saw that her fingers were trying to grasp the tip of his tail, smiling indulgently when he moved it so she could.

A smile of delight lit her pretty features, her fingers running through the thick dark brown strands of fur in fascination. Bringing it till it rested on her stomach, she began pulling the individual strands apart, studying them as though looking them over for split ends.

'What was it with her and tails?' he wondered, grinning at her antics, the soothing calm of her touch making him relaxed and content.

Rubbing the fur covered bone and cartilage between two fingers, she said wistfully, "You know, ever since I was little I always wanted a tail."

His brows rose in surprise. "Really? Why's that?" He flicked the end, making her giggle before she answered.

"Well, it just seemed like a neat thing, ya know? I always thought that if I had one then I could use it to wrap around my waist like Kito-chan does. Like a big fuzzy belt!" She seemed very taken with the idea of imaging her tail as a fashion accessory.

Humans were such odd creatures...

Giving her a tender smile, he said, stroking the side of her face in a fleeting caress, "I think you're perfect just the way you are." Smirking, he put a finger to his chin, as though thinking over what she had said intently. "Although, you with a tail would be interesting..."

Kagome giggled again, sniffling a bit at the end. "It would make the cutest belt!"

He shook his head, laughing. She was so stuck on having a fur-lined belt. He might be worried for his own tail if he didn't know she loved animals so much and wouldn't even own such a thing.

"It would be something," he conceded to make her happy, realizing she would be stuck on trying to convince him until he agreed.

Sighing with regret, he shifted till he was facing her fully, his movement making her abandon her perusal of his tail to look at him inquisitively.

"I have to be going, Kagome. I'm supposed to meet with Sesshoumaru soon and I don't want to be late so the brat can give me hell about it all day."

She looked crestfallen for a moment before she suddenly smiled, patting his tail a last time before putting her arms under her blankets to snuggle under them, warming up the cold appendages.

"Okay, Kouga-kun. Thanks for coming to see me this morning." She rolled over onto her side to face towards the door, hugging her pillow again as her eyelids drooped to half-mast. "If you get the chance come see me again," she yawned, "and remember not to run."

Kouga watched her begin to fall back asleep as though she hadn't just been up and talking to him, her eyes already closing and her breathing evening back out. He felt a little sad that she probably wouldn't even recall that he had been there when she woke up again, more awake and not nearly as borderline intoxicated.

But that was alright. At least he had gotten this morning with her, and for him, that was enough for now. After all, she was going to be his mate soon, so he could have her all to himself every morning, evening, and day if he wanted!

The idea making him much happier, he smiled down at her now slumbering form, placing a kiss on her temple before getting up to leave.

Akito, who had heard everything, stood indifferently at his post, not even bothering to look at the wolf prince when he exited the room, closing the door softly behind himself. The youkai regarded him a moment from serious emerald eyes, causing the arctic kitsune to finally turn his head to stare back at him.

Once he did, Kouga told him, "Make sure you guard her closely, ice kit. I wouldn't be pleased if something happened to her."

The fox demon returned the hard gaze levelly, answering in frigid tones, "Of that, you need not worry Lord Kouga. I would guard Lady Kagome with my life."

Seeing the sincerity in the other demon's pearl-blue eyes, the prince nodded once before heading off to Sesshoumaru's study where the meeting was due to be held.

Going back to his previous stance, Akito silently vowed to himself grimly, 'With my life.'

Jaken cautiously slid open the door to his master's chambers, looking around the dark interior quickly to make sure it was empty before stepping inside. Closing himself within, he scurried across the floor on his short legs, his staff held high so it didn't make any noise as he went.

Sesshoumaru was off at the hot spring so right now was the perfect time to return the letter he had taken. With luck, his master wouldn't even have noticed that the piece of paper was gone. It probably wasn't that important anyway, but on the off chance Lord Sesshoumaru needed it for something the toad youkai didn't want to be blamed for its disappearance later.

Even if he was the cause of it.

Reaching the desk, he lifted up a stack of missives that had just arrived that morning, shoving the letter underneath the other papers till it wasn't even visible to the naked eye.

Nodding in satisfaction, he stepped back to eye his handy work, absent-mindedly repositioning his hat that was a bit askew.

'There, you couldn't even see it,' he reassured himself, his chest puffing out with the pride of a job well done.

A noise outside, feet walking past the door, made him jump in surprise before he scrambled back to the door. Opening it a sliver, he peaked out with one bulbous eyes, seeing if anyone was coming or going down the hallway before he made his escape.

Akito was at his post, but he was far enough away from their master's chambers, not all of the torches having been lit yet this morning, that the shadows should conceal him like they did when he had entered.

Squaring his tiny shoulders, he set his face in determination before exiting the room quickly, making sure the door was shut before sprinting off down the hallway.

Now he didn't have to feel guilty any more about invading his master's privacy.

Grinning to himself in triumph, he slowed to a walk and headed off to wake Rin.

It was time for that lazy human's lessons, and she never was able to get up on her own in the mornings.

He just didn't know why Lord Sesshoumaru kept her around...


	32. Go Fish

Kagome's eyes flew open, her breath coming out in short hard pants, the blankets twisted irregularly about her waist as she sat up quickly, sweeping the room with a frantic glance. She placed a hand over her chest where her heartbeat thundered rapidly, pulsing loudly in her ears so that the opening of the door wasn't heard.

She tried to calm the adrenaline racing through her system, slow her breathing to its usual even rhythm, convince herself that the nightmare she couldn't seem to recall clearly was a figment of her drug-induced imagination and nothing more.

Akito approached the miko on the bed slowly, taking in the way she had pressed herself up close to the wall by her pillows, body semi-crouched as though she was preparing to either cower or flee. He had heard her tossing about in her sleep, whimpering every so often until he had been too worried to stand by and let her remain trapped in whatever nightmare her brain was entertaining. The arctic kitsune hadn't expected her to jerk awake just as he was coming into the room, her fear thick in the air, the beat of her heart loud to even his ears.

The girl had yet to notice his presence, too busy glancing about the bed, as though searching for whatever had caused her such terror in the first place. When he was almost to her bedside, she started in surprise, turning reflexively in his direction, blue-grey eyes wide and frightened in her too pale face.

Hesitating a moment in indecision, the youkai finished his procession to the bed when a relieved expression spread across her features, her throat moving visibly as she swallowed and offered him a tentative smile.

"Are you alright, Lady?" Cold, pearl-blue eyes made a quick perusal of her person, ending with the legs tangled in the heavy blanket before returning to her face.

Scooting a little towards the guard, Kagome couldn't explain how happy she was to see him. It felt like every time she took those pills she suffered from strong nightmares that, when finally waking, she couldn't remember at all.

Sitting at the edge of her mattress, she removed her legs from the confining covers, letting her feet touch the cool ground, the sensation dispelling the rest of the fog from her mind.

"Just a bad dream, Akito-kun." She ran a hand nervously through her hair, fingers pulling up short when they ran into the woven strands of her braid. "I— it's like every time I take this one medication I always have these horrible dreams." Sighing deeply, she slouched, giving him a strained look. "But I can never remember what they were about once I wake up. All that stays with me is this deep fear, as though something horrible happens to either me or someone I care about."

Akito listened quietly to the miko's trembling voice, the worry and uncertainty lacing each syllable of every word.

Whatever it was that plagued her dreams bothered her greatly.

Wishing to distract her from her troubled thoughts, he said quietly, "It is normal to become scared when you dream, Lady. It is usually the one place everyone is equalized in their fear since no one can escape having them." A ghost of a smile tilted his lips when she stared at him hopefully, listening to what he was saying closely. "Besides, I find reality usually frightening enough without worrying about what my subconscious manifests."

A soft chuckle left her throat, a warmth in her eyes completely driving away the anxiety of before, her body now relaxed where she sat.

"You're right, Kito-chan. It's silly to give nightmares a second thought." Winking, she added in a stage whisper, "Plus, I agree with you on the reality part. You should see Inu Yasha when I forget to bring enough Ramen. That puts any other terror of the imagination to shame."

"I can but wonder, Lady," came his sardonic reply, laughter in his eyes if not his face. He became serious when he imparted the rest of his earlier message to her that had been given to him by Sora. "Lord Sesshoumaru informed me that you are to stay in your rooms today since you are still very ill. However, he did say that your friends could visit you but they had to come here so that you could rest while seeing them."

The fox youkai expected her to protest, perhaps get a little miffed that his master would try and organize her life for her instead of letting her roam about as she usually did. What he didn't count on was her gentle smile, the secret play of mystery about her lips and eyes as he mentioned the Taiyoukai.

Nodding, she said with a sigh, "I suppose he's right." Stretching, she fell back on her bed to lie across it in a haphazard position, as messy as the braid now trailing out behind the miko's head like a tail. "Those pills always make me groggy the next day and I don't really feel like doing anything but being lazy anyway."

"Then I shall make sure that they are escorted here whenever you are ready to receive them, Lady." He watched her stare up at the ceiling thoughtfully, a small frown on her brow, teeth chewing at her bottom lip.

"Thanks, Akito-kun." Her tone was distracted, the girl obviously caught up in thinking about something. After a few seconds of silence, she moved her head till she could see him clearly, asking with a puzzled look, "Akito-kun, this may sound crazy, but did Kouga come by and see me this morning? I keep seeing what could be a recent memory of him sitting in here speaking to me, but I don't know if that is the drugs talking or not."

Stiffening at the mention of the wolf prince's name, he couldn't keep the ice dripping from his voice when he answered her.

"Yes, Lady, Lord Kouga stopped by a little while ago to check up on you. However, from the way you sounded I highly doubt you were as conscious as you are now."

Smirking, she said self-derisively, "Yeah, I have this tendency to wander around in semi-consciousness too whenever I take those meds. It's a good thing Sesshoumaru came by last night otherwise I might have accidentally tried snuggling up to you thinking I was in my own bed."

One navy brow arched, disbelief in his cool eyes as he tried to create a mental picture of the scenario she just described. "You walk into others' rooms, Lady? I must admit, it would have been a bit...awkward if you had come into my room last night to steal my bed." The way she said everything so casually, telling him how his master had stayed with her last night as though they did so every evening, surprised the demon. The next sentence that came out of his mouth shocked Akito, realizing that he had actually spoke without thinking it through first. "Did it not bother you that he remained with you last night, Lady?"

What was wrong with him?! It was like someone else had taken over his ability to reason, to speak with coherency and tact.

The quickness of her answer let him know that she didn't think anything of his question at all, not offended by his inquisitiveness.

"No, not really. I mean when I nursed him back to health I had to keep him in my room and watch over him the entire time so I guess you could say that we are used to being close to one another." Frowning, she added as an afterthought, "At least, that is how I see it. You can never tell what Mr Ice Prince is thinking."

Giving an inward sigh of relief at having not upset the miko, Akito moved towards the door, intent on affording her the privacy she needed to change and do whatever to prepare for company. "I'll leave now, Lady, so you can get dressed. When you are finished getting ready let me know and I will have your friends escorted here."

Kagome sat up quickly so she could watch him go, a little unsure as to why the kitsune would leave so suddenly.

Had she said something wrong?

"Okay, Kito-chan. Thanks!" He nodded once before closing her door, once again leaving her alone in the chamber.

Frowning, she yawned widely, not bothering to cover her mouth since there was no one to offend with her lack of manners. Besides, who did she have to impress? It wasn't like she was looking her best anyway right now. Or feeling her best for that matter...

Coughing, she got up to begin rummaging through her things, thinking that a nice long shower sounded really good right about now.

Too bad they didn't have those in this time era. It would be a refreshing change from bathing in a tub-like setting all the time.

Absently scratching her side, she felt something long and a bit silky on her fingertips, causing her to glance down at whatever she had come into contact with.

An amused smile lit her face when she saw that her red shirt was covered in long silver hairs, a little memento left from using Sesshoumaru's tail as a blanket last night.

Plucking one of the short strands from the clingy material, she held it up in front of her face, studying it from all angles while thinking over his behavior. Never would Kagome have thought the Taiyoukai could be so...well, so kind. He went out of his way to not only get her what she needed to finally sleep, but also went a step further and stayed with her, massaging her sore back until all the pain went away.

If she didn't know the two of them better she would swear they had almost acted like a couple last night. A very close couple at that.

Shaking her head at her own musings, she dropped the fur from her hand, once again turning her attention to finding warm clothes to wear.

It was ridiculous to entertain even random thoughts on something like Sesshoumaru and her being likened to a couple. In fact, if she was honest, she really couldn't envision the dog demon being with anyone.

Although...if he applied himself to being as nice as he did last night, minus his usual crummy speeches, then she was sure he would have a whole slew of eager women at his beck and call.

But then, why did the mere idea of him doing the same thing to another female that he had for her last night make her a little irritated? After all, he had every right to give a hundred women back massages each year if he felt like it. She was hardly what could be considered his friend let alone someone close enough to comment on his personal love life.

For some reason, that bit of logic didn't make her as okay with the idea as she had hoped.

Annoyed with herself, she slammed her drawers shut after finding what she wanted, stomping off to the bathroom, determined to put all crazy thoughts of arrogant Taiyoukai's and their confusing behavior far from her mind.

She would simply not think about it any more. Nope, not at all.

The sudden remembrance of a swath of silky fur gliding over her skin made her shiver, goose bumps rising in its wake.

Damn, this was going to be harder than she'd thought...

Sesshoumaru sat across from Kouga and Inu Yasha, amber eyes cold and distant as he watched the two demons sneak glares at one another. His brother was sitting with his arms crossed, ears flicking back and forth, indicating how it irked him to be in the same room as the prince. The wolf youkai just sat calmly, a smirk about his lips, body relaxed and the sweet smell of apples and vanilla wafting in gentle waves from him.

The Taiyoukai knew that Kouga had been with Kagome this morning. Hell, the wolf had made no effort in trying to hide that fact all, rubbing the knowledge in the hanyou's face when he had demanded to know why he smelled like the miko in the first place.

He had nearly rolled his eyes in frustration when the wolf youkai had stated with his usual loud manner that he had been by to see his woman, waking her up like he planned on doing every day after they were mates.

That had nearly made his idiot sibling scream in outrage, anger making him growl, knuckles cracking as he lengthened his claws to deadly points, the desire to see the other demon's blood spilled over Sesshoumaru's immaculate floors.

Really, if they weren't inside his home and there wasn't the threat of war because the Northern Lord became injured, he would have just let the two idiots battle it out. It probably would have been a favor to the girl since they might have killed one another, ridding her of a couple of tedious demons that wouldn't know how to court a female if they tried.

But, being the calm and collected demon lord that he was, he had once more reminded them to behave while in his palace, a clear threat in the red-ringed irises of his stare.

At least it had made them both stop shouting insults at one another, both taking a seat upon the floor gracelessly, resentment coming off them in waves.

Kami, but raising two unruly demon children couldn't have been as difficult as putting up with these canines antics. And all over one human female.

It was disgusting and pathetic.

Though the sadistic part of his nature reveled gleefully in the knowledge that the bothersome girl was saddled with these two. She got paid back tenfold for all the instances in which she annoyed or irritated him by having to referee their little spats.

Yes, sometimes life had a beautiful sense of poetic justice. He only wished that justice was being meted out somewhere besides the Taisho castle.

Satisfied that his brother and the prince were through acting like children, he began to speak, wishing to get this meeting underway and over with. He had other things to do besides make these two quit threatening each other with death long enough to get some answers from them.

"I asked you here so I could retrieve some answers from you." Two sets of eyes trained seriously upon him, one narrowed in interest, the other wary and a little knowing. "Inu Yasha, I believe you know more about this than Kouga does, or that you at least recognize the signs of who could be behind this plot to assassinate me."

The hanyou nodded silently, fangs flashing when he said with a frown, "Yeah, I have an idea."

Good, that meant he was on the right track then.

Focusing on the wolf prince, he asked, "Lord Kouga, is there some information you wished to share with me, perhaps? Something to do with meeting my personal aide and one of my generals during your travels?"

"Feh. Yeah, you could say that," he drummed his fingers on his knee, scowling as he spoke. "The older one that looked less than friendly smelled like your blood." Indicating Inu Yasha by pointing his thumb at the glaring hanyou, he continued. "That was one of the reasons I went to see the puppy over there. I recognized their attire as being from the Taisho house and figured he would know more about it than anyone." He turned to glare right back at the half demon as he said his next comment, anger clear in his voice. "That was when I also found out that the idiot brat had just let my woman go off without realizing what was going on. As usual, he was too busy with his own agenda to consider the safety of Kagome."

Inu Yasha bristled at the insults, growling deep in his throat, nails digging into his forearms as he kept his arms folded with effort. "Screw you, you damn wolf! I never see your scruffy ass around whenever there is trouble and Kagome might be in danger. Keh! In fact, you're always running off, leaving her behind with me. For someone that claims you want her as your mate you treat her worse than a pet that you don't even want anymore!"

Sesshoumaru pushed down the urge to yell at both of them seconds before flaying their skin with his whip. Somehow, the conversation always came back to the girl, and whenever that happened those two started arguing with more passion than they had ever tried to pursue the human with.

"Don't even consider getting into another one your petty arguments," he ordered, frigid voice cutting the other two off as they turned back towards the Taiyoukai that was clearly not pleased with them. The youkai and hanyou subsided, contenting themselves with sneaking glares again, but staying quiet.

Thank Kami for some small favors...

"Lord Kouga, was the smell of blood strong or faint? Did it seem new or old to you?" He brought them back to the situation at hand. If they kept going at this rate it would be two days before he got all the information that he wanted.

"Faint, as though he hadn't come into direct contact with it, or if he had then it was only superficially," he answered confidently, silk rustling as he folded his legs in front of him.

"I see," the dog demon stored that away to consider later. "What about his companion? Did he smell of it as well?"

The prince shook his head in the negative. "No. If anything that one seemed to genuinely be looking for you." Arching a black brow he smirked. "Your personal aide I take it?"

Sesshoumaru grimaced. "Yes, that would have been Shurin."

A deep chuckle left the wolf's throat, humor clear in his emerald eyes as they regarded the other demon. "My, but you do have the talent of attracting faithful followers, Sesshoumaru. Not only do you have a little toad singing your praises but you also have a rainchild hero-worshiping you."

Amber eyes stared at the laughing youkai flatly, no answering amusement showing in his mannerisms or beautiful features. Inu Yasha's voice brought the Taiyoukai from thoughts of maiming the wolf prince.

"Why were you by the Bone-eater's Well in the first place, Sesshoumaru? Isn't that a bit out of your way?" Sarcasm was lacing every word of the last question, a hard glimmer in his half brother's golden eyes.

"I received a letter which instructed me to head there. The sender of which we both know very well." He wasn't about to tell him how he had also been considering another attempt at the Tetsusaiga. What his brother didn't know wouldn't cause a problem.

The hanyou tensed, lids lowering to half-mast as he took in what he was saying. "Who?"

"Aion." That one word made Inu Yasha's eyes fly open, nostrils flaring in anger, his pupils constricting to tiny pinpricks in their irises.

Kouga glanced between the two brothers, confused as to why the name of whoever that was would upset them so badly. Frowning, he asked, "Who the hell is that?"

Sesshoumaru kept his focus on his sibling as he spoke, making sure the half demon got control of himself.

"Aion is a relative of ours. Sora's father to be precise." Convinced that the hanyou wouldn't do anything rash, like perhaps start throwing the vase sitting on his desk table, he looked to the prince. "Sora is a cousin of ours that has served in the palace for a few decades now. I let him come here when he was of age to fend for himself and leave his own home. Aion is our uncle." Casting a scowl to Inu Yasha, he added, "My uncle I suppose you could say. He was my mother's younger brother so I suppose he bears no relation to Inu Yasha at all."

His eyebrows raising in surprise, Kouga turned to watch the hanyou closely, taking in the way he had calmed down but was still gritting his teeth and clenching his hands. "I take it you don't particularly like this youkai."

"Keh! He's a bastard!" came the hanyou's vicious reply, a growl laced throughout.

Giving him an impatient glare, Sesshoumaru supplied a longer answer for the wolf prince.

"Aion lived here in the palace for a while when my mother was still alive and a little bit after her death." No outward expression showed that speaking of his mother's death caused a pang of sadness to slice through his heart, a tightness to settle around his chest like a steel band. "I was very young at the time, just having completed my first few stages of training under my father's tutelage. " Glancing beneath his lashes at his younger brother, he continued. "Aion took over my training after my mother died until my father wasn't so grief-stricken. The loss of his mate affected him badly and it took months for him to finally get back to ruling the Western Lands again."

He didn't add how during that time his father had ignored his very existence, the pain the Taiyoukai felt at losing his mate causing him to block every reminder of her from his mind and sight. When Sesshoumaru had been a pup that was desolate, seeking comfort from the one person who could ease the sudden loss of his mother, they had pushed him away. Into the arms of a sadistic demon that enjoyed driving any emotion out of the creature they held. Delighting in tormenting the pup until there was nothing of their former selves left.

Closing the door on those disturbing memories, he went on. "Aion was very. . . energetic when it came to teaching combat. One of his favorite exercises was to pit you against a demon that was twice your strength, his reasoning consisting of that if you managed to defeat them then you deserved to be the future Taiyoukai of the West."

Kouga frowned, having come across a few such youkai in his own lifetime, though never having to actually train under them. His own father had taught him personally until he was old enough to run the pack, proud of his accomplishments and encouraging his son to strive for greatness.

"Why would the brat over there hate him so much then? Didn't you say he was only around right after your mother died? I thought your father had him much later."

Inu Yasha jumped in before Sesshoumaru could reply, bitterness and anger thick in his voice. "Our father asked Aion to be the trainer for both my brother and I. I was lucky enough to be stuck with him for about a year before anyone realized just how harsh his methods of teaching were."

"One year doesn't sound that long to me," the wolf said doubtfully.

"It is when you go through the hell I did," Inu Yasha said quietly, becoming lost in remembering the past.

Kouga looked to Sesshoumaru with an arched brow, wanting a better explanation from the two brothers.

"What my brother means is that our father didn't know about Aion's form of instruction until it was brought to his attention during Inu Yasha's training." His face was completely smoothed in indifference when he continued, no emotion whatsoever shadowing him. "I never told my father about my training sessions with my uncle. By the time he was capable of taking it back over I was already advanced far beyond his expectations, so he decided that if Aion was so adept he would use him again if he had another son."

More flashes of those years with Aion assaulted his mind; the pitiful cries of a child begging for their mother, a cold laugh that made his blood freeze, and the pale gold eyes peering down at him as he tried not to sob on his mother's empty bed.

'Your mother isn't here...she's never coming back...'

Forcefully, he shoved those thoughts away violently. Wanting nothing more than to lock those away with every other childhood memory after his mother died.

"What happened when your father found out?" Kouga's curiosity was now pricked and he wanted to know more about the enigmatic youkai he now sat with.

The Taiyoukai could have been commenting on the weather, so cold were his words when he said, "He banished him from Taisho castle. My uncle was allowed to keep the lands that were his own under the condition that he never step foot on the Western Provinces again. He accepted."

"Why would the bastard contact you now?" Inu Yasha was back to sitting as he had earlier, outwardly composed. As if the conversation wasn't bothering him at all.

The wolf prince was impressed with the way the brothers could get themselves under control so adeptly. He knew that if he had been discussing such a touchy subject it probably would have involved much swearing and yelling. But then that was just the way wolves were. They said what was on their mind and didn't mince words.

"That is what I would like to know," the dog demon replied thoughtfully. "I would assume that he has concocted some outlandish plan to assassinate me and take over the Taisho holdings, but that doesn't sound entirely correct." He frowned, amber eyes narrowing in contemplation. "There are just some things that do not add up. For example, why be that obvious? There was always the possibility that the assassination would fail and then how would he explain away the letter? Our uncle is many things, but not stupid."

"I guess," Inu Yasha said grudgingly, not wanting to place any virtues on the youkai. "Well then what about Ryosuke? That bastard isn't exactly trustworthy but I don't think he has ever even met Aion before. How would they even come to form an alliance?"

The Taiyoukai sighed, a scowl forming on his marked brow. "That, too, I am not sure of. There are too many factors that haven't been found yet to create a whole picture. However, I have some scouts out right now who are searching for more information. In the meantime I am keeping a close watch on Shurin and the General."

"Sounds like you are doing a thorough job of looking into every possibility, Sesshoumaru," Kouga commiserated, impressed again with the youkai's attention to detail.

Inu Yasha stared at his brother, shifting a little where he sat. "So what do we do now? Just sit here and wait?"

"Yes, that is exactly what we do." The dog demon calculated on how much longer it would be until his scouts checked in. This evening would no doubt be when the first few arrived back to report on what they had found.

His brother may not like it, and even he, himself, might not want to simply stand by until another attack was staged, but there was little else they could do until more information was forthcoming. The best they could do was watch everyone closely, take every precaution, and make sure that the next target was kept far from the assassins reach.

Because now Sesshoumaru wasn't so certain they were only after him. If his uncle was involved then everyone he came into close contact with was in danger.

And that meant Kagome would be at the top of the list.

The idea of the miko being in the hands of a demon like his uncle made his stomach clench, the white hot fire of rage flaring inside him, causing his youkai nature to become alert to its master's feelings. It wanted to tear, rip, destroy the threat that was posed to those close to him. To bathe in the blood of his enemy like one would indulge in a soak after a hard training session.

Startled at the emotions roiling within him, he clamped down his control on those too. The damn girl was probably still asleep anyway. Plus Akito was with her, which meant the female couldn't wander off and get into any sort of trouble.

Besides, it wasn't like one human could cause that much chaos in a palace...

While the three demons were inside Sesshoumaru's quarters discussing the assassination attempt, Kagome was seated on her bed with her friends positioned around her. A frown of concentration was on her brow, her teeth tugging at her lower lip as she gazed at the objects in her hand.

Finally, with a triumphant smirk, she called out to Sango, "Sango-chan, do you have an eight of clubs?"

The taijiya groaned before pulling the slim wax-coated piece of cardboard from her hand, tossing it over to the excited girl across from her. "Yes! I swear, Kagome-chan, you must cheat at this game. You always win!"

Miroku, trying to peak over at both of the girls' cards while keeping his own plastered to the front of his chest, said calmly, "Now Sango, you know you are just upset because Kagome-sama has won three times in a row. You can't be the best at everything."

The demon exterminator glared at him, moving her cards till they lay in her lap when she noticed the monk's wandering eyes straying towards them. "Ha! Look who's talking! Weren't you the one that was just going on and on about divine intervention when she beat you at Old Maid?"

Purple eyes giving her a defensive look, he frowned. "Hey! That was different. I know she must have been granted luck by Buddha to have won that one."

"Perhaps you both just do not accept defeat as gracefully as others," came the cold voice of the ice youkai that was sitting to the side of Kagome and across from Miroku, his cool eyes studying the shiny surfaces of his cards.

Kagome laughed while watching the playful bickering of her friends. Leaning back against the wall at the head of her bed, she smiled, blue-grey eyes warm with affection as they fell on first Sango, then Miroku, followed by Akito.

When her friends had finally come to visit she had decided to see if they wanted to play some card games that she had taught them a few years back. Since she didn't want to talk about anything too heavy, the simple games seemed the perfect answer to not only relieve boredom, but to relax with the group.

Kikyo hadn't come, giving them the excuse that she wanted to go and explore the gardens. Kagome was beginning to feel as though the priestess was avoiding her. Not that it offended her or anything. In fact, she was grateful to be spared from seeing the other woman's presence since it would remind her of who Inu Yasha had chosen. But it also made her feel a little sad for the other girl. As though she didn't have any friends to hang out with so she spent time all by herself.

Running a hand through the hair of the little kit snoozing in her lap, she glanced down at Shippo, a soft grin tilting her lips. Since arriving at her chamber he had clamped onto her and hadn't let go. Not even to play any of the games they had gone through. Instead, he was content to have her hold him in her lap, falling asleep shortly after nestling against her stomach, tiny hands twisted in the material of her shirt.

She knew her leaving him had made the kitsune afraid and emotionally unstable. It sent a guilty surge through her heart every time she pictured how desolate his face had been the last time she had walked away from him, his plaintive cries filling her ears.

Hugging him closer, she made sure not to crush her cards while coddling him, the game still going full force despite her inner musings.

"Alright, go Kagome-chan. It's your turn again," Sango told her, glaring at Miroku again when he pretended to lean over to stretch.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he made sure to leave his cards in his lap while saying with wide, innocent eyes, "What? I was stretching, I swear!"

Chuckling, Kagome glanced back over her cards before turning to Akito, the kitsune immediately putting his full attention on her.

Playing cards with him was definitely fun. With the way he could keep his face and voice so emotionless you never knew if he had what you wanted or not. Not to mention he was a quick learner. It had only taken them one round of Old Maid before he had figured it out, and another after that to almost beat her.

"Okay, Kito-chan. Ya ready?" She challenged, acting as though they were playing something more serious than Go Fish.

"Always, Lady," he replied, deadpan as ever.

Eyeing him closely, she asked, "Do you have a queen of diamonds?"

A small smirk flashed across his features. "Go Fish, Lady."

Grumbling, she reached over to the dwindling stack of red-backed cards with the little cherubs on them.

Damn, if he kept this up he was going to win!

It had taken her about five minutes to talk Akito into coming inside and joining them. He had seemed hesitant to intrude on the time they spent together, clearly never having fraternized with humans like this before. But after she had flashed him her best puppy-dog pleading look, complete with praying hands, he had relented.

His spear was leaning against the wall behind where he sat, in easy reach should he need it, the bedroom door wide open so they could watch the passerbys in case anyone wished to speak with either him or her.

She couldn't begin to describe the looks they had gotten from other demons walking by, glancing inside to see their master's personal guard lounging with humans on a bed.

More than once it had caused a double-take, a slowing of steps like people who drove past a gruesome accident. Morbid fascination that made them want to see more, but at the same time wipe the scene from their memories.

Kirara kept close by the doorway, curled up in a ball on top of Kagome's pile of laundry she had yet to have washed. Like Buyo, the fire cat found the darkest piece of clothing for its make-shift bed, putting white hair all over it.

She just couldn't win when it came to keeping her shirts without white fur. Even Sesshoumaru was acting against her on that one now.

A knock on the frame of the door caused the occupants to turn and see who it was, a surprised expression coming over Kagome's face when she recognized them.

"Lord Daija," she said, a small smile lifting her rosy lips as she beckoned the tall phoenix youkai further into the room.

He was dressed as she had last seen him, his undulating eyes still arresting and warm with an inner fire that seemed to encompass everything they fell upon. She grinned wider when she glanced to the side and noticed how his appearance made her friends gawk in astonishment. Kagome was sure she had looked much the same way when she had first met him.

One couldn't help but stare at him. Your eyes were drawn to the firebird like to great works of art. No matter how many times you ran your gaze over the lines, the symmetry, there were a million little differences each instance that caught your attention, made you admire the artist's rendition more.

Except this was a living being.

Giving the other humans a smile, he came to a stop next to Kagome, looking about at the cards in their hands with one fiery eyebrow raised. Upon closer inspection the miko noticed that he was carrying an earthen cup that had steam coming out of the top, the smell of cinnamon rising from its fragrant depths.

"My Lady, might I ask what it is you are doing?" His voice flowed over her like the warm rays of the sun after it had been shielded by dark clouds on a cold day. Inviting and wondrous all at the same time.

Waving the hand without the pieces of cardboard in it towards the monk and taijiya, she said cheerfully, "I'm playing a card game with my friends. That's Sango and this is Miroku. Guys, this is Lord Daija."

She made out the mumbled replies from her friends, the two still obviously in awe of the youkai, too busy staring to offer much in conversation.

The phoenix bowed towards each of them, the smile never leaving his handsome features, his clothes moving with his actions, resembling flames.

"A pleasure." Glancing over to Akito, his smile grew bigger until his fangs were showing. "Aw, Akito. Good to see you as always. I see you are enjoying this game as well."

The arctic kitsune bowed his head respectfully before answering. "Lord Daija. Yes, Lady Kagome asked me to play and I found I could not refuse."

Chuckling lowly, a husky ring to it that made one think of a lover's breath in one's ear, his writhing orbs trained on the miko again. "No, I do not doubt you couldn't. I wouldn't have resisted such charming company either."

Kagome blushed at the compliment, not used to having such a beautiful creature pay this much attention to her. Trying to cover her embarrassment, she picked up Shippo to cradle him to her chest while scooting over. "You are welcome to join us if you wish, Lord Daija. Akito was about to win this round anyway."

She was amazed to see that whenever he was happy or pleased the little swirls of color in his irises seemed to churn to even brighter hues, the yellows intermixing blindingly with the scarlets.

"I would love to." Giving her a warm look, he added, "And please, call me Daija." He took the spot she had given him, his long legs hanging over the side of the bed, body twisted towards the others. Eyeing the sleeping kit she held curiously, he asked, "Lady, who is that you have there?"

Her eyes gentled as she put Shippo back in his previous spot on her lap, patting his back lightly when he moved a bit before settling down. "This is Shippo. He's an orphan Inu Yasha and I found a few years ago and he's been with us ever since."

Surprise made his eyebrows raise towards his hairline. "You took in a youkai kit and have cared for it like he was your own?"

"Yep! For three years now." She smiled with pride, happy that the demon child had been in her life for so long.

"That is very admirable, Lady. There are many people out there who would have not done the same," the phoenix lord was impressed with her. Most humans, and demons for that matter, would have tried to kill the kit. Both species were not exactly compassionate when it came to the orphaned young.

Apparently that was something Lord Sesshoumaru and this girl had in common. They took in the strays that no one else would.

She waved the hand with her cards in it, down-playing her role in the kit's survival. "Oh, it wasn't anything too spectacular. I mean, no one could turn away this brat once they got to know him."

Daija could see the fondness she had for the child in the way she spoke, the caressive quality of the touch that ran through the strands of red hair.

"I'll take your word for it, Lady Kagome. But there are still plenty out there who would not want the daunting task of raising a demon child. They can be pretty rambunctious."

Laughter filled the air, her friends grinning in response at seeing the girl in better spirits than at the Bone-eater's Well. It was good to hear her enjoying herself again.

"Tell me about it!" Glancing to his hand, she asked, "What is that? Tea?"

Offering her the cup, he waited for her to take it before giving a reply. "I brought this for you, Lady. I know that you haven't been feeling well and there is a drink that my clan brews that soothes the vocal chords when they become inflamed."

"Really?" She eyed the slightly reddish liquid curiously, bringing it to her face so the steam washed against her cheeks, inhaling as best she could to try and smell anything but the cinnamon. That being the strongest ingredient, there was nothing else she could make out.

She was about to take a sip when Akito stopped her.

"Wait, Lady." When he saw that she wasn't drinking it, he reached over to take it from her, sniffing at it delicately to see if anything harmful was present.

Daija just seemed amused by the arctic kitsune's behavior, a smirk playing about his mouth. "I assure you, Akito, there is nothing but tea, honey, and cinnamon in there. It won't hurt her."

A sharp cold stare was his only answer as he handed the glass back to the miko, watching closely as she took a drink.

If she showed any signs of it not agreeing with her he would personally restrain the phoenix while informing Lord Sesshoumaru of what happened.

The happy sigh she gave after letting the warm liquid trickle down her sore throat let him know there was nothing to worry about.

Giving Daija her brightest smile, she took another sip. "This is great, Daija! Thank you so much for bringing it to me. My throat feels better already."

Chuckling, his eyes writhing again with pleasure, he cast the ice youkai a teasing grin. "Thank you, Lady Kagome. I'm glad you like it." Turning to face the others, he looked at the cards with interest. "Now, about this game..."

After reshuffling, the small group played different card games, teaching the two demons how while giving them tips on strategies to use to win. Although, really, the youkai didn't need much help in that department. It was like they were born to battle, even if they saw a game of cards as a potential contest of wills and strength.

With their new addition, the glances through the doorway got even more speculative, the hesitations passing it longer.

What would their master think when he found out there were humans in the royal wing? How would he take it when he learned two of the more powerful youkai in his service were sitting there, playing along with them?

They couldn't wait to find out...


	33. Peace Offering

The evening began as so many before had done since Kagome had come to live at Sesshoumaru's castle. Sunset had come and gone but a few moments before, leaving the sky still bleeding with its lifeblood of reds, purples, and oranges. It wasn't breezy as it had been lately, which was good since she didn't really relish the feeling of icy winds in her damp hair when she left the spring.

Tonight, she would bathe alone without any of her friends. Considering her 'condition' she would have to be nude this time and didn't particularly feel like an audience. Besides, her friends keeping her company all day long had drained her of what little strength she had accumulated from resting last night. They had played a few more card games before Lord Daija has said he needed to attend to some other business, bowing over her hand with his usual grace before quitting the room. A few hours later she and the rest of the remaining group had taken dinner inside her bedroom. All of them save for Akito. She wasn't sure exactly what demons ate, but considering their beast-like natures she wasn't sure she wished to know. Shippo had awoken not long after the phoenix's departure and had seemed his usual happy self now that he was getting to spend more time with her again. He had even accepted the fact that he couldn't stay with her in the same room while living in the castle more easily than she would have imagined. It was almost as though the kit had grown up in the space that she was gone the last few weeks. Knowledge that made her both happy and sad, like most parents when they find their children aren't as young and helpless as they used to be. Their friends talking with Sesshoumaru had yet to make an appearance. As far as she knew, Inu Yasha and Kouga still hadn't left Sesshoumaru's study, which meant that whatever strategies they were discussing had to be important to keep all three canine demons in one room together for that long.

A smirk played about her lips causing the silent guard beside her to arc a navy eyebrow in enquiry at his charge's display of secret mirth.

Readjusting her backpack that she had slung over one shoulder, her expression softened a bit, merriment dancing in her blue orbs. "Just thinking that whatever Sesshoumaru and the others are talking about must be pretty important to make them stay together for so long. I am surprised we didn't hear any fighting going on down the hall today."

Akito faced forward again to watch the path ahead, the bushes and shrubs of the well worn garden trail empty except for them. "One can but wonder, Lady."

Kicking a stray pebble out of her way, she watched it skitter across the ground, a small dust cloud floating up behind it. "Did you have fun today, Kito-kun?" She looked up at him, interested to know if the youkai had enjoyed the time spent with her and her friends.

Not bothering to glance at the girl next to him, he answered, "Of course, Lady. I always enjoy the time I spend in your company."

Grinning in relief, she confided, "I was hoping so. I kind of got the feeling that you weren't too happy when Daija came to join us, though." Giving him a speaking glance, she added in puzzlement, "I just don't understand why you seem to not like him. He seems okay for a demon."

Pearl-blue eyes locked with hers, the kitsune's face showing a little surprise. That is, until he saw her staring mischievously at him, teeth biting at her bottom lip to hold in her laughter. A brief grin flashed across his own lips as he guided her around the last patch of vegetation before the hot spring would come into view.  
"Youkai are different to everyone that meets them, Lady. For example, Lord Daija will treat you with more respect and subservience than he would to a regular soldier. It is just the way things are in a hierarchy."

Kagome mulled over his words, absently sniffling a bit while rubbing her nose. She had never really thought about what type of social order this era had. Sure, she had read up on how certain people were treated because of who they were or what they did for a living, but she'd never thought to examine her surroundings while she was here and see it for herself.

Akito was right. Everyone in the palace would treat her in a respectful manner just because of who she knew, not who she was. Which then made her wonder if all of the 'friends', like the stable lad and Akito, actually meant their behavior towards her or were simply following orders.

Depressed by the possibility of having fooled herself into believing she had made allies at the castle, the miko barely uttered a half-hearted greeting to Musashi and the new guard, Teisa. She had been released from the infirmary just the other day and Saipryss has decided to give her the easy task of watching the entrance to the royal bathes with the cougar youkai. It would let her finish healing without possible strain.

Musashi's brown eyes were concerned as they followed the miko through the ornate door, not used to such a cool reception as this from the girl. Usually she chatted for a few minutes before going about her business, but tonight she simply went on ahead. He was surprised at how much he missed the small amount of time spent in her company, the calm the cat youkai usually felt after basking in her presence for only a few minutes. Perhaps she was just tired this evening...or her sickness had worn her out...

Whatever the case it bothered him a little that Kagome seemed so despondent. As if she had just come to hear some terrible news that was well on its way to depressing her. He hoped he was wrong...

Akito took up his now usual post inside the building in the front ante-chamber. He knew that his charge would want privacy and if her current mood was anything to go by, she would probably want little to no conversation the rest of the night either. He hadn't meant to upset her with his words, but it would appear he had.

Feeling slightly guilty, he held back from telling the miko any platitudes of apology or remorse for what he had said. It wasn't anything more than the truth, so why should she get so stressed over it? Besides, the arctic kitsune hadn't meant anything malicious by it. Why would she be so affected by his comments?

Sighing deeply, he stood with military precision at the wall closest to the entrance, keeping a close ear on the sounds inside the bathing area, making sure the girl was alright. The steam that seeped into the room was a little too cloying and suffocating for his tastes, but then being an ice demon it would be rare for him to find any particular spot in Japan where he would feel comfortable. Acclimating was something the fox youkai had learned to do a long time ago, thus he easily pushed the annoyance to his person from his mind. There were more important issues to think over than whether or not spending a long time in the balmy atmosphere would irritate his demon senses.

Such as the meeting with his Lord and the other two demons, that as far as he knew, was still progressing. He was sure Lord Sesshoumaru would brief him on what had been discussed, more than likely whenever he made his way over to his chambers for the routine report on what the miko had done today. The Taiyoukai's interest in the girl's activities just fueled Akito's suspicions that there was more between the two than ordinary acquaintances. Something that connected them, bonded them together by some unseen force that neither had control over.

The aura synchronization should have been proof enough for that. But, knowing his master as thoroughly as Akito did, he seriously doubted the dog demon was going to admit to any feelings beyond indifference for the human any time soon.

Which was a shame, really...at least to the arctic kitsune's way of thinking.

Shifting about his now semi-damp clothes that were sticking to him a little, he repositioned his grip on his weapon, not enjoying the moisture that now coated that as well.

Frowning, he thought, 'I wouldn't mind this particular part of my duties so much if it didn't prove so detrimental to my state of being.'

Outwardly, he still looked the calm and collected royal guard that everyone else saw in the palace. However, inside he was pressing down the urge to stalk out of the room as quickly as possible, take solace in the crisp fall air outside. At least then he wouldn't feel like he was being steamed alive.

Kagome coming in from the other room brought him quickly from his own internal grumblings, surprised that she would return so soon.

Had that much time actually passed? Enough for her to be done already?

Judging from her wet hair and clean scent, it would seem so. Not to mention her new outfit, which he had never seen before. It looked to be made from a soft fabric that consisted of pants and a button up shirt that had a V at the neck, displaying the edges of the scars she bore. There were little penguins on the light blue material that were throwing snowballs at one another and building houses out of the icy substance, smiling cheerfully all the while. Her ensemble was completed with the blue tennis shoes she had worn to walk out here, the picture she made almost making the stoic guard raise an eyebrow in dismay.

Where did these humans get such odd clothing? And could a bird actually smile?

Her blue-grey eyes were still shadowed when they met his, the smile that graced her lips holding none of its usual exuberance or energy. Even her stature looked defeated, shoulders slouched under the weight of her pack, as though it carried rocks instead of a change of clothing with her bathing essentials.

Worried that she might have overdone it with her friends today and was in the first stages of declining in health, he stepped forward to take the bag, startling her into standing there, dumbly staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Th...thanks, Akito-kun," She stuttered hesitantly, searching his serious pearl-blue eyes as he looped both straps over one arm and held it before him like you would when carrying a folded blanket. "You don't have to carry that, you know. It isn't that heavy."

Turning towards the exit while still gazing at her, he replied quietly, "It is no trouble, Lady. You must be weary after all the activity you had today, and Lord Sesshoumaru would not be pleased if you worsened when you were starting to finally recover."

"Of course. How could I forget?" She walked past him as she said this, the words heavily laced with bitterness, making him tighten his lips in puzzlement as he trailed after her retreating form.

What had he said to cause such a reaction? It was true, Lord Sesshoumaru would be displeased, but not because of inconvenience. Akito thought about what Sora said had happened the previous night, the first wave of cold air from outside washing over his body refreshingly, making him inhale deeply.

No, his master wouldn't have gone to all the trouble he had to yesterday if all he was concerned about was getting her out of the castle with haste.

Kagome continued on her trek from the hot spring, giving another half-hearted smile while waving goodbye to Musashi and Teisa. She wasn't much in the mood for conversation right now, especially light chit-chat. Akito's words kept swirling around in her head, making her a little dizzy with trying to figure out if she had taken them the correct way or not.

The kitsune caught up to her side easily, settling into step beside her as they journeyed into the night enshrouded foliage of the palace garden. Neither guard nor miko spoke a word to one another as they headed along the path, shrubs soon concealing them as they went around a bend.

The cool evening air had already made her hair feel icy to the touch, the abrasive weight of the heavy braid down her back, the wetness it left from laying against the absorbent material of her button up shirt causing her to shiver.

She would have to change it whenever she got back to her room, the random thought flit through her mind as goose bumps rose on her skin, a cough rattling from her chest and throat. The effects of Daija's tea had worn off about an hour ago and now the soreness of her throat was back in full force.

Rubbing the spot with one cold hand, she grimaced while swallowing painfully. If anything, having gone the afternoon without it being there had made its return even more noticeable than before. Perhaps there was a way to have it brewed again...

The sudden appearance of a person on the trail ahead caused the arctic youkai's shoulders to tense, the hand upon his spear tightening subconsciously as he tried to decipher if the new arrival was friend or foe.

Kagome, sensing his unease, glanced up from her contemplation of the ground to follow his line of vision. Even though they were feet away she could easily recognize the person who stood at the fork where the trail to the main hall and inner garden met.

After all, she looked in a mirror each day and saw the rough copy of the poised beauty before her.

Kikyo remained as she was, garbed in a dark red kimono with gold koi across the skirt hem of it. Her hair was in its customary low ponytail, not a single ebony tress out of place.

It always unnerved Kagome, the way the other girl could manage to present a picture of perfection and unruffled calm in any situation. If she didn't know any better, she would swear the priestess was part demon. Of course, she did ingest the souls of those recently deceased...

The usual bitterness began rising in the girl from the future as she came face to face with the woman who had won the male of her choice's heart. Every time she came across Kikyo it felt like another spike was driven into her heart, all the insecurities she secretly harbored about not being able to measure up to the hanyou's former love interest becoming glaringly obvious.

Couple that with everything else that she had heard tonight and you had the greatest mixture for hell that the young miko could think of.

She really did not need this aggravation right now...not when she had doubts about who were her real friends anymore...

They came to a stop right in front of Kikyo, the stiffness not leaving the fox even after he identified their visitor. He seemed more wary, if anything.

"Kikyo," Kagome said in way of greeting, waiting for her to nod her head in acknowledgment before continuing. She couldn't keep the roughness out of her voice, which she prayed would be put down to her overuse of it today, as she asked, "Did you need something?"

"Yes, Kagome. Actually, I was hoping to talk to you." Her dark eyes trained meaningfully on Akito for a moment before meeting back up with the other girl's. "Alone."

Inwardly, Kagome groaned, having known this confrontation would come around sooner of later. She'd been hoping for the latter rather than the former, but like much of her life these days she wasn't given a choice.

Wrapping her arms about her middle to help keep herself warm, Kagome shifted from one foot to the other nervously, licking her now dry lips.

"Sure. Where did you want to talk?" She couldn't very well say no. First off, it would be rude and secondly she didn't want to give Inu Yasha the idea that she couldn't handle being civil to his new 'girlfriend'.

Hadn't she decided to return to show him that she was stronger than that? Apparently it was now time to prove it...

The scarlet clad figure turned towards the trail that led to the stream and bridge, saying smoothly, "On the bridge will be fine. The castle has too many prying eyes and ears."

True enough, Kagome reasoned while staring in the direction the priestess had indicated. The pale moonlight shone down upon the moving water that ran a short distance away, the silvery sheen to the liquid giving the illusion of greater coldness than offering tranquility as it was meant to. With youkai having the superior hearing that they did it was fairly impossible to have a 'private' conversation anywhere inside the castle.

Nodding, she proceeded after Kikyo left, the arctic kitsune hesitating only a few seconds before clenching his jaw and persuing his ward.

There was no way he would allow the miko to wander off on her own with no one there to watch over her. Especially after nightfall when any number of threats could be skulking about in the shadows, waiting for the prime moment to pounce on the girl, unawares.

Hearing the quiet footfalls behind her, she cast a appreciative look over her shoulder, meeting his determined icy eyes with a semblance of her usual smile.

It was comforting to know that Akito would be close by in case she needed an excuse for a hasty retreat from whatever topic Kikyo wished to discuss. She just knew it wouldn't be anything relaxing and non-emotional roller coaster inducing.

Not when it involved the dead priestess and Inu Yasha. Things always got messy whenever one or the other was mentioned, and she knew he was one of the things she wished to talk about.

Sighing, she slowed her pace enough to let the ice demon catch up to her, scuffing the toe of her blue tennis shoe in the cool dirt, sniffling while hugging herself tighter to ward off a chill.

Once he was at her side again, she told him quietly, staring off to the side as though studying the inky scenery, "Kito-kun, do you think you could please stay a little bit farther away than usual? It's just that, I'm pretty sure I know what she wants to talk about and it is something very personal."

Her eyes turned to him, apologetic and tired under the ethereal moonlight, half of it bathing her face while leaving the other in shadow. To his sharp eyes it gave the impression of the girl being divided, part of her seeking the light while another sought the comfort of darkness, hiding away all the hurt and pain.

Bowing his head, he answered in his normal frigid tones, "As you wish, Lady. I shall be within calling distance and keep you in sight the entire time, though." He would give her as much freedom as he could, but even he wouldn't go against Lord Sesshoumaru's orders of watching her constantly for a single chat between two women. The miko's life was more valuable than to give room for such incompetence.

Knowing that convincing Akito she'd be fine by herself was impossible, and secretly happy that he wasn't eager to leave her side, she acquiesced, taking the time to squeeze the hand laden down with her pack before leaving him.

Satisfied that the ice demon would remain there, she quickly joined Kikyo, wanting nothing more than to get this interview over with so she could get in bed and draw the blanket over her head, saying to hell with the world for a while.

Plus, being out in this cool weather with damp hair, sick, and the colder temperature aggravating her cramps wasn't a good idea.

Kikyo was waiting patiently at the railing of the bridge, emotionless eyes staring out into the night as though she hadn't a care in the world.

Coughing behind her hand from the exercise of hurrying over, Kagome felt the color go high on her cheekbones, embarrassed by her lack of composure in the face of the sophisticated priestess.

It was silly to feel that way since no one could help their body's natural reactions during an illness, but even that fact didn't make the miko more accepting of it.  
No matter what, she somehow managed to show just how different the two of them were from each other. Which was normally something she took great pride in pointing out to Inu Yasha whenever he acted as though he was pushing his previous conceptions of Kikyo onto Kagome.

But right now the miko just didn't have the strength for a full out battle of wills or words. Was it so wrong to want to go to bed and sleep away her problems for one night?

Standing with quite a few inches separating them, Kagome went back to hugging herself in the chill night air, trying not to think about how bad this was for her health.

Why couldn't she be someone who was rude and didn't give a damn about everyone else? Sesshoumaru had been right, she did always put everyone else's needs above her own. Even the woman she couldn't help but feel had taken her one chance of happiness from her.

Was she a masochist and didn't even know it? She was beginning to wonder...

"Since I know that you have probably figured out why I called you over here I am not going to waste time asking." Kikyo's gaze continued to sweep the dark forest beyond the small meadow that lead from the stream, knowing that the girl next to her was listening carefully. "I feel that there are unresolved issues between you, Inu Yasha, and myself and I would like to get them cleared up before going further in his and my's relationship."

"You must realize that I'm not going to raise a ruckus now that you guys are together, Kikyo," Kagome bit out, peeved at what the other woman had said.

Kami, did she think she was going to try and break them apart?! She may be a fighter, but she wasn't one to pick up a lost cause that was so blatant about the outcome. Not when all it would give her was more heartache for her trouble and benefit no one.

Kikyo turned to look at her, dark eyes piercing even in the darkness. "You misunderstand me. I only wish to set things straight between you and I so that you might realize that I'm not the cold-hearted individual people see me as."

The words surprised an incredulous laugh from the miko, that immediately made her bite her lip and a blush to stain her cheeks again. She hadn't meant to scoff at the priestess, but really, what had she expected? Coming from the mouth of a woman that had attempted more than once to slay the hanyou it was only plausible that Kagome would suffer from disbelief.

Deciding to at least hear her out, she replied softly, "Please continue."

Looking out to the night again, Kikyo began explaining what she had meant. "Kagome, try to see this from my perspective. You are a woman who was trained and schooled to do nothing but be a guardian to others, protect them from the corruptive power of a jewel you had not even a part in making. At first, you are content with your role, satisfied that what you are doing not only betters mankind but also serves a real purpose in the world. That your life holds value and meaning." She tilted her head back and looked to the stars, memories flashing through her mind, making her frown. "Then imagine your surprise when you come across your first feelings of love, and the bitterness of knowing that the life you are chosen to lead, a life you had no say in from the beginning, will always keep you apart. But then you start wondering, what if...what if there was a way to protect the jewel or even get rid of it so it doesn't pose a threat anymore and still obtain happiness? What if by giving the shikon to the man you loved you could not only fulfill your deepest heart's desire, but his as well? Would you betray your very existence for it? For him?" A sigh left her body, the girl beside her still silent as she took in what Kikyo was saying. Her voice was a whisper, as if she was imparting her darkest secrets to nothing but the fiery orbs in the heavens when she said, "I did. I decided that the love we had found with one another was worth handing the sacred jewel over to the very creature I was supposed to protect it from. I reasoned to myself that if his wish was pure, if he truly did want to become full human as he said and build a life with me afterwards then no one could be angered with my choice. How could they when it would harm no one and the shikon would at last be rid of this world, its potential evil forever locked away where no one could tap into it again." She paused as more memories assaulted her, tore at her control but failing in ripping it away. The hands on the wooden rail dug into the hard surface, the nails turning white from the force exerted upon them. "But I was tricked. Fooled. Deceived by my own insecurities and the morphic abilities of a half demon named Naraku. The burned criminal I had taken care of wasn't looked upon as a big enough threat for me to even consider that he would go so far in the hopes of obtaining me. My entire life I had gone without the attentions of men, so how could I have recognized his looks for what they were? The speaking glances from a grotesque visage of incinerated flesh and blackened skin. It was my duty to care for the ill and wounded. I was simply doing what I was trained to do."

Kagome began to feel a great swell of pity for the woman in front of her, trying so hard to act unaffected by what she was divulging. Never before had she stood back and taken into account just how and why Kikyo had done what she had all those years ago. This enlightenment made her disgusted with herself, feeling shallow and callous when she should have realized this sooner. When Kikyo began speaking again, she paid close attention, not wanting to miss anything of what she was telling.

"When Onigumo took in the other demons it changed his desires from simple base lust to avarice for the power of the jewel. He somehow learned of my plans to give Inu Yasha the shikon and prepared a strategy to intercept me, disguising himself as the dog hanyou and killing me." Kikyo shuddered delicately. She could still remember what it felt like, the razor-sharp stab of claws entering her body, the shock and betrayed disbelief that the caress of her future lover had turned deadly. Focusing on the present, she went on, determined to get this out in the open and laid to rest once and for all. "I'm sure you know what happened then. How I was blinded by pain and fueled with the hatred of revenge, the emotions giving me the strength to cling to life long enough to pin Inu Yasha to the tree. Then jump ahead fifty years later, after my death and his sealing. A young girl from the future comes through a magical well and releases the male you thought had killed you all those years ago. Of course, I wouldn't have even known of this happening if that same girl hadn't been divested of her soul long enough to bring me back to life."

At this point, Kagome shivered, but not from the cold. She didn't like being reminded of the time the pottery witch had stolen her soul, ripping away her very essence to breathe life into a corpse of bones and dirt. A corpse that now stood before her, talking of things far too personal for comfort.

Ignoring the miko's unease, Kikyo said, "I was given life again. A second chance to live and right the wrongs I had done in the past. When I first awoke to see Inu Yasha standing there, his face the same as it had been all those years ago, those gold eyes gazing at me with shock, I couldn't prevent feeling the old hatred return. My body was still wounded while he stood whole and unharmed, not a single mark on him to prove that my arrow had even pierced his heart. And all I could think was, why. Why had Kami forsaken me enough to damn me to reliving my worst nightmare while he remained healthy and untouched? Why was I brought back to life when I had at least known peace within the hell I now resided in in death? I made up my mind then that I would destroy him point blank, make certain this time that there was no way for him to survive and carry on while I died again." Glancing over to lock her eyes with Kagome's she stared at her intently. "But you stopped me. You somehow managed to call back the pieces of your soul that were used to revive me, and when I felt that happening I panicked and fled as quickly as I could. Yet, seeing you made my sense of betrayal grow even stronger. Not only was Inu Yasha alive and well, but he had replaced me with a girl that resembled me greatly. Was my reincarnation in fact. It was like a slap in the face to know that I had gone to the grave content with the knowledge that somewhere deep inside I still loved and always would love the hanyou. Whereas it seemed he had wasted no time in replacing me, casting my memory aside as though the vows he had made to me fifty years prior meant nothing to him. So I ran. I ran away and slowly began to uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago. When I finally did learn everything I was torn in indecision. What should I do now? Destroying Naraku and the jewel was a given, but what about Inu Yasha? Could I keep up the front of carrying out my promise of revenge? Take him down into the pits of hell to suffer as I had during those days I had not known the truth?"

A self-mocking tilt lifted the corners of the priestess' lips, a humor directed at no one but herself. "I found out that the only thing I could do was try and become closer to Inu Yasha again. Even if my mind told me not to, my heart wouldn't listen, and it was beating with life once more to prove it. For a while, I contemplated whether or not it would be better if I just let myself die, refuse the use of the soul stealers that I needed to sustain existence. But I found out something about myself. I wanted to live. Now that I could once again walk the earth, participate in the act of carving my way in the world I didn't want to throw that gift away for some noble idea. So I became selfish and chose to live instead of die as I probably should have. To live and hope that perhaps one day I could regain the man I loved so much." Waving her hand expansively, she finished. "The rest you now know. I was lucky enough that he desired me at his side even with my...abnormalities, and have not regretted my decision of life a day since."

Silence yawned between them for many minutes. Kagome was trying to take in everything that she had just learned about the woman she had always believed to be so cold and emotionally distant from everyone. That was all changing now. Instead, she was slowly seeing a real woman with faults and emotions like every other human being. It had been folly to only go off of surface perceptions, but at the time she had been so upset at the idea of losing Inu Yasha that she hadn't bothered to try and figure out the other woman's motives.

Now they all seemed painfully obvious.

Swallowing a lump in her throat at these new revelations, she said huskily, "I don't know what to say, Kikyo."

Fixing her with a calm gaze, Kikyo answered, "You do not need to say anything, Kagome. I did not tell you all of this so you could feel guilty or shallow." She noticed the color that flamed into the miko's face at her words. "What I was trying to do by telling you this was let you know that you do not have to worry that I will try and hurt Inu Yasha any more. That I want to start building a new life with him and would like it very much if you would begin to trust in the fact that I will always be there for him. No matter what."

A sharp pain jabbed in her breast towards the region of her heart, the magnitude of it making Kagome's eyes gloss over with a light sheen of tears.

Kikyo had beared her soul to her tonight and was now offering not only a truce, but also was asking for her upcoming support for their relationship.  
The darker part of Kagome, the one that raged in bitterness and hurt at the couple wanted to scream at the priestess that nothing could ever make her give her blessing to their union. That Inu Yasha had betrayed her too and that Kikyo should, in all honesty, be dead. But she knew these were the petty rantings of a girl not fully matured yet. Just as she also knew, deep down, that this break-up was going to be the event that brought her into full adulthood.

Things that hurt you emotionally had a way of doing that. Of making you grow up over night so that you could cope with all the suffering without turning into a sniveling mess that cried for someone to pick you up and put you back together again. She had to learn to stand on her own two feet and be woman enough to handle this situation with the decorum it called for. This was Kagome's chance to express just how mature she could be, and damn if she wasn't going to take advantage of it!

Otherwise all those late-night tears and emotional distress would have been for nothing, and she wasn't about to allow that.

Reining in her tears tightly, she made sure her eyes were dry and calm when they met the somber ones of Kikyo. Tilting her head at a defiant angle, she said with more confidence than she felt, "I'm glad that you decided to live instead of die, Kikyo. I know that Inu Yasha would have been devastated to lose you again and I..."she had to swallow again before continuing, willing the lump in her throat away as she verbalized the severing of her last ties to the hanyou she loved so much. "I wish for nothing more than for you two to find happiness together." She squeezed her arms tighter about her waist, nails digging painfully into her sides where the priestess couldn't see, in the hopes that this new pain would distract her enough from that of her heart shattering into fragments again. Steeling the last of her courage, she said with as much calm as she could muster, "Thank you for taking care of him and for telling me all this. I now know that as long as you are at his side he will never feel alone again."

At this point the last of her resolve crumbled and the burning behind her eyelids was too much for her to hold back. Muttering a rushed excuse, she bit down on her lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood as she walked quickly away from Kikyo towards Akito.

Vision fast growing blurry from the welling tears that she still wouldn't allow to fall, Kagome kept her head down as she passed the kitsune, knowing that he could smell the salt of her sorrow and that he was no doubt now worried as to their cause.

Not that he probably hadn't heard everything they said anyway. His hearing was too keen not to of, and it made the miko embarrassed even more at the thought.

Nose now running even more from the onslaught of tears, she didn't bother answering the guard when he asked her if she was alright, intent on only getting to her bedroom, where she could at least break down in private.

She was glad that the halls were mostly deserted, the time of evening around that when they usually served dinner. The girl was glad that she had eaten with her friends just before they left, way too upset now to entertain any notions of consuming food. The mere idea of it caused her churning stomach to buck in protest.

Reaching her room, she slipped inside and closed the door in Akito's face, not even bothering to take her pack from the concerned youkai.  
Striding towards her bed, she left the room in darkness without lighting any candles, wanting to remain in the shadows where no one could see what a pitiful sight she was. Grabbing up the box of tissues, she crawled onto the large bed, the first few sobs leaving her chest and throat, making both ache with the force of keeping them as silent as possible.

She didn't think if the arctic kitsune decided to come in right now that she wouldn't end up weeping all over him, which she didn't want to do at all. Besides, his words earlier about the youkai here treating her with any kindness out of fear from Sesshoumaru made her not want to force her attentions on any of them unnecessarily.

Blowing her nose, she threw the used flimsy paper violently away from herself, venting a fraction of the frustration and hurt she now felt as tears continued to track steadily down her cheeks, the warm droplets sliding along her skin to rest at her chin before she wiped them away with another Kleenex.

Miserable, her lower back now aching dully along with the sinus headache she was fast acquiring, Kagome pulled the heavy blanket up around her body, the soft folds not nearly as comforting as a set of arms and a warm form would have been. There was no use wishing for someone who would hold her, tell her everything was going to be okay. Her brother was far away in a different time era, her friends already bogged down with their own worries, and everyone else in the palace she couldn't claim to know well enough to seek solace from.

Kouga, perhaps, but she didn't want to make him deal with her like this, especially when his rival was the reason for it. Not because of anything the hanyou had directly done, but by her personal fault of falling for someone whose heart had been taken before. It would be unfair to put the wolf youkai through this when it would be a blow to his pride and emotions. She may not want to be his mate, but she did value him as a dear friend that she did not wish to burden with her ridiculous schoolgirl 'crush' falling apart.

Coughing a bit around her sobs, she hugged her pillow to her chest and let the cushy softness absorb the water from her eyes, the solid weight of it in her arms giving her the illusion of having someone to hold on to.

Outside, in the hallway, Akito stood staring at the intricate patterns etched in the wooden door, the yellow pack still draped over one arm. He could easily pick out the sound of the girl's crying, and his stomach wrenched at how desolate a noise it was. It was what one heard while walking the roads and coming upon the broken family where a member had died in their arms, leaving them behind to grieve in their absence. Except those people who lost the ones they loved usually had someone else to offer them the support to carry on, to survive.

This girl sounded like she had no one. As though even Kami himself could give no consolation to the torment she was experiencing at this very moment.

Gritting his teeth, he stiffly took up his usual post beside the door, placing the pack next to his feet while trying to tune out the sobs that made his airway tighten with something close to sadness. He knew she wanted her privacy and that he could not enter her chambers when she had so blatantly shown that solitude was what she desired. Even if that was the last thing she should be indulging in. So he was forced to stand outside, listening to his first serenade of a broken heart played by a woman's tears.

It was a symphony he could well do without for the rest of his life...


	34. Espionage

Sesshoumaru paced the confines of his study, cursing his chronic lack of concentration. It would have been easy enough to blame his restlessness on his encounter with Shurin or on the effort it had taken to regain control of his castle. There were questions regarding his attackers— more confusing than ever. His half brother and Kouga had left but moments before, the lateness of the hour making both demons tired and desire nothing more than to retire to their rooms. Most, if not all, of Inu Yasha's companions were in bed already. But those were minor distractions compared to the real problem.

It was Kagome who had upset the balance of his existence. His warriors scrambling to do her bidding whenever she left her rooms and ventured out to visit Ah Un. The girl had somehow managed to ensnare the attentions of almost every prominent demon in his household, even the firebird, Lord Daija.

But what really made the Taiyoukai unsettled was the terrifying expectancy he was beginning to feel, almost as if he was waiting all during the day just to have her in his company. And it made him fight ever harder to appear unaffected— he would try and avoid her as much as possible in the upcoming days.

Perhaps the woman really was a type of witch. What else could explain the strange spell she'd cast over the palace and its inscrutable commander? She'd been among them precious little time, yet already he'd wager quite a few of his top warriors would gladly lay down their lives for the woman with her heart in her eyes, be she human or no.

And because he'd brought her here, even he would never be viewed in quite the same way again. The dog demon had been hated, feared, dreaded, grudgingly respected. But Sesshoumaru suddenly realized that never in his life had he been envied— until now.

It was an odd sensation, as if the mere assumption of the other soldiers that he too held some connection with Kagome and that, even more astonishing to the youkai, she returned that bond wholeheartedly. Occasionally he even caught the most rash among them smiling in his direction!

Of course, the aura synchronization was simply a freak accident. The way his luck ran it was apparent from the start that he would be the one with which hers would willingly mesh. The others had been duped, if they had but the intelligence to realize it. What occurred between him and the miko was just one of those things that no one could explain and make it sound feasible and infallible.

Besides, there should be far more pressing matters for his warriors to attend to— stamping out the ubiquitous sparks of rebellion that were forever flaring on his lands, for example, or ferreting out the assassins who still lay hidden in the dark. And yet, despite his frustration, Sesshoumaru couldn't blame Lord Kouga and the others for being enchanted.

She was like a breath of fresh air sweeping the length and breadth of the castle. Lonely demons, who hated the oppression they stood for, marooned among a hostile populous, were exceedingly vulnerable to a woman's smile— not those of easy virtue with come-hither grins, followed by bargains struck and a mockery of love in exchange for coin— but rather the smiles their mothers or sisters or betroths might have bestowed on them, filled with warmth, understanding, and compassion.

Every male from the lowliest stable lad to the highest in rank craved her attention, whether they would admit it or not. But Kagome, forever predictable, was kindest to the shy and the uncertain, the homesick and the injured, the youkai with troubled faces, who did their duty but hated everything their service sanctioned in the Western Provinces.

He supposed he should be relieved at her popularity from a practical point of view. They had kept her occupied while he tended to more important matters, but the entire situation had made him edgy.

Nothing would please him more than to have the assassins unearthed, the girl back to full health, and then send Kagome off. . . .

Sent off where? That question had begun to constantly gnaw at him. Could he send her off alone again, among a group of friends that put her life in danger and made her feel miserable? Humming where no one could hear her? Smiling when no one would see?

It had been difficult enough picturing her continuing in such a life before he'd seen her here. He'd managed to convince himself she enjoyed solitude, as he did. But the woman fairly thrived on the bustle of the palace, the countless hopes and dreams, secret woes and joys of the soldiers.

If her plaguing his thoughts during the day wasn't bad enough, the infernal female also claimed the undivided attention of his nights as well. Not once since he had met her had he managed to spend an entire evening without her at his side.

Tonight would be different, though. Sesshoumaru would make certain that there would be no reason or cause for him to be with the miko. Besides, with as late as it was getting she should already be asleep by now, the time spent with her companions wearing her out to the point of exhaustion.

A sharp rap on the door yanked a grateful Sesshoumaru away from his thoughts. Sitting down behind his desk and picking up a glass of warm sake, he bade the person to enter while taking a sip of the heady rice wine.

Not that it did too much to his system considering he was a youkai and his blood naturally dissolved any potent ingredients in the brew. Drinking the human concoction was like taking tea with a shot of alcohol in it. It wasn't enough to do any damage to one's motor skills, but leaving the person relaxed and mellow.

His eyes fell on a piece of paper who's edge was sticking out beneath a dwindling stack of documents on his desk, causing him to freeze in mid-motion to replace the glass. The stark ink of the insignia of his uncle glared up at him malevolently, and th Taiyoukai felt a chill up his spine to know that someone had taken the letter and then returned it sometime within the last twenty-four hours.

Lips thinning, he set his face in a cold mask and made himself seem as indifferent as usual. Whoever his visitor was, it would not do to show any form of potential weakness or alarm in their presence. He would look into the matter of the mysteriously traveling letter afterwards...

Jaken's squat little body came in, the diminutive youkai bowing deeply before his master. "Lord Sesshoumaru, there's someone here to see you." Standing straight, his bulbous eyes narrowed in suspicion, he continued. "He wouldn't state his business, but said you'd know why he was here."

"I believe you have forgotten to enlighten me as to the gentleman's name, Jaken." Narrowing his own amber eyes, he watched his servant squirm at the set-down. "Assuming my visitor is a gentleman."

A dull red crept up from the toad youkai's collar, but he only squawked, "There isn't much about this demon to suggest that he is of noble birth, My Lord. But if a name will help, he calls himself Yoshin."

The Taiyoukai stilled in the process of brushing a few stray strands of hair from his face. Gentleman? No. He'd agree wholeheartedly with Jaken's estimation of the demon's character. But then, that was exactly why the dog demon had hired Yoshin.

Sesshoumaru affected a bored shrug as he once more took up his sake cup. "You might as well send him in." Searching his desk beneath silver lashes he noticed a letter that was ready to post for tomorrow. Detaining his servant with a word, he indicated the missive with a nod of his head. "Before you show him in take this letter so that it can be delivered as soon as possible to the head groom. It seems there was some question about Ah Un being bewitched by the girl and now it won't accept care from anyone else so the other stable lads are beginning to think the dragon might be more dangerous than usual. Inform the groom that he is not to take any rash action without direct orders. If anyone is to have the pleasure of disposing of that animal, it will be me." He clearly recalled all the instances his damn mount had decided to disobey him so that it could pander to the whims of the humans females now under his care. But giving Jaken this excuse to look important by delivering a message directly from the Lord of the castle would afford him privacy for at least a quarter of an hour.

Jaken scurried forward and took the missive, bowing again before showing Yoshin into the room closing the door behind him with a sharp 'click'. Sesshoumaru surveyed the other demon for a long moment, calmly swirling the tepid liquid in the black bowl-like cup with the white sakura blossoms painted in its center.

All long bones and loose joints, the youkai shambled toward him, his face showing not a hint of symmetry, one eye lower than the other, a crooked nose, an overlong mouth filled with imagination and humor. He wore a simple pair of roughly spun brown pants and matching shirt, dirt spattering the majority of the lower hem, denoting to the fact that he had journeyed extensively within the last few hours.

All in all the youkai was a hideous sight to behold. But the Taiyoukai hadn't hired him for his appearance when they'd met years ago. He had taken Yoshin into his employ because the vulture youkai had the most fiercely intelligent eyes Sesshoumaru had ever seen beyond his own mirror.

"Allow me to offer felicitations," Yoshin said in a baritone so rich and beautiful it might have belonged to an archangel. It was totally at odds with his looks and brought more attention to the mismatch because of it. "I hear you have a very powerful miko now living with you."

"That is the rumor," Sesshoumaru allowed- the truth, such as it was. The girl was powerful in brief spurts when she lost control of her emotions, and she did reside just down the hall from him. "I gather you haven't traveled all this way to congratulate me."

The misshapen lips twisted in a grotesque caricature of a smirk. "Hardly. I came for another purpose. I received word that your uncle is traveling towards the Western Lands."

The pup still buried in the Taiyoukai shuddered to life, chilled. He hardened himself against that child's sick loathing, almost supernatural dread. He had long since discovered that Aion was not the omniscient god he'd delighted in making a little dog demon believe he was. Rather, he was only a particularly vicious mortal youkai.

"He's to stay in one of his estates that lies near the border of your land from the southern side, tying up some rather difficult ends in yet another of his business schemes," the bird's keen mud-brown eyes watched his employer closely as he spoke, taking in any reaction the dog demon might give. "This one is involving an alliance for trade with the local lord of that province."

One silvery eyebrow arched in speculation, otherwise no other emotion showed on the dog youkai's marked face. "The Southern Provinces? That is the other side of where the castle is located and should be enough distance between us."

"I fear he is to be disappointed. The precarious family fortune he was hoping to shatter by undermining the other lord has taken a sudden turn for the better." A light chuckle filled the air, Yoshin delighting in telling the Taiyoukai this bit of news. "It seems their resources have been replenished by another party and they shall not need to accept your uncle's offer of assistance."

Sesshoumaru's lips curled in cold pleasure. "One can only hope the new investor has the wit to keep the new trade business functioning and prosper even more."

Yoshin met his gaze with complete understanding. "If I were a betting demon, I know where I would place my wager. And so far, I fear, will your uncle, the instant he discovers what is going on. I've heard whisperings that he is most displeased with his luck of late."

The Taiyoukai shrugged with indifference. "He never was able to endure frustration, though he went to any pains to make certain others suffered it in absolute silence. The progress of the Southern Provinces affair should be interesting to watch."

"That remains to be seen. I only wanted to make sure you were aware of his visit. And to deliver these." Yoshin handed over a dark leatherskin pouch full of documents. "More of the usual, I'm afraid. I can stay over until morning, give you a chance to peruse them, sign whatever you wish; then I can carry them away with me, if you prefer."

Opening the stiff leather flap, he began extracting the sealed envelopes in their yellow colored paper, glancing at the names of the senders fleetingly as he went. "Yes. That will be fine. As it happens, there is another matter I want to lay before you. An inquiry of sorts." Lifting his piercing eyes to that of his employee, he said with seriousness lacing each word, "It has to do with a possible connection between my uncle and General Ryosuke Kaizon."

For the first time something akin to worry darted into Yoshin's sage eyes. "May I suggest that we concern ourselves with that matter somewhat later, Lord Sesshoumaru? At the moment things are a little unwieldily, and I think we would be ill advised to display too much of our hand at present."

"I don't give a damn what else you're roasting over those fiendish fires of yours, Yoshin. I want this affair delved into. And I want it done now." The was an unmistakable steel edge of warning in his voice and fierce amber eyes.

Crooked lips tightening, the vulture youkai stiffened while replying, "I wouldn't presume to question your decisions. Kami knows, you've been a genius thus far. But I tell you, something is afoot." His expression turned anxious as he added, "Aion is not a demon who enjoys being made to look a fool. There is no predicting what lengths he might go to."

"You needn't fear, Yoshin. Your fee will be paid regardless of what kind of temper fit my uncle indulges in. I have provision for you penned neatly in my will."

Rolling his mud-brown eyes, the bird youkai answered sardonically, "That is comforting to know. However, I much prefer you alive. I just want to warn you—"

Sesshoumaru's jaw hardened, bitterness icing his voice. "Trust me, Yoshin. No warning you could offer would be dire enough where my uncle is concerned. That is one lesson he made certain I understood quite well. Now, as I said before, I want General Kaizon looked into."

"Kaizon?" Yoshin's eyes glittered with interest. "Isn't that the last name of one of the more prominent Lords?"

"It is. Lord Kaizon's son, to be precise. He came into the Taisho service while my father was still alive."

"Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive me for prying, but I heard a rumor that you were missing for nigh a week, that you were wounded." Yoshin had heard of this but a few days before and had been curious to see for himself if it was true or not.

A frigid smirk tilted the Taiyoukai's chiseled lips. "You heard right. A band of assassins took exception to the fact that I was breathing. They sought to remedy the situation."

Dark eyebrows raising in surprise, the vulture youkai asked, "Have you any idea who they might have been of why—"

"My dear Yoshin, such tender concern for my well-being. It is quite unexpected. No. I can't say I'm certain who is behind the attempt on my life." His tone was mocking, meant to put the other youkai at a distance. "However, I did run into two other demons shortly after I began making my way back towards the castle. Neither of them had the intelligence or cunning to lure me into such a trap. One was my personal aide and the other was General Kaizon."

"Ah, now I see why you wanted the General investigated. What about the other one? Your personal aide?"

Ignoring the small jab of discomfort at the mention of Shurin, he shook his head. "No, only Ryosuke. The other one I am dealing with personally."

"But you still have no idea who instigated the attack?"

"No. The difficulty is that over the years I've made more than my share of enemies, both in the ranks and out of them." A self-depreciating smile lit his features. "I am not a demon who inspires devotion easily."

Although, that wasn't precisely true. What about Jaken and Rin? Or the rain child for that matter? Oh yes, great allies indeed. A formidable threat to the rest of the world for sure...

"Where have you begun to make inquiries?" Yoshin was eager to pick up this line of work rather than investigating the General and his master's uncle. "May I be of service?"  
"Perhaps later, after you've discovered the link between Kaizon and my uncle," the dog demon's answer was firm, resolution clear on his face as he stared at the other demon.

"But, Lord Sesshoumaru, why worry over something like that when I could be out there searching for the assassins directly responsible?" Yoshin protested, clearly not wanting to just leave the issue for later. "I beg you, allow me to—"

Irritation quickly sprung up in the dog demon, swirling through his system despite the sedative quality to the alcohol he'd consumed. "Yoshin, I regret the necessity, but I feel I must remind you that I am the one who pays your salary, gives you orders. Do as I bid you. Discover all you can about the relationship between Kaizon and Aion. Once those questions are answered, you may use your skills to ferret out my attackers, is it will amuse you."

"By that time they might have succeeded in killing you!" The vulture seemed truly upset by the idea as he pleaded with the stoic Taiyoukai. " Lord Sesshoumaru this makes no sense. Caution, logic planning to the minutest detail, and realizing the importance of dealing with everything in its own time—these are the tools that have made us successful thus far. Stray from these principles, and we both know what will happen. It's a dangerous precipice we've been dancing upon. We could slip and fall." Clenching his hands, he swore while adding viciously, "And damn me, but we have both worked too hard to allow that to happen."

Unimpressed by his fevered speech, Sesshoumaru answered calmly, "I assure you that I will be the only one anything leads back to. I've made certain you will feel no repercussions. Let me worry about myself, Yoshin. You do as you are ordered." Gaze turning thoughtful, he said with a semblance of gratitude, "But I do owe you my thanks for alerting me to the fact that Aion is coming to the Southern territory of my lands."

"How long has it been"— Yoshin's voice broke into Sesshoumaru's momentary reverie of his uncle— "since you actually saw your uncle?"

"I have no seen him since the day my father banished him from our lands, forbidding him to ever stepping foot on our property again under penalty of death. Once Aion left I had obtained freedom at last." He could still recall the day the imposing figure of his tormentor of a couple of years had left the lands, his little brother clutching at their father's leg while staring fearfully after the other youkai.

Yoshin scoffed incredulously. "Free? You've employed me all these years trying to thwart him, staying in indirect contact with him."

A sudden image of him and Souta playing chess in Kagome's bedroom popped into his mind, the similarities of the strategies and his life with his uncle starkly plain to him now.

Moving the new stack of letters off to the side, he spoke to the other demon without looking at him. "It is a game, Yoshin. Uncle would tell you. It's all a game between us, begun when I was but a pup."

"Perhaps it is time you made an end to it," the bird demon suggested, a touch of sympathy about his long mouth. "Start living in the present instead of in the past."

Stacking the sealed envelops with care, he said, "I'm afraid making an end to our game is impossible. After all, it is so difficult to find worthy opponents."

"And after one of you dies?" Yoshin asked, his craggy cheeks pale. "What then?"  
Strange. Sesshoumaru had never even considered that. What would he do with his life once the looming specter of his uncle was gone? For a heartbeat, he imagined a woman with soft blue-grey eyes and long midnight hair smiling gently at him, hands reaching forward to accept his own.

He shoved the vision away, amazed at the pain in it.

"Then it will be finished." Sesshoumaru tucked the final letter into place before raising eyes devoid of emotion to the keen of his personal spy.

Yes, one way or another everything would come to an end. And Kagome...she would be sent on her way none the wiser of the ludicrous thoughts she had caused the Taiyoukai to entertain in his own mind.

It would be better this way. For everyone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


	35. Refuge

Kagome came awake slowly, keeping her eyes closed since they still ached from the multitude of tears she had shed. Her eyelids felt a little swollen and gritty, the skin covering her cheeks stiff from the salt water that had dried on them. Pulling her hands free from the heavy blanket she rubbed at her shut eyes, pressing her teeth together when it irritated the sensitive orbs even more.

Sniffling, she rolled over onto her side, facing the door and squinting her eyes open a fraction. At first everything was a blurry blob of dark colors, browns and blacks, until she blinked a few times to bring it into focus. Judging by how the only light inside the bedroom was still from the embers of the brazier in the corner, but a few short hours had passed since she had fallen into a fitful sleep, exhausted emotionally.

Her nose wasn't as congested as before, so the antibiotics were taking effect and beginning to repair her immune deficient body. However, a simple pill could not dissolve the large emptiness invading her heart, filling the miko with a cold longing for comfort when there was none to be had.

More depressing realizations within the space of a twelve hour period. Was she just the luckiest girl alive, or what? By the time she was well enough to leave the Taisho castle she would be more decimated from contact with people around her rather than any scheme Naraku could dream up.

At this rate, all the girl's allies were turning into her worst nightmares. And the thing about it was, that it wasn't because of any malicious intent on their part. Everything she was grieving over came from her own misconception and misinterpretation on time spent with them.

Yep, she was definitely starting to show masochistic tendencies...

Groaning, she sat up, pushing the heavy braid over her shoulder to trail down her back before resting her elbows on her knees, cupping her face in her palms. Letting out her breath in a sigh, the hot moist air fanning against her cheeks, she tried not to think of her earlier encounter with Kikyo at the bridge.

Yet, no matter how hard Kagome tried to drive the images and words away from tormenting her, nothing worked. The same phrases laced in old pain, bitterness coated in self-reproach that fell from the other woman's thin lips whirled about loudly in her head until she was sure the dulcet tones of the dead priestess would surely drive her mad.

Raking her hands through her hair in agitation, she rose from the bed, ignoring the icy floor as it came into contact with her bare feet. She had removed her shoes and socks a few moments after falling onto the mattress, despite her chaotic thoughts she had remembered not to track dirt all over her clean bed linen.

Laying in sheets and blankets that were grainy with dried mud was never a comfy feeling.

Staggering across the room, the miko made her way over to the armoire to withdraw a pair of thick grey socks and the black jacket she had worn while traveling with Sesshoumaru. Putting on the new clothing, being sure to zip the light coat up almost to her chin, she shoved her feet into her tennis shoes forcefully, Kikyo's words still ringing in her ears.

Gritting her teeth, she went over and cracked her door open enough to peak out and see who was standing guard. After midnight Sora always took over and she didn't know the dog demon as well as she did Akito.

A stab of guilt assaulted her as she thought of the arctic kitsune. He was probably worried about her after the way she had slammed the door in his face and cried her eyes out. If nothing else, the fox would be encumbered with her yellow pack since Kagome had left it with him when she had retreated to the sanctity of her chamber.

Grimacing, she glanced down the side of the hallway that was always clear and then turned hesitantly to check who was standing guard.

She couldn't prevent a start of surprise when she encountered a pair of piercing blue-pearl eyes staring straight at her but a foot away. Opening the door fully, she regarded the ice youkai unhappily, putting her hands inside her jacket pockets so that she wouldn't start fidgeting under his intent gaze.

Dropping her eyes to look at the shiny wooden floorboards of the hallway, her shoulders hunching a bit, she said softly, "Sorry about earlier, Akito-kun." Clearing her throat, Kagome kept from meeting his eyes, not wishing to see the censure she was sure she would find there. Biting her lower lip, she attempted to offer a better explanation for her actions from before as the silence lengthened between them. "I– I just — " Damn if she didn't feel tears threatening to spill over again! Hadn't she gotten rid of all those?!

Watching her start to break down again right before his eyes made Akito's heart clench painfully. He had been surprised at her sudden arrival and apology so much that he had been speechless. But it looked like she was taking his silence to mean that he was displeased with her somehow.

Reaching out, he gently placed his palm upon the side of her face, feeling her eyelashes brush his skin as she clenched her eyes shut at his touch. He felt the aura synchronization immediately start flowing through him, the usual warm sensations now shadowed with a sorrow that even he could feel. Stepping closer, he tilted her head back till he could see her face clearly, the saltiness of her previous tears and the new ones begging to be shed filling his nostrils along with her usual scent. He noticed that the miko was worrying at her bottom lip like she usually did when upset or nervous, the tender flesh between her teeth darkening at the abuse it was suffering.

Moving his thumb, he ran the tip of the calloused pad along the indent in her chin, effectively getting her to release the now swollen red lip. A shuddering breath left her frail body, something close to a whimper liberally entwined with it.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Lady," his usually frigid voice was a low murmur, a comforting sound that was meant to sooth the distraught girl. One he had used many times when watching over his younger siblings, the kits gaining some minor injury or other from their playing. The frown that was between her raven brows eased a bit, showing that she was responding to him positively. "I was simply worried for you. Concerned that you needed something that I couldn't provide for you."

At his last comment, Kagome's said in a faltering voice, "Tha— Thanks Aki—" but before she could finish what she was saying a tiny sob left her throat, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

Making a sound of distress in his throat, the arctic kitsune deftly put his spear to lean against the wall beside them and then put both arms around the trembling human, drawing her close against his body. Another sob shook her frame, the hands that were once encased within the material of her jacket now clutching at the fabric of his back as she buried her face against his chest, tears quickly seeping into the thin material he wore.

Knowing that the noise she was making, even though it was slight, would probably reach the other demons occupying the royal wing, the fox youkai debated where he should move them to. He doubted Lord Sesshoumaru would be pleased if his half brother and the wolf prince began banging on his door, demanding to know why the woman was crying all over his personal guard in the hallway.

It was late enough in the evening that everyone should already be abed, even Sora, whom he had informed that he would take over the dog demon's watch tonight. The other youkai had given him a speculative look, but otherwise consented easily enough to the order, saying that if Akito got too tired to come and get him and he would take back over.

Judging by the stillness of the castle, he estimated it was probably the middle hours of the evening, late enough for servants to not be about and early enough for the sentries at their posts to begin grumbling at the long hours that remained ahead of them.

Absently rubbing his cheek against the silky crown of her head, the silvery hair of his bangs mixing in with the ebony strands, he rubbed in between her shoulder blades with calming firmness while trying to figure out what to do.

The sudden opening of his master's door quickly followed by the frowning Taiyoukai himself stepping out of his room banished any further contemplations on the matter. Apparently the hiccuping miko had made enough racket to wake at least one inhabitant of the palace. And judging from the annoyance in the amber eyes of the youkai now stalking gracefully towards them, the ivory robe he wore trailing over his pants to flutter like wings behind him, it would appear the interruption hadn't been received well at all.

Kagome didn't even notice that Sesshoumaru was now standing a short distance behind her and Akito, too wrapped up in divesting her body of any stray moisture it had managed to accumulate while she'd slept. Her fingers hadn't loosened their hold any, the fragile nails on the tips digging deeply into the hard muscles beneath them. She kept her face hidden in his haori front, forehead resting against his collarbone and tears spilling from her closed eyes.

All she was aware of was that, for the moment, she had found someone to give a fraction of the solace she craved right now. Someone strong and sympathetic to lean on while venting her broken heart in the hopes that once the storm of emotions passed she might be able to piece the shattered fragments back together.

But unlike the shikon no tama, she wasn't so sure that would be possible to accomplish. Especially with the way she was feeling right now and how bleak her future looked.

Akito couldn't prevent the instinctual way he tightened his embrace, protectively clasping Kagome in front of him as he took in his master's less than pleased face. It had been a reflex. A deep inner command from his demon nature that considered the Taiyoukai's unfriendly demeanor in the vicinity of someone the arctic kitsune cared about, and immediately saw it as a threat.

Fighting down the rest of his natural instincts, he stared at his master with a flat gaze, as though he wasn't cradling a sobbing female to his chest.  
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow when he saw the way his personal guard tried to shield the girl from him, the momentary flash of white that had taken over the other youkai's eyes causing him to believe what he had thought earlier that night.

The miko was slowly taking over his castle, one demon at a time. And it looked like this particular one in front of him was completely under her spell.

"Might I ask why you and the girl are out in my hallway making so much noise, Akito?" He inquired in placid tones, glancing briefly down at the upset human that was between them. From her lack of reaction to his voice he doubted she even knew he was there.

"My Lord. I am sorry that you were disturbed. Lady Kagome was —" at this point he trailed off, frowning a little.

What had she been going to do when she had left her room tonight? From the way she was attired it looked like she had plans of going outside, but why would she want to do that?

"She?" Sesshoumaru urged, patiently waiting for the guard's explanation.

Shifting his arms a bit so that he was able to maneuver the unresisting girl more to one side, the fox youkai replied, "I am not sure why she was leaving her room this late at night, My Lord. I hadn't gotten the chance to ask her before she...became upset." The delicate way he worded the last part spoke volumes to the dog demon.

He didn't know why the damn human was so upset, but if she was bent on causing a scene with her crying he might as well be the only one burdened with it.

"I see." Searching the guard's serious features a moment, he turned away and began walking towards his room, saying over his shoulder, "Then I suggest you bring the girl in here. The last thing I need is for my half brother and Lord Kouga waking up to rouse the entire keep with their ranting." There was definite distaste liberally sprinkled in the last sentence.

Shocked at his master's order, Akito stared blankly at the empty space where Sesshoumaru had disappeared back into his own room before shaking his head, bringing himself back to the present.

Running one clawed hand gently through her bangs, he grabbed her upper arms and pushed her away from him until he could see her face. She didn't raise her head, and the tears didn't stop falling either. Instead, Kagome continued quietly crying, the sounds muffled and distorted from the way she was attempting to keep it down to a minimum.

Sighing, he turned her around so that she was facing the direction the Taiyoukai had gone, placing an arm about her waist, to which the girl at once buried her face into his side, making their walk slow and awkward. But he didn't bother pushing her away. If being close to him like this made her feel even a little bit better then he would happily allow it. Besides, being so near to her with the aura synchronization in effect wasn't unpleasant at all for him.

Once they got to Sesshoumaru's room, he paused a moment on the threshold, unsure as to where he should take the miko since this was his master's most private quarters.

However, that too, was decided for him when the dog demon in question came into his line of vision beneath the pale glow of the candlelight bathing the room from its resting place on the table by the brazier.  
"Go ahead and put her over there next to the brazier. I don't want the girl getting sicker because she wasn't kept warm enough."

Following his instructions, Akito went over to the makeshift heater, noticing that a sake carafe and one of the black bowl-like cups used by the Lords of the castle was sitting next to it. Shrugging it aside as inconsequential, he gently untangled her grip in his haori, coaxing her to a seated position on the floor amongst the pillows spread beside the low table. After he was certain she was as settled as she was going to be in her current state, the ice youkai rose to stand and face his master. The dog demon hadn't moved from his spot beside the foot of his bed, amber eyes trained upon the human now occupying his bedroom.

"That will be all, Akito. You are relieved of duty for the rest of the night."

Puzzled, he asked, "My Lord, are you sure? I took over for Sora this evening and if the Lady wishes to return to her rooms soon someone should be there to watch over her."

Mocking luminescent orbs clashed with worried pearl-blue. "Have I ever second guessed an order once I have given it?" Waving his hand in dismissal, Sesshoumaru once again watched Kagome intently. "Do not worry, Akito. The girl will come to no harm and if I have need of your services again before morning I shall come get you."

Not able to offer further argument once given a direct order, Aktio bowed deeply, gazing at the girl beneath his navy eyelashes as he did so. "As you wish, My Lord." Giving the oblivious miko one last worried look, he turned on his heel to leave the room and retrieve his weapon. He also would put her yellow pack inside her room before retiring to his own chambers. She would probably want it first thing tomorrow morning...

When he and Kagome were left alone, Sesshoumaru exhaled in annoyance as her crying went on, not having abated or slowed at all. Striding over silently, he looked down at her a long moment, studying the way she had drawn up her knees to hug against her chest, head resting on her self-made shelf.

The vulnerable curve of her bare neck shown clearly up at him, the long rope of her hair having slid off to the side to drape over her shoulder. It was foolish to expose ones weak spot to a predator like that. Someone really should teach the girl not to go around flaunting her inexperience in the company of demons...

Picking up the choppy quality to her breathing with his sharp ears, his silvery brows lowered in a V at the abrasive way it affected him. The unhealthy tempo of it was making him agitated and on edge.

Lowering himself to the floor behind her, he swept her with another cursory glance before tightening his lips into a thin line and unraveling his tail from around his shoulder. Folding his legs Indian-style, he curled the furry appendage around her body, under her knees till it looped at her back.

The feel of being moved like that made the girl finally open her eyes and look around in confusion, coming to rest on the person who was now placing her in their lap.

The first thing Kagome made out clearly was white silk over a contoured chest, her gaze rising along the line of the person's throat and chin until she was staring straight into a pair of amber orbs.

"Sess— Sesshoumaru?" She hiccupped out, frowning even as more tears tracked down her cheeks in a steady stream. A small cough left her chest, the action causing her to lean against him more.

Accepting her slight weight on him easily, he removed his tail so that she could rest her legs over one of his thighs, his shoulder supporting her back. Already, he could feel the stirrings of his aura straining to meld with her own, smooth away the hurt and pain ripping through her body.

Since it was useless to try and resist the damn thing, he let the two essences intermingle with one another, reaching up to guide her head till it rested upon his clavicle. He didn't know what amazed him more. The care with which he was using to handle the girl, or the complacent way she let him...

No more words left her mouth, a silence overtaking the couple that sat together in the dim light of the bed chamber of the Taiyoukai of the West. Sniffling loudly, she pulled a Kleenex from the pocket of her jacket that she had shoved in there before leaving her room. Since she'd been planning on taking a walk in the garden she had wanted to make sure that if her nose started running later she would have something readily on hand.

However, the situation she was currently in wasn't exactly the type of case she had in mind...

Blowing her nose, she wiped up the droplets lining her face as best she could, giving up as the water continued to well from her eyes. Now that she had started crying again she couldn't seem to stop.

She didn't know exactly how she had gone from using Akito as an absorbent for her tears to being cradled in the lap of Sesshoumaru inside what looked to be his bedroom. At least the large bed off to the side looked like something the lord of a castle would sleep in.

The steady thump of his heartbeat sounding in her ear calmed Kagome somewhat, his quiet embrace not bothering her by its lack of conversation at all.

As though sensing her thoughts, his deep voice rumbled from his chest, caressive to her ears. "You will persist in complicating my life, won't you girl?"

Refusing to rise to the bait, and frankly too strung out to offer a ready comeback, she replied in a whisper, "I assure you, it isn't intentional, Sesshoumaru."

A skeptical grunt shook his frame. "Hhn. Whether it is by design or not you prove very adept at accomplishing it."

A despondent sigh was quickly followed by an equally pitiful sniffle. "At least I am good at something then."

"Indulging in self pity is not becoming." He hoped that comment would rile the girl enough to draw her out of whatever low she was residing in. Since the circumstances as to why she would be acting this way were still a mystery to him he didn't know that he was going about the wrong way to comfort her.  
"Neither is being an insensitive jerk," was her only answer before she snuggled into him further, picking up the portion of his tail that was curled about his feet so that she could put it over her thighs like a throw.

Somehow, being with Sesshoumaru like this was making her feel more at ease than she had before. Like all the other times previously where she had spent in his company while in close contact with him, she just felt better. As though her very soul evened out into a serene shadow of what it once was before she had encountered a hanyou wielding a sword made from a fang.

But it didn't make her any less lonely or depressed. Just more willing to accept whatever happened to her without putting up much of a fight.

The tears were finally slowing down, her breathing not as jagged or uneven. Plucking at the silky fur warming her legs, she let her mind wander, content that it wasn't being filled with images of her talk with Kikyo.

She was brought from her random musings when he said, "As long as it doesn't incite anymore crying, why don't you tell me what got you upset enough to use my personal guard as a living handkerchief."

Glowering, she resisted the urge to tilt her head back to glare at him, instead, staying as she was with her cheek on his warm skin. "I wouldn't want to bother you with my petty human problems."

Inwardly sighing, he tried again to get her to explain. He didn't fully understand, himself, why it was that he needed to know what had upset her so badly. Something inside him became angered at whatever had caused her to become such an emotional mess. The fact that she was already ill and not feeling her best made his demonic instincts even more receptive to her new emotional pain. Even if his mind wasn't totally in tune with the girl, his emotions and youkai nature were.

"Kagome, just tell me what happened."

The use of her first name made her heart skip a beat before steadying once more into its normal rhythm. What was the use of denying him an answer? Knowing him he would keep asking until she did what he said.

"Sesshoumaru, do all the demons I have met since I have been here act nicely towards me only because they're scared not to?"

He was taken aback that this might be the cause of her getting so upset.

Did the opinions of a bunch of demon warriors who had helped destroy more than their fair share of her race really matter to her?

Figuring that she was overreacting, he said scathingly, "You can't seriously be this upset over something so asinine." Feeling her stiffen indignantly in his lap, he absently ran clawed fingers down her back. Suppressing the desire to roll his eyes, he continued indifferently, "I assure you, any reaction other than respect from the soldiers is purely personal on their part."

His words put some of her doubts to rest, making her feel a little foolish for the way she had reacted earlier. In hindsight, if she had really thought it over she would have realized what Akito had meant when he had said what he did.

She wasn't as rigid in his lap, but a tightness still remained in the set of her shoulders, the curved line of her back. The sadness he felt through the link hadn't abated as it should have either.

Trailing his palm once again down her spine, he urged, "Now, let's try again. What is really bothering you?"

The fingers sifting through his fur stopped, a few strands caught between the fragile digits as she warred with herself on whether or not to tell him the real reason behind her behavior. Since she had taken him into her home they had begun to get closer and closer to one another. Almost to the point of being friends she would like to think. But did the tenuous relationship they had built sanction this kind of intimacy of the heart? If she told him about the talk with Kikyo, about all of the pain it had caused her, wouldn't she be opening herself up to the potential of being hurt again?

Biting at her lip in indecision, Kagome nervously shifted where she sat, freezing when she felt the tail laying over her clamp down, preventing her from moving. Stuck, she let out a defeated breath, shoulders slouching for what felt like the millionth time this evening.

"I had a run-in with Kikyo," she mumbled, his youkai hearing picking up the words easily.

Ah, so that was the problem. He had known when he'd allowed his brother and his companions to come to the castle that the miko would probably be uncomfortable with the situation. What he hadn't counted on was the depth of her sorrow over the matter. Apparently when this human suffered from a broken heart she went all out and nursed it for a long time.

"I take it you and the priestess did not have a pleasant conversation."

A humorless laugh broke from her throat, the sound of it coarse and grating. "You could say that." She hesitated before adding quietly, "Actually, I understand her a lot better than I did before. Especially where Inu Yasha is concerned."

"And this new ...understanding is the cause of all the tears tonight?" He had yet to understand fully what it was that made her feel so terrible. Something to do with his brother no doubt.

"In a way," she answered evasively. She wasn't at ease discussing his half brother with him. Not after the times in the past that the two had gotten into all the fights they had. "It's just difficult, you know? Letting go of someone you care about."

That shed considerable light on what was going on. Now he understood what had happened to bring her spirits so low. She had finally severed all romantic ties and possibilities with his idiot brother so he could pursue a new life with the undead woman.

How...interesting. A small part of him felt glad with the knowledge, and he desperately pushed it away to let the more prominent semblance of compassion take its place. An emotion he was sure he felt now only because of all the memories that had been stirred up of his uncle. Kindred spirits in suffering, as it were.  
"I can't say that I can relate to what you are describing." As he spoke he felt her hunch lower in on herself in dejection, disappointed that she didn't have someone who could share the painful experience with her. It made him want to do the ludicrous act of hugging her against him. An urge he viciously extinguished from himself. However, he did offer after a pause, "But, that doesn't mean that I haven't seen this type of situation before. In fact, the humans I have observed on my travels displayed such characteristics and sorrows quite blatantly. One thing is definite about your race, and that is their inability to hide what they are feeling. Even though they acted like their world was ending they managed to survive. That is another trait of your kind, they are damnably durable."

A noncommittal noise left her throat, but she did haltingly raise one hand from its place in his tail to put it next to her face that lay upon his chest where the V of his robe lapels were. His muscles beneath her hand jumped, a reaction he couldn't control from the personal quality of the touch. Yet, he permitted it.

The youkai that had gone to such extreme measures to make sure no one came into direct contact with his person after the brutal training from his sadistic uncle was not only granting silent permission to the caress, but secretly reveling in it as well.

How long had it been since he had felt another person's hands on his body that were not intent on causing pain? The miko treating his injuries had been the first time in decades. Even the women that he sometimes took to bed never made him behave this way, delighting in the palm with its delicate fingers splayed across the expanse of his chest as he was now.

Damn if he didn't feel something that could be closely likened to a sound of contentment bubbling in his throat. Kami, but this girl was terrible for his self control!

"Thanks, Sesshoumaru." She nuzzled her cheek against him, the soft sigh that left her parted lips fanning warmly over his skin. "I know you didn't mean that to be as insulting as it sounded." He felt her smirk, the fettering of her mouth on him causing a stray shiver to skate up his spine, the tail about her to tighten again.

Unaware of the effect she was having on her living pillow, Kagome let her eyes close to half mast, knowing by their slight burning that they were probably an unattractive red. Just like her nose. Couldn't she catch a break? I mean come on, she was due for one soon wasn't she?

Sesshoumaru warred within himself on whether he should return the female to her own room and let Akito deal with her for what was left of the night, or keep her close by and indulge for once in the soothing sensations coursing through his system.

His demon nature was all for the latter, all but purring in bliss from the combination of the aura synchronization and pleasure derived from being with the human. And really, after all the emotional turmoil he, himself, was entertaining because of the discussions regarding Aion, the dog demon didn't want to be alone.

In fact...his wants were beginning to stray into territory he was most unfamiliar with. Such as not only desire of the body, but of the soul and mind as well. The more time he spent in Kagome's company the more he wanted her by his side, talking with him, arguing her random points of useless philosophy, and yes, even touching him as casually as she did. He knew that the initial fear she had harbored of him had vanished while he was convalescing at her home, hours spent with one another in some of the most intimate of settings imaginable.  
Flashes of memories danced through his mind. Scenes of Kagome smiling warmly at him... the stubborn tilt of her jaw as she refused to give in to his demands to return back to his own castle...her laughter as she expressed how funny she thought something was...the banked sorrow always masking her beautiful blue-grey eyes that showed more than their owner would have liked...tears shed within the privacy of her bathroom, more desolate and heart wrenching than any he had been witness to in the past...kindness lining her face as she gazed with compassion at an injured youkai, willingness to help in any way visible in her voice and body language...and finally, the selfless sacrifice of her own happiness so that the ones she cared for and loved could have the life she, herself, dreamed about in the dark hours of the night, left to face herself alone.

It was at that moment, cradling the almost sleeping female against him, that Sesshoumaru, Lord and Taiyoukai to the Western Provinces of Japan realized he actually liked this human that had upset his orderly existence so adroitly. And, despite popular belief, the knowledge of his budding feelings for the miko weren't regarded with anger or rejection. Instead, as was usual once the dog demon found out the facts to some puzzle or mystery, they were accepted. Lying to himself wasn't something he readily or consciously allowed, and this was no different.

He was beginning to like Kagome. That was a fact that he wasn't, nor would attempt, to change. His instincts hadn't steered him wrong since he had begun listening to them during his 'training' sessions with his uncle. The problem wasn't what he felt towards the girl, but rather the current emotional state she was in. Now that she was in the stages of recovering from a broken heart over his half brother he figured she wouldn't be ready for any type of relationship anytime soon.

Which was fine with him. He had more than enough problems right now taking up his time without worrying over the possibility of becoming closer to her. If anything, what he was probably feeling was more along the lines of friendship. After all, he had never had what he could call a 'friend' so he couldn't be sure just what emotions were breathing to life inside him.

It was a little unnerving, how much he didn't know himself as he had thought he did. Quite damaging to his pride, actually.

But what was weighing heavily on his mind was that, with these new emotions would come responsibilities he didn't know if he could handle. Such as his demonic nature wanting to claim the girl. Not in the sense of a mate, but more like he did everything that came into his care that wouldn't be leaving it any time soon. That had started while traveling with her to his castle. The way the miko depended on him for protection all but sealing the deal of ownership to his more basic beast instincts. Besides, hadn't she said he was hers in her own era? It was only right that he get to return the favor...

Sighing deeply, he glanced down and saw with some surprise that while he had been trapped in his thoughts she had fallen asleep. Judging by the way her breathing was clearer than it had been lately, the medication the girl was taking was working in healing her body. Something that made the Taiyoukai become relieved.

Funny. A month ago he couldn't have cared less if this human became so ill, she perished slowly and painfully. Yet now, if she sounded the least bit sicker, he was running different remedies through his head to try and preempt any future attacks.

Her limp form was beginning to make his legs go numb from lack of circulation, so he carefully put his tail around her to lift her off him, supporting the sleeping girl while he stood. Once on his feet, he brought her back against his body, much like he had that time she had fainted in the main hall.

Kagome reached up and wrapped both arms around his neck, squirming till she was comfortable, her actions causing the dog youkai to falter on his way to his bed.

Hurrying the last few steps to the large piece of furniture, he gently untangled her limbs from his, putting her on the cool silk if his sheets afterward. When he had gotten up earlier to investigate who was crying in the hallway, the Taiyoukai had thrown the blankets to the foot of the bed, irritated at having another night interrupted.

Now the cause of his lack of sleep was lying on his mattress, grabbing onto his pillow with one arm to draw it more fully beneath her head.

As usual, the blasted girl had no problem making herself at home with his things.

Shaking his head, he unzipped the black jacket and took it off her unresisting body, draping it over a chair that was sitting not too far from the bed. Turning back, he removed her shoes and socks, the lowered temperature from the lack of clothing causing her to shiver and frown. Disposing of his robe, he went around to the other side of the bed and slid in beside Kagome, scooting until her back was lying flush against his front. Retrieving the fluffy covers, he draped the soft material over the both of them, snaking his arm around her waist tightly.

She pressed back into him willingly, the scowl now gone along with the tremors that had wracked her slight frame. Arching his head over hers, he rested his nose in her fragrant hair, inhaling a long drawn in breath. Along with the apples and vanilla there was now the sharp odor of salt from the tears she had shed so copiously.

A whimper left her throat as whatever dream she was in began to prove distressing to her, her legs moving a bit as if she was trying to get away from it physically.

Not thinking twice, Sesshoumaru rotated her till she faced him, clawed fingers threading through the hair at her nape to press gently in a circular motion as he rubbed his striped cheek upon her own.

"Shhhhhhh...it's alright, Kagome," he whispered by her ear, effectively calming her down to lie peacefully once more. Skimming back slowly, he kissed one high cheekbone, the taste of salt lingering on his lips.

The miko lifted the side of her face towards him when he went to depart, silently begging for a repeat of the caress. One of her hands remained in between their two bodies, lying docilely on his shoulder while the other clasped about his waist, her forearm laying along his back, fingers clenching convulsively.

Sensations of warmth were transmitting from her to him, the sadness of before dimming under this new barrage of emotions singing through his system. Finding her offer more tempting than he could refuse, a small grin tilted his chiseled lips as he bent down to first kiss her cheek and then her forehead where markings would have been were she a youkai of noble birth.

She sighed happily, one of her legs sliding forward to slip under one of his own, entwining the limbs and bringing her nearer to him.

The long forgotten peace of contentment filled the Taiyoukai's being. A drowsiness began seeping into his mind, fogging over his thoughts in a serene cloud of, what could have been, happiness.

A pur-like noise left his throat, thrumming through his chest, the vibrations tingling pleasantly to Kagome's ears.

Eyes closing, Sesshoumaru put his chin atop her head once more, making sure to place his tail over her thighs, the tip diving underneath her shirt to brush the base of her spine again and again.

Tomorrow he would deal with the repercussions of the girl staying in his bedroom an entire night, unchaperoned. Of course, the others didn't know that he had spent many such evenings with her while in her own era and at his castle as well. This would be the first instance they would know about, and considering how well he knew his brother and Lord Kouga, reactions were not going to be pleasant.

But even that didn't annoy him like it probably would have done once. He felt irritation at the other demons involved, not towards the female he was falling asleep next to.

Intriguing, how accepting one's feelings over someone could change their perception of them within the space of a heartbeat.

No matter what happened in the morning, he would handle it with his usual grace and intelligence. What worried him more was that the assassins after his life would most assuredly notice the relationship strengthening between him and the miko. Putting her at further risk wasn't exactly his idea of a great thing, but at this point she was most likely being targeted anyway. This way, if he kept her close, ensuring from the warriors not in the plot to kill him to guard her better, Kagome had a good chance of coming from this unscathed.

As unscathed as possible, that is.

That was his last thought before the dog demon fell into a deeper sleep than he had known in years. The bedroom was quiet save for the breathing of the couple on the bed, the window showing the dark majesty of the night shedding pale moonlight over the occupants, bathing them with a bluish illumination.

For this single moment in their lives they took comfort from each other, the emptiness lying inside them growing smaller under the healing onslaught of their bond. The ice encasing the frigid caverns of the Taiyoukai's heart thawed a fraction from the heat of the female pressed to his tall frame. Neither of them realizing how significant their embrace was.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


	36. The Innocence of Seduction

Kagome rolled over onto her side, the pestering call of nature making her frown in annoyance before she mustered up the will to leave the warm cocoon of blankets that enveloped her. Sighing in defeat, she let her eyes open to mere slits, levering herself from beneath the heavy covers and limbs that had been draped over her, the sleep still fogging her mind not even catching that there probably shouldn't have been any impediments when she went to leave.

Catching her wavering balance, she half stumbled, half shuffled towards where the bathroom was located, the early dawn light coming in through the window giving her more than ample illumination to see by.

The miko didn't stop to think about how the furniture in the room didn't resemble any found in her own chamber. Nor the fact that the objects littering the surfaces of said pieces of wood were various masculine items that one wouldn't normally find in a chamber occupied by a sole female.

Giving the sake bottle a cursory glance out of the corner of one bleary eye, she quickly made her way into the bathroom, finished, and came back out again, yawning behind one hand. Grimacing at the smell of the coarse soap made in this era, she scratched her side while ambling back to the bed, still not coherent enough for cognizant thought process.

Once reaching her destination, she saw a long arm lying over the spot where she had been laying, the claws and stripes at the wrist and fingers easily recognizable to the girl. Grinning sleepily, she clambered back onto the warm mattress, lifting the muscular appendage so she could slide beneath it, resettling it over her side. Snuggling back into the frame of Sesshoumaru, she yawned again, her eyes remaining closed, both her small hands wrapping around the one she held, bringing it to lie between her breasts and under her chin.

She felt the silky brush of his tail as it latched back around her, coiling about her legs like a loving serpent, taking care not to apply too much pressure as it did. The hand she held flexed, the nail tips scraping along her skin gently seconds before the roughness of fingertips took its place, making her chuckle huskily as it tickled her. His arm tensed, drawing her in further against his body, the heat of which immediately dispelled any minor throbs of cramps she had felt upon first wakening.

Sesshoumaru breathed in deeply, his face coming to rest where her shoulder and neck met, his exhales dancing through the few strands of hair found there. He had become aware of an absence where Kagome should have been, even in slumber the dog demon was fully in tune of her body at his side. As soon as she had gotten up, he'd roused himself enough to open an eye, peer after her to make sure she wasn't wandering off somewhere. When he saw she was only going to the bathroom, he had let himself relax, almost falling back asleep until she had gotten into bed once more, lifting his arm and hugging it to herself.

Since it was still fairly early in the morning the Taiyoukai was ready to sleep a few more hours, replenishing some of his depleted reserves since having her in the castle had prevented him from his usual schedule. It had been a natural response for him to hug her delicate frame to himself, nuzzle her neck along her smooth shoulder left exposed from the collar of her shirt being twisted to the side a bit. The fragrance of her calmed him, soothed his demonic impulses that had objected loudly to find her missing from the spot next to him.

Already, the miko's breathing was steadying into a slow rhythm, the healthy beat of her heart reassuring to his sharp ears. He could feel the barest trace of her blood pumping through her fragile veins where his face lay against her neck, a flagrant sign that she was alive and real. In his dazed, half awake brain, he wanted nothing more than to offer thanks that she was a living being, that no harm had come to her, taken her from him.

Growling softly deep in his throat, he placed a lingering kiss on her pulse-point just below her jaw, falling into serene unconsciousness right after.

Adversely, that simple caress had brought Kagome to full wakefulness faster than anything else probably could have. As soon as she ascertained that Sesshoumaru had fallen back asleep, she opened her eyes, staring unseeingly straight ahead of her. Running her palm over the back of his hand, she listened intently to the sounds of his slumber, marveling at the predicament she currently found herself in.

She wasn't worried or horrified. After all, in her own era she had been the one to initiate sleeping arrangements where they shared a bed for the night. Actually, if she was honest with herself, she knew that whenever she was left alone at night, without his strong presence at her side everything seemed much colder, and yes, even a little frightening.

Strange, how from the few days spent with the stoic dog demon the miko had come to depend on having him there, offering her comfort without his knowledge of doing so. Which was fine with her. If he did know, she was sure he would rectify the situation with haste, cutting off all contact they had with one another. Something she realized she did not want to happen.

Sniffling quietly, she clasped his arm closer, comforted when an answering tightening of his tail was her response. A small, sad smile tilted her lips, softness mixed with a tinge of sorrow showing in her blue-grey eyes. Kagome couldn't help but wonder if this was some one time freak accident on his part. Since getting to know the Taiyoukai she had come to the conclusion that he was severely misunderstood by the general populace. An observation she highly doubted he cared for or gave a thought to. He just wasn't the type to give a damn about what people thought or saw him as. Other's narrow-mindedness was not his problem and if they couldn't think past what they saw on the surface then they were more of an idiot than he already thought them.

Ah, to be arrogant and all powerful…..

Too bad she could never act that way. Perhaps if the girl could copy his example of the indifferent youkai she might have saved herself a lot of heartache in the long run.

Yet…hadn't Sesshoumaru offered her solace last night? Even going so far as to put her to bed with him, cradle her to his side?

What had her awake, though, was the thought that when he finally woke up fully he wouldn't be as…..amiable as he was at the moment. Cuddling her like his favorite stuffed animal, kissing her neck as though cherishing the flesh that covered it.

A light blush stole across her cheekbones, her lids sliding down to half-mast as she replayed the feel of his lips touching her. The soft firmness of them, the slight way he opened his mouth, the barest flicker of his velvet tongue leaving a trace of moistness in its wake before he lay his face back to its previous spot.

Never in her life had the girl experienced such an intimate caress. It had been both innocent and seductive. Filled with the promise of desire while still holding onto that pure quality that spoke of deeper feeling than basic lust, the need to quench the body's urgings from an instinctual viewpoint. Goose bumps had risen on her skin, a shiver racking her body at the unknown, but delicious sensation he had provoked in her.

The more amazing thing about it was how Kagome hadn't felt uncomfortable by at in the least. One would think that with someone you were but tentative friends with you would be a little more alarmed at such an invasion of personal space, of a boundary being crossed without even bothering to stop at a few others on the way. But that wasn't the case here. The dog demon was vastly different to her compared to the rest of the people she knew and associated with. Each one had their own special meaning and connection with the miko, a bond that bound her to them.

However, where Sesshoumaru was concerned there was an instant feeling of almost….recognition the minute her hands had lain upon his skin, bandaged his wounds. The fear and uncertainty had been present, but underneath all the doubt and uneasiness had resided a solid foundation of compassion. Of course, she felt compassion for most living things, but never to the degree or depth as she had with him.

It was like his soul was calling out to her, begging her to heal it, breathe life back into a once dead entity that had known so much pain and terror that it had gone into stasis to preserve the last few precious embers of its once burning flame. Maybe that was why she liked being with him so often.

She wasn't stupid. She knew that for some odd reason she derived a lot of enjoyment from being in his company, sparring verbally with him, and occasionally winning at it. Those few victories were more satisfying and sweet than any 'Sit' Inu Yasha had ever deserved. Besting the Taiyoukai was like reaching the summit of a huge mountain. There were not many who could do it, and even less who lived to tell if they had succeeded.

Sighing heavily, the miko rubbed her feet together as she continued thinking, the portion of the tail lying over them moving with the action.

Another thing to consider was how the other demons in the castle were going to take her having slept in here with him. The servants weren't so much an issue as a certain temperamental hanyou and wolf prince were. Kagome could have sworn she could hear the harsh yells of Inu Yasha ringing in her ears, the murderous indignation darkening the emerald brilliance of Kouga's eyes floating before her.

Why, oh why, couldn't things go her way for once?!

It made her nervous and reluctant to face them, wanting nothing more than to shamelessly remain as she was. Cradled to the Lord of the Western Lands, protected and sheltered from the problems that dogged her steps whenever she ventured outside her bedroom. Sometimes, that wasn't even a safe refuge. But here…..in Sesshoumaru's chamber….things were different.

Inside the soft darkness ensconcing the bed they lay upon she could pretend that the person holding her wasn't doing it out of reflex, but caring. The heart beating strongly against her back was a tempo that she had control over, a simple gesture or caress of her hand altering it to speed up with emotion. That a creature as beautiful and rare as this dog demon could see her as more than a nuisance, a shard detector, a prospective mate for her miko abilities, the reincarnation of a priestess shrouded in bitterness and folly, a surrogate mother to an orphaned kistune, the cheerful friend with a sunny façade, the untrained human from the future who's failures to access the power within her caused much verbal censure to be rained down upon her from her traveling companion.

These were mere facets of the person she was. Glimmers of what others saw her as, not what made her who she was. It was like taking a paper doll with a base and for each person that picked her up, a new set of clothing would be put on, different accessories added to complete their perception of her. But did any of them know her?

A girl that loved her family more than her own life, but felt alone while even in their presence. The victim of an unrequited love interest that had cast her aside for the original copy of herself five hundred years in the past. The patient and loving friend that soothed away the sorrows of a fox child, offered what advice she could on the potential relationships between two people, while she, herself, had none. Miko powers that she had never even been aware of enticing a demon prince to demand her hand in his idea of marriage, just to gain more power while handing her a life of lukewarm affection in return.

Was her worth really so little? Looked on as inconsequential compared to their wants and needs, what others considered to be much more importance than how the expectations shoved on her wore her down. It tore away at her strength, the foundation of herself taken away, granule by granule until it was so feeble that its downfall was imminent. The once sturdy structure crumbling in upon itself, left to lie in shattered ruin, gazed upon with disgust because of its lack of resilience in the face of the abuse it had suffered.

What use would she be to anyone, once the last vestiges of who she was were gone, gifted away to whoever might need it, their needs more relevant than her own? If she lost the ability to sense the shards of the shikon, would Inu Yasha abandon her fully? Would Kouga turn his back upon her, find her unsuitable as a companion as much as the hanyou had done, seeking a stronger mate that could give him more than love and loyalty?

Everyone asked something of her. Desired something she had and coveted it for themselves. It wasn't a sin, a folly. It was simply how creatures of this earth operated. They saw traits in other beings that they wanted for their own use and went about the best way to obtain it. Did it make them any less humane or normal? No. Not to her way of thinking.

But Sesshoumaru was different. Not once had he asked anything of her. There was nothing she could think of that she could do or represent that he would want for himself, thus he never asked. He didn't demand her presence because of a jewel she had been the innocent party of harboring for over fifteen years before she had known of its existence. Insults on not having the knowledge to use a spiritual power that was of no use in her time era never left his chiseled lips, disappoint not shadowing his amber orbs when he gazed at her.

If anything, the most she had seen was annoyance and irritation. Truthfully, in an odd way, it was a refreshing change from how the world usually saw her. At least, how she perceived them to see her. Whether her assumptions were correct or not, she couldn't know for certain. That would require a level of inquisition she had no desire or interest in indulging in.

Why bring upon yourself even more emotional pain when you had more than your fair share now?

The brilliant rays of the morning sun were now freely splaying their warm hues throughout the room, bathing the floors and furniture in honeyed light. Hours had passed since the girl had become lost in her own disturbing thoughts, more troubling than those of the night before by far.  
As though sensing her growing mental agitation, the Taiyoukai moved in his sleep, bringing her effectively out of her ponderings with a start of surprise.

The very cause of her lapse into deep contemplation had been forgotten while traipsing about the twisted corridors of her own heart and mind.

Gingerly rolling onto her back, the ceiling now in full view above her, Kagome turned her head to regard the lax features of the dog demon. When she had moved his head had inched back to lie upon the downy softness of the pillow they were sharing, his bangs falling over his marked brow in thin silver strands. His arm was flat across her stomach beneath the blanket, her legs tangled in the long length of his tail. She had laced the fingers of one hand with his own, letting it rest upon her ribcage, thumbnail raking against his palm over and over.

A short cough left her mouth, her hand coming up quickly to stifle the sound, her eyes watchful to make sure it hadn't woken him up. Exhaling gratefully as he slept on, Kagome traced the handsome lines of his face, the silvery arches of his eyebrows and the crescents of his eyelashes laying upon his high cheekbones, the magenta stripes accentuating the sculpted beauty of it all.

The hand that had been resting against her mouth slowly reached forward till the tips of her fingers could brush the fringe of his bangs back from his forehead, lingering long enough so she could study the mark of his heritage.

Maybe she should have been shocked with her own boldness, the sudden desire to touch him as though she had the right to. But she wasn't. In the time she had recently spent thinking over her life and how people saw her, the miko had come to appreciate the fact that he wanted nothing from her.

A smirk molded her lips, a wry humor directed at herself reflecting in the eyes that stared at the Taiyoukai with a tenderness she did not even know of. Who would have thought that out of everyone she knew it would be the arrogant and icy dog demon that she felt so close to. In fact, she would almost bet confidently that he understood her way more than any of her friends did. The deft way he handled her in any mood she was entertaining. Words spoken with a wisdom that let her realize the right course of action, reassuring that things were not always as bleak as they seemed.

He had even gone so far as to allow her the basic run of his castle, understanding that idleness was like a poison to her. Confinement ate away at her soul, made her edgy and unhappy until the walls surrounding her would start to close in, suffocating her spirit and will.

Gratitude at having taken the chance in her own era and bringing him into her life colored her face, painted her eyes a shimmering shade of blue-grey usually seen in high mountain streams that ran deep and mysteriously. Untouched by man for decades, unseen for twice that long.

As she lay there, studying Sesshoumaru in repose, she knew her fears that this had been some fluke were unfounded. He rarely, if ever, acted out of impulse or spontaneity. If he had put her next to him, drawn her close to him, then he had meant to. Which also meant the kiss this morning had been on purpose as well. The knowledge causing another delicate shade of red to invade her cheeks, her lashes to lower and shield him from her view in embarrassment.  
His actions spoke to her much louder and with a profounder meaning than any words he could have uttered in his cultured voice. She was there, by his side, because he wanted her there. Not the jewel detector, not the reincarnation or the untrained miko with the potential for great power. But the human female from the future, where insecurities dwelled darkly inside her heart, sadness thrumming vibrantly through her each day that she put on a brave front.

Sesshoumaru had seen her at her worst, and still made the decision to keep her with him, cradle her to him with the affection she had craved her entire life.

An aching filled her heart, causing her lids to prick with sudden tears, her throat to close at the force of her emotions. Reining in her wayward feelings, she let out a stuttering breathe before scooting as close as possible to his receptive body, a little difficult since her legs were still tangled beyond recognition within the folds of his tail.

Their joined hands she drug with her, keeping them at her waist, just above where the scar was that marred her smooth skin, her shirt riding up enough that they were lying against bare flesh. Nuzzling her nose against his collarbone, she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru." Her voice was a fading whisper, not meant for him to actually hear and acknowledge. Something she spoke because he was unconscious, unaware of the girl's newfound feelings and welling affection she was beginning to have towards him.

However, he did hear what she said, her impromptu embrace rousing him from sleep just in time for her words to penetrate the haziness of his brain.

At first, he thought she was still half awake, that her mumblings were of a girl not exactly with it. He discarded that idea when he heard the accelerated beat of her heart that pointed to her being wide awake and fully functional.

Lifting his lids slowly, he glanced down at her, keeping his body still so she didn't pick up on the fact that he wasn't sleeping any more. He could barely make out the top of her raven head, their hands, linked and laying at her waist.

Through the aura synchronization he was picking up happiness and wonder, a liberal amount of caring laced within it.

No wonder he felt so good this morning. It was like waking up to a natural high without any possibility of a downer in sight.

Whatever she was thanking him for, it must be very meaningful to her to transmit this much through to him. And he didn't mind it at all.

The hand still trapped between them wiggled out from its prison, coming to rest over their heads along the pillow. A pose that was going to grow uncomfortable quickly, the muscles straining at being put at such an unnatural angle for a long period of time.

Knowing her, she had probably put it like that only because she didn't want to wake him by moving or making him move. Not that he thought she could maneuver him about with ease, but still….

Besides, she had enough problems with her body right now without adding muscle strain to the mix.  
Arching his head down till he could speak in her ear, he said softly, "Roll over, Kagome."

At first she froze, seconds before she rolled onto her back, arm remaining over her head, eyes wide in her white face. Disengaging his hand from her now loose grip, he reached up and put her arm back down at her side, resting it across her stomach.

The entire time she kept watching his face closely, as though gauging his reaction to finding her in his bed. A spark of amusement lit within him when he saw the slight trepidation that she couldn't hide, as though she expected him to start yelling at her just before he chucked her onto the floor.

Really, didn't she know he had more class than that?

Once he had her situated, he locked eyes with her, making sure to keep his face emotionless, simply for the effect he knew it would have on her.

Kagome was becoming increasingly nervous as all Sesshoumaru did was stare down at her, giving her the idea that he was waiting for her to say or do something.

Gulping, a little worried that she might have offended him by cuddling up to him like that, she blushed while saying, "Ummm….good morning, Sesshoumaru."

'Okay Kagome, real lame,' she mocked herself, groaning inwardly at how stupid that probably sounded.

Well, no one said she was a quick thinker in the morning…..

Arching one silvery eyebrow, he stayed silent, seeing what else she would say. This really was quite entertaining….watching her squirm in embarrassment….

Determined to keep eye contact with him, she spoke firmly while saying into the silence, "Sorry for inconveniencing you again last night."

"Human, when are you going to learn that your very existence is an inconvenience to me?" he asked, deadpan as ever, wanting to bait her this morning and not knowing why.

Was he actually attempting to get into playful banter while in bed with a female? Kami, being around the idiots he employed had finally rotted his intellect, made him a simpleton.

Or maybe it could be blamed on the aura synchronization that was going strong…..

A small frown drew her brows together, full lips thinning out into a flat tense line. "When are you going to learn not to be such a jerk? Especially this early in the morning! Don't you know things like a bad attitude aren't allowed before 10am?"

Ah, more of her precious pearls of wisdom. It was a shame no one understood them but her…..

"Really," was his uninterested answer, something close to humor roiling around inside him. It had been ages since someone had the gall to defy him, and he was enjoying every bit of it. He could actually feel the indignation and annoyance through their bond, the way she was irritated but still seeing him fondly.

An oddity this girl definitely was. A great brew of feelings and emotions that she had no control over what so ever.

But then, that was what made her so amusing….

Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest, unknowingly making the fabric of her shirt billow out on one side, exposing the scars she had their to his gaze. A frown of his own marred his marked brow, eyes narrowing in on the pale smooth blemishes that looked like a grotesque pattern on her skin.

While she was busy mumbling under her breath about arrogant Taiyoukai's and their need for something she called a chill pill, he brought his hand up, tracing the lines lightly with his fingertips, continuing to study them closely.

The girl beside him went still, her breathe hitching before evening back out again. Widened blue-grey eyes blinked up at him owlishly.

"Wha—what are you doing?"

Keeping his focus on what he was doing, stroking the marks again and again, he questioned in a low voice she hadn't heard before, "Where did you get these?"

Her hand convulsively came up to cover the scars, a flood of self consciousness filling her, making her want to hide her imperfections from his sight. How ugly her body must seem compared to all the gorgeous females he had probably seen in his lifetime.

She ended up capturing his own hand beneath her own, stopping his movements, but also accidentally trapping the appendage against herself. Intent amber eyes stared into her own, seriousness thick in the regard he was subjecting her to.

"I got them from a wolf I was helping." Dropping her gaze, she finished her explanation. "Kouga came to me a few years back and asked me to help heal a wolf that had been injured. Usually, he or one of the others stayed with me while I would work on the animal, but one day I decided to change its bandages on my own. When I wasn't looking it attacked me, and I got these for my mistake."

Kagome could still feel the hot, moist pants of the wolf as it bared its teeth at her throat, snarling with menace, yellow eyes filled with distrust and the intent to kill. She would never know why it has suddenly turned on her, but the experience had taught her to never trust wild animals fully ever again.

Sesshoumaru felt something close to anger begin to rise in him, his demonic nature, the one that had fully accepted this female as his newest acquisition enraged at the thought that another demon had left a mark on her that she would carry always. It was the same feeling he got whenever a demon tried to harm Rin. That protectiveness he hadn't been able to snuff out in all the years he had tried before the little girl had come into his life.

He didn't let any of his warring emotions show on his face, but he did allow the ice of his eyes to soften a bit, mellow into a liquid version of their usually hard depths.

"I see. How did you get away from it?"

The miko never looked up at him, choosing instead to avoid his gaze as much as possible. "Kouga heard me call out and came in, removing the wolf and helping me get back to the well afterwards."

"What happened to the wolf that attacked you?" He silently answered himself that the prince must have slain it instantly. With the depth of feeling the wolf expressed for the girl, the desire to kill what had threatened his potential mate must have been strong.

He was surprised enough by her next answer for his eyes to widen.

"I talked Kouga into letting it live. It wasn't the animal's fault that is acted as it was meant to do, as nature had created it to."

"You would save the life of the animal that tried to kill you?" his voice was incredulous, disbelief clear in his eyes as she raised her own to stare firmly at him.

"I saved you, didn't I?"

So simple. That question was so simple, and yet more complex than any he would ever have put to him. She was right. How many times had he tried to kill her and his idiot half brother? Too many to take the time to count. And yet, she had not hesitated in placing him in her own home, nurse him back to full health by her own hands, never once treating him as anything but an honored guest.

Of course, his pride bristled at being likened to a common beast, but the principles of the message were the same. Kagome had offered support and care to a potentially lethal demon that, had he been able to, would have probably disposed of her upon first waking.

But that realization wouldn't remove the scar of the wolf, nor the rash way the girl did things that concerned predators.

Grimacing down at her, he said with authority, "You will not administer aide to animals of such caliber in the future."

Eyebrows raising in incredibility, she let out a scoffing laugh, eyes mirroring her derision. "Excuse me? Since when do you dictate who I can and cannot help, Sesshoumaru?"

Frowning down at her forbiddingly, he bit out, "Since you came into my castle and under my care. If you managed to get yourself slain because of some misguided sense of compassion all of my efforts in keeping you alive would have been a waste of my time." He narrowed his eyes down at her, the girl clearly not impressed with his intimidation tactics as she glared defiantly at him. "And I hate wasting my time. It is very valuable."

Rolling her eyes expressively, she removed her hand from beneath the his to poke him in the chest, making sure to use her nail in an attempt to make him wince in discomfort.

It didn't work.

"Hey, I never asked you to look after me. I'm here to watch you, remember?"

"How very noble. I'm sure the assassins are now frightened enough to forgo committing any more acts of attempted murder against my person." His way of mocking her made her madder, until she was gritting her teeth.

Growling in frustration, she poked him again. If nothing else, it offered an outlet for her growing annoyance with him.

"Quit being so damn condescending, Sesshoumaru. Just accept my help gracefully instead of throwing in my face how much you don't need anyone when it is obvious you do."

Now it was his turn to scoff. "First of all, I need no one. They need me. Secondly, if you poke me one more time you are going to regret it."

Kagome, being caught up in the moment and not about to allow that challenge to pass, gave him a deadpan stare before deliberately poking him again.

"There. I assaulted your royal person. What are you going to do now, melt me?" she smirked up at him, completely unafraid of his glowering. "I seriously doubt you would want that mess in your bed and it would take weeks to get the smell out of your room."

Tightening his tail around her so she couldn't get away, he loomed over her, keeping the scowl between his brows while putting his face within inches of her own. He was satisfied to see her eyes had lost their loftiness to be replaced with wariness, but no fear. The long silver curtain of his hair spilled over his shoulder, pooling upon her shoulder and across her breast, the hand that had been on her scars now grasping her chin firmly.

Okay, so maybe she had gone a little far in provoking a dog demon in his own bed. But seriously, he had been asking for it. Besides, it wasn't like she had done anything terrible or insulting. He just needed to lighten up.

Courage bolstered by her inner thoughts, her expression became slightly bored, as though she could care less that he had a hold of her. She let her hands remain docile upon her stomach, a sign that she wasn't trying to stop him at all, didn't see him as a threat.

His amber eyes slowly traced her features, his voice low enough to seem that he was talking to himself more to her when he said, "Kami, but you are an aggravating human."

She grinned, pleased with his words. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru!" she chirped cheerfully, taking what he said as a compliment because she knew it would irk him.

Just as he opened his mouth to reply there was a knock upon the door, drawing his attention effectively away from the girl. Releasing her, he sat up in bed, letting the blanket drop to lay about his waist, unconcerned with his state of undress.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased with herself since in her mind she figured she had won that round. She must be getting better at sparring with him!

Yawning behind her hand, she kept herself from looking at the dog demon, occupying herself with snuggling under the blankets. Now that he wasn't right with her she felt cold.

He could tell by the scent that it was Akito, the kitsune obviously looking for his charge and wanting to know of her welfare.

"What is it, Akito?" He called, sounding as indifferent as usual.

"I apologize for disturbing you so early, My Lord. But it is time for the Lady's medication and I did not think it prudent to allow her to miss it." The ice youkai's voice carried easily through the door, reaching the occupants inside.  
Glancing down at the miko now covered in his blanket, he silently asked what she wanted to do.

Coughing a bit, she shrugged, before calling, "Thanks, Akito-kun. I'll take it now if you have it with you."

So she didn't plan on leaving? Interesting…..Sesshoumaru would have guessed that she would have been embarrassed to be seen in his bed in such an intimate setting. However, she was acting like it didn't bother her at all.

So be it then.

"Enter, Akito."

The kitsune's lithe form came through the door, shutting it quietly behind himself, a bottle of pills and water in his hand, the spear in the other. His pearl-blue eyes were more than shocked to see his master sitting up in bed, leaning back against the headboard as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Kagome was rubbing a hand over her eyes as she usually did in the mornings, clearing the sleep from them.

She had the blanket under her arms, allowing them to freedom. Smiling in greeting, she waved lazily. "Good morning, Aki-chan. How are you today?"

Striving for his customary calm façade, he approached the pair gracefully while answering. "I am fine, Lady. And you?" concern shown in his vibrant eyes, memories of last night flashing through his mind.

Her grin turned sheepish, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh much better! Sorry for ….uhh…for everything last night. I didn't mean to cry on you like that."

Sesshoumaru watched the interplay with his guard and the miko silently, picking up the close comradery they shared with one another by their speaking patterns.

Stopping at her side, Akito glanced first at his master before back to her, putting his burdens down on the table by the bed. He noticed the chair not too far away had her jacket draped over it under Lord Sesshoumaru's robe, her socks and shoes neatly put by the legs.

"It was no trouble at all, Lady. I was simply worried that you would make yourself ill again during the night."

Levering herself into a sitting position to mirror the Taiyoukai's, she told him, "I'm okay, Aki-chan. But thanks for caring!" There was real sincerity in her voice and gratitude in her eyes when they met his, brushing her braid over her shoulder carelessly as she did.

"Of course, Lady." He handed her the pill bottle first, patiently waiting for her to open the orangish-red container and shake the prescribed dosage out before closing it again. The then gave her the bottle of water, letting the medicine go back onto the table, intending to leave it there since he didn't know if she would be staying or not.

Slamming the pill to the back of her throat, Kagome took a big swallow of water, leaning her head back a little so that the large white tablet went down easier. Talk about horse pills….  
"Don't spill that on my bed," she heard Sesshoumaru say stoically from her side, making her roll her eyes at Akito.

Winking at the kitsune, she turned to the Taiyoukai, an innocent expression on her face as she brandished the plastic bottle. "But Sesshoumaru, I can't help it if I accidentally spill some!" to prove her point she acted like she might let some of the liquid trickle onto the white bedspread.

Intercepting it quickly, he took it from her hand, giving her an irritated glare as he had Akito take it and put it next to the pills.

Pouting, she grumbled, "You're no fun. I wasn't really going to spill any."

"Human, if I have learned nothing else from being forced to put up with you it is that what you intend and what happens are two vastly different things."

The arctic fox couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. It was a shock enough just to see them in bed together so casually, and quite another at being witness to the banter being passed between them. He couldn't recall the last time he had seen his master indulge in verbal arguments of this nature, totally without purpose and inconsequential. Kagome, for her part, was giving him back as good as she got, not intimidated at all to be the recipient to the dog demon's scathing wit.

"Well I'm sorry, but we can't all be perfect like you, Sesshoumaru," she bit out sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest.

"Of that I am well aware."

Throwing her hands up in defeat, she turned back to Akito, putting her back to the Taiyoukai, letting him know he was being ignored.

"So, Aki-chan, what-"

But before she could even finish what she was going to say there was a loud pounding on the door that made her freeze and the demons share a look.

"Sesshoumaru! I know you are in there and I want to know why Kagome is too!" Kouga's voice sounded harsh and angry, a thick line of tension underlining every word he spoke.

A frantic feeling invaded her senses, making her turn to regard the dog demon helplessly, her hands now clutching the blankets under her hands.

When it had been the fox youkai she hadn't thought twice about him seeing her and Sesshoumaru in the same bed together. After all, he had already spent the night in her room once, so she was sure the two guards knew about it and wouldn't be as surprised for her to be here this morning. Besides, Akito had delivered her here himself last night, so of course he would know why she was here.

Kouga, however, would not. And she doubted he would want to hear why she was.

Kami, how was she going to explain this one?!


	37. Solitude

Kagome felt an instant wave of exhaustion settle over her at hearing Kouga's irrate voice, shoulders hunching as though a heavy burden had been placed on them.

Obligations to others, such as the wolf prince, had escaped the miko's notice for the brief hours spent with Sesshoumaru this morning. It came rushing back full force when she heard the other demon's demands, the less than patient banging on the door.

There went her brief respite from reality. Oh, she had known it wouldn't last forever, but that didn't make accepting its departure any less depressing. But she could not use the Taiyoukai as a shield against facing her own problems. That wouldn't be fair to him or anyone else.

Mouth flattening into a tense line, she looked over at the dog demon, searching his face one last time before she would leave his side. Kagome wanted to remember every aspect of her time spent here, next to him inside his bedroom. She had a feeling she would need to recall happier times for the upcoming days.

With forced cheerfulness, she said while getting out of bed, delicately untangling her legs from his silky tail, "Thanks, Sesshoumaru. I think I had better go out there and talk to Kouga before he breaks your nice door down."

Sesshoumaru took in the girl's strained features, her happiness from earlier vanishing as though it had never been.

Akito, irritation flashing in his icy eyes as the wolf youkai once more yelled for an explanation as to what was going on concerning 'his woman', moved back, allowing her ample room to quit the bed.

She took great care in smoothing the blankets back into place once she was up, running her palms over the soft material one last time so that it looked as though its inhabitant had never been there.

The Taiyoukai alighted from the bed as well, unconcerned with his state of near undress, coming around to pick up his silk robe and put it on. He was startled to feel the girl come up behind him, placing her hands on the soft fabric, helping it into place along his broad shoulders, even pulling his hair gently from beneath to lie in a river down his back.

"Calm down, Kouga-kun. I'll be right there!" she called, removing her hands to retrieve her own jacket, not looking at either demon inside the room as she quickly slid it on, focusing on getting her footwear on next.

The arctic fox had watched the intimate display with keen interest. His master was currently staring intently at the human's down bent head, some unreadable emotion flashing in his uncanny irises before it was veiled beneath the weight of his lids. Akito wondered if they knew how telling her gesture had been, how it told of how close the two had become within the short span of time they had associated with one another.

One good thing, though, was that with the miko's words the wolf had desisted in his ranting, settling for standing outside the door, mumbling loud enough for the youkai within to hear him clearly.

After Kagome was finished lacing her blue tennis shoes, she stood up straight, eyes hovering about the chest area of the dog demon still standing beside her before raising slowly to meet with his own.

Self consciously, she made sure her collar was firmly in place, the memory of his examination of her scars earlier causing her to want to hide them so that he would never see them again. Now that attention had been called to the marks, she was even more aware of their existence, no longer able to simply forget that her body would never be remotely normal looking again.

Definitely not a good thing for her self esteem. For the first time she understood why Sango would sometimes ask her if she thought the mark on the taijiya's back would be considered off-putting to any potential male suitors. Of course, she had known that her friend had only one man in mind, and seriously doubted if a monk with little moral values where the female body was concerned would think the exterminator any less attractive for something she had no control of creating in the first place.

It would seem she was to suffer the same affliction of doubting her own appeal to the opposite sex. Before, when she had put all her affection towards Inu Yasha, she had never worried about it. After all, he had more than his fair share of faults that one could argue were hard to overlook, and none of them as easy to define as a scar upon skin. His injuries ran much deeper and closer to home than that. But faced under the regard of Sesshoumaru, a being that exuded perfection, even with his very name, made her suddenly feel very unattractive.

Sesshoumaru followed the movement of her hands, both of which were nervously running along the lapels of her odd attire, her blue-grey eyes tinged in unease.

Why would she act uncomfortable now? The girl had been content to behave normally while in his bed, jesting with is guard and even trying to draw him into their light morning teasing. A venture that had failed, but the fact that she had tried meant there shouldn't be any lasting effects from the previous evening to make her look so downtrodden now.

He thought back over the events that happened previously, turning to give her the room she would need to get by him, which she did with undo haste, almost stepping on his foot as she sped by. Curling his tail into its customary place, the dog youkai recalled that it wasn't until Kouga had made an appearance that the miko had become melancholy, avoiding his gaze as much as possible, as though she couldn't stand the sight of him for some reason.

The more base of his nature snarled at the intrusion of the prince, the subsequent way it had effected Kagome into nervously skating around him. Except for that instant where she had helped him don his robe. He doubted if she had put any real thought behind it. Kagome, being as she was, would automatically help anyone that had trouble dressing or performing the more mundane tasks of making it through the day. However, it had meant something to him. He had made a point to remain as independent as he had been before losing his arm, determined that no other youkai or human would think him less strong because of his loss.

Yet, with her Sesshoumaru found that he never gave a thought that she would see him as weak or incapable if she helped him. Perhaps it was something he had gotten used to while recovering in her time era, all but depending on the miko's good humor to heal properly until he could function again on his own. It had been the first time in as long as he could remember that he had to actively rely on someone else to help him to walk, or even the simple task of eating.

Whatever the case, he was feeling great irritation at a certain wolf demon that was still grumbling behind his ornate door, the sound of his voice grating to the Taiyoukai's sensitive ears.

Tying the sash with practiced movements, he walked calmly to his guard, who was standing with the girl in front of the door, preparing to depart. He knew she planned on facing the wolf on her own, take whatever censor he might feel like spouting onto herself so that he wouldn't have to deal with it.

Hadn't he already told her once that it was looked down upon for a demon to hide behind a human woman?

"Kagome," he waited for the girl to look at him, her hands shoved inside her coat pockets. "Is there anything you wished to do this morning that is of pressing importance?"

She gazed at him uncomprehendingly a moment before realization dawned on her. He was actually offering her an out so that she would not have to deal with Kouga this morning. Grateful and feeling a tad guilty that she was going to accept his offer, she said after a second's consideration, "I think I'll take a bath this morning."

One silvery eyebrow arched, a side of his mouth quirking up a bit at her answer. "Indeed." Glancing to his personal guard, he instructed cooly, "Escort Kagome to the hot spring and make sure she is not disturbed."

Akito bowed, inwardly pleased that he wouldn't have to run referee between the miko and the wolf prince, who was surely going to be displeased with this news. "Of course, My Lord." Gesturing with his spear, he addressed the girl, who's expression was much less strained. "My Lady, if you would."

Grinning, she made sure to tell the Taiyoukai thank you one last time before opening the door to walk through it. Immediately, upon her exit, Kouga stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall beside the doorway, glowering first at the fox and then to the dog demon coming up behind them.

"Finally! What the hell is going on?!" He crossed his arms over his blue clad chest, his outfit the usual pants and haori, but in a bright cerulean today. Tapping clawed fingers on his forearms, emerald eyes flashing harshly, he asked more sharply, "Well?"

Not wishing for an argument to ensue, and silently thankful that Inu Yasha was apparently no where to be found, Kagome stepped up to him, waving her hands in a placating way while giving him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Kouga-kun. Nothing is going on at all. There's no reason to be so upset."

Akito had come to stand at her shoulder, his eyes more glacial than usual as they stared indifferently at the fuming wolf prince. His master stayed in the doorway, seeing if the girl's words were enough to defuse the other youkai's temper.

From the way he reacted, the kitsune highly doubted it...

"Nothing to worry about?!" Kouga's fangs flashed from a brief snarl, one arm unwinding so that his hand could wave about expressively as he talked to her. "My woman was in his," at this point he pointed accusingly at the stoic Taiyoukai, "bedroom for what looks like all night long and from the scent of it, in his bed too! That is nothing to worry about?!"

Sighing, she rested resigned eyes on his furious features, watching the way he was containing the desire to growl. All those years spent with the hanyou had let her clue in to a few traits of demons, particularly those of canine descent. Whenever they were angry enough their more demonic qualities shot forward, which usually involved a lot of growling and bearing of fangs.

And how did one usually deal with an angered animal?

Grabbing onto the hand that was in danger of accidentally hitting something, she wrapped both her palms about it, feeling the tenseness underlining the tendons and muscles along his knuckles and joints. Staring deeply into his eyes to make sure he was paying close attention, Kagome spoke evenly and calmly.

"Kouga-kun, is all this noise and fuss really necessary? You know Sesshoumaru well enough to realize nothing untoward would have happened while I was with him," she rushed on when it looked like he was about to protest, the fingers in her hands flexing at the mention of the dog demon's name. "And, you also know me. Do you really think I am the kind of person you are insinuating?"

Regret flashed through his eyes, his other hand coming up to lay over the top of hers in his customary manner of greeting her whenever she was traveling the countryside. Anger draining from his handsome face, he spoke earnestly. "Kagome, you know I don't! It's just that I got worried when I found out you weren't in your room and were in Sesshoumaru's instead." Grasping her hands tighter, he tried to put as much feeling as he could in what he said next, eyes intent and shining down into hers. "You know that if something was bothering you last night you could have come to me. I wouldn't have minded in the least!"

'Oh boy, how to get out of this one,' she thought a bit frantically, swallowing convulsively while trying to think of a plausible reply that wasn't going to sound farfetched. Hell, even the truth would seem unrealistic, unless she wanted to go into another soul searching explanation of her talk with Kikyo, which she didn't. That was a conversation she wished to be restricted to the Taiyoukai and Akito, who had been there at the time.

"Umm...Kouga-kun..."she began helplessly, not knowing exactly what to say to him, the green eyes gazing with such emotion into hers forestalling any excuse she might offer. It wouldn't be fair to give platitudes in place of the truth. Even if he was overbearing where she was concerned, and often tried her patience with his possessively inconsistent manner, Kagome couldn't lie to him. "Kouga-kun, last night I wasn't really thinking straight at all. I got a little upset over something and Akito thought it best to let Sesshoumaru know, and since you are a visiting Lord here he didn't think it wise to just barge in on you while you were sleeping."

Not the entire truth, but it was close enough.

Sesshoumaru, meanwhile, quelled his demon's instincts that were pacing just beneath the surface, glaring with menace inwardly at the way the wolf prince touched the girl so easily, words laced with a personal claim that the dog demon could not negate leaving his mouth. Besides, acting anything other than normal would alert the prince's suspicions that his conduct towards the girl might have been anything less than proper last evening.

He deftly ignored the few kisses he had placed upon her skin, the close contact he'd held her throughout the waning of the moon until waking this morning.

At least the girl came up with a sufficient answer. For a moment, it looked like she might just stutter on, uttering Kami knew what in her panicked brain. But she had surprised him once again by telling the infatuated wolf the truth, or a watered down version of it as it were.

Kouga, now ignoring the other two demons as though they weren't there, studied Kagome's face closely, trying to discern if what she was saying was valid. Body losing the stiffness of before, he leaned closer to her a bit, bringing their hands to rest lightly upon his shirtfront. "You know I wouldn't have been inconvenienced. If something is making you upset or sad I want to know about it so I can try and fix it. Don't you believe that?"

A spike of guilt shot through her, the hurt look gracing his visage making her heart clench in protest. She hated seeing anyone unhappy, even loud mouthed wolf prince's with more pride than should be allowed.

"I believe you, Kouga-kun," her voice was gentle, the same emotion reflected in the orbs locked with his. "But last night...I wasn't exactly thinking clearly, and if I had, I probably wouldn't have gotten so upset in the first place."

Akito spoke before Kouga could say anything, gaining himself a glare for his trouble from the wolf. "Lady, did you not say you wished to bathe this morning? Should we not get going?"

Glancing over her shoulder gratefully at the arctic kitsune, she untangled her hands from Kouga's, feeling the reluctance with which he used to let her go. "Thanks for reminding me, Akito-kun."

He nodded, waiting patiently for her to proceed down the hall before moving.

Kagome shot one last small grin at the prince, not daring to look at Sesshoumaru for fear that it would set off the wolf again. "I'll see you later, Kouga-kun. If you want, we can talk more then."

Reaching out, Kouga took up her braid with care, putting it over her shoulder so that it now lay down her back. "Okay, Kagome. Be careful and I hope you are feeling better."

Waving one hand, she stepped unobtrusively out of touching distance. "I feel fine, Kouga-kun. That medicine Sango gave me is really doing the trick to get rid of this cold, or whatever it is. Take care!" And with that, she began walking with long strides away from the other two demons, Akito trailing dutifully behind his charge, the pair soon stopping by her bedroom so she could retrieve whatever she would need.

Kouga watched her until she disappeared into her room before turning to the dog demon, the scowl back on his face. "I want to talk with you."

Sesshoumaru kept his features blank of any emotion, already having known the wolf prince would demand to speak with him when he had first heard him abusing his door this morning. Fixing him with an icy stare, he said frigidly, "You will wait until I have properly prepared for the day, Lord Kouga. Afterwards, I will speak with you then."

Accepting his answer with little enthusiasm, Kouga folded his arms over his chest. "Whatever. As long as it isn't hours from now."

"I believe I have better manners than to keep a guest waiting." The emphasis he put on that one word let Kouga know perfectly well how much of a guest the Taiyoukai actually saw him as. "Go to my study within an hour and I will be there."

"Fine." Emerald eyes glared narrowly into opaque amber for a few moments, before the prince dropped his own and walked away.

Frowning, the dog demon retreated back into his chambers, beginning his usual morning ritual of the day. The upcoming audience with the other youkai was just the start of all the things he had to accomplish today. For example, the mysterious way his letter had popped back up into existence, as though it had never left the confines of his desk. There was also all the papers to go over that Yoshin had brought with him, documents to be signed and letters to be read that had to do with all the other demons he had communication with. Lastly, there was the issue if Aion coming ever closer to his Lands. The youkai wasn't violating anything by residing outside of the Western Provinces, no matter how intricately his uncle danced upon the boundary line.

But still...the dark specter of his uncle loomed with dangerous heaviness over the Taiyoukai, the pup inside quivering in fright at the memories it was tormented with, the threat Aion posed.

Yes, there was much to do today, but he had a feeling that none would be so tedious as talking with Kouga.

If Sesshoumaru didn't happen to like a certain human miko so damn much he wouldn't even bother. Yet, if that were the case then half the people that were now staying in his palace wouldn't be here either.

Life had been so much more peaceful before Kagome had found him at the bottom of the well. He seriously doubted it would ever be so again...

She felt bad. Really, she did. Lying to Akito wasn't something Kagome wanted to do, but if getting her privacy meant doing it, then she would.

Giving him a false smile, she asked him to wait outside with Musashi and Teisa, saying she would like to spend some minutes lazing about in the warm water. The kitsune easily complied, the thought of spending extended periods of time inside the steamy hot spring not to his liking at all.

Assured that he was engrossed in talking with Musashi, the cougar youkai teasing the guard from the sounds of it, she hurried into the cavernous room where the large pool of water lay. During daylight hours sunshine poured in from the high windows near the roof, dappling the steaming water with shimmering rays of exuberance, dancing upon its surface and sending random patterns onto the walls of the structure.

Eyeing the pool longingly, she pushed away the desire to strip and soak for a while, reminding herself of her plan.

Lifting her chin with determination, she set her pack on the floor, opening the flap and digging out her change of clothes and everything else she would need. Shedding her sleepwear, she allowed herself a quick bath that took maybe five minutes, before she left the inviting liquid to dry off and get dressed. For once, she was without cramps today, something she was very grateful for, and even her throat's soreness had mellowed out to being almost non-existent. The cough was still there, as was her runny nose, but in any sickness those were usually the last two things to go before she was healthy again.

Combing out her wet hair, she got out her silver chopsticks, pulling the heavy mass atop her head and securing it tightly. Her scalp tingled with the action, the hair follicles stretching to accommodate the force of which the miko had used to make sure her hair would stay in place.

Usually her hair refused to be tamed, breaking rubber bands and coming loose from any braid or ponytail she put it in. She knew that the new hairstyle was only temporary at best, that as soon as she got outside in the breezy openness it would start unwinding itself, cascading messily about her shoulders.

Chewing at her lower lip in nervousness, she strained her ears to make sure that Akito was busy talking to the others, Musashi's laughter letting her knew that he was. Bolstering her courage, she left her belongings inside the room, making her way quietly to the back entrance that the kitsune had told her about so many days ago.

Kagome planned on 'slipping her leash' today and sneaking away to have a few moments to herself. The only way that was going to happen was if she tricked Akito into thinking she was in the hot spring. She would be back before he missed her, allotting herself a half hour so that he wouldn't become too suspicious and come looking for her.

Giving the room one last sweep of her blue-grey eyes, she opened the much smaller door with the same sakura pattern etched into its grainy surface, a blast of cool fresh air greeting her as soon as she moved the piece of wood.

Sunlight bathed over her, a happy sigh escaping her lips as she took in the sight of the grassy meadow spread out before her. It went on for quite a distance before coming up to the dark forest that lay around the entire palace.

Hunkering down into her red fleece pullover as a stray wind danced along her damp head, she began walking out into the inviting field, a few strands of her mane already coming loose, trailing about her face.

It felt so good to be out in the sunshine, even if the temperature wasn't as warm as she would have preferred. Since it was fast approaching the later Fall months, she knew these kind of days were going to become far and few between very soon. The leaves on the trees had already all but turned a deep brown, a few falling to the earth at the base of their homes.

Coming to a stop about the middle of the meadow, she looked all about her, making sure that there weren't any other youkai around or that Akito could see her. Off in the distance she could see the back of the hot spring, the huge building effectively blocking her from anyone that might come this way. She was far enough from the garden and the bridge to not be seen either, a small hill preventing the girl from even viewing the structure or the stream that ran beneath it.

Satisfied that she was, indeed, alone for the first time in what seemed like forever, Kagome kicked off her shoes, peeling the new socks from her feet to let the cool grass tickle her soles.

It most likely wasn't the smartest idea, her being sick and all, but she wanted to go barefoot outside just once more before doing so would be impossible because of the weather.

Clenching her toes into the springy vegetation, she took a few steps forward, smiling down at her feet, arms out to her sides as though she was walking a balance beam.

No one was around, so she could act as childishly as she wanted. Besides, with all the adult overtones and problems running about the castle the girl needed a reprieve from the serious.

As a few more strands of hair stubbornly refused to stay as they were, Kagome gave up trying to put any order to the wayward locks. Reaching up, she removed the shiny sticks, shivering a bit when the moistness of her hair invaded the thin covering on her back, shoving the hair utensils into her pants pocket.

Okay, so getting over a cold didn't involve walking around barefoot with wet hair blowing in the wind, but hey, she figured she could deal with it. She had enough medicine, after all, so it wasn't as if it would be life threatening, and she didn't plan on staying out much longer anyway.

Letting her arms fall to her sides, fingertips brushing the jean material covering her thighs, she firmly planted her feet on the ground. Kagome let her head fall back until she was gazing up at the azure sky, large puffy clouds sailing across their heavenly ocean.

The long curtain of her unbound hair swayed about the back of her thighs,a light breeze causing the tips to dance about before settling again.

She sighed, the sound becoming lost in the same breath of wind as Nature exhaled over her body, ruffling the fabric of the shirt she wore, molding it to her body one second, only to push it away the next.

The crisp scent of Fall filled the air, sharp and a little bitter as botanic organisms ended their lives, decomposing to become the fertilizer for the new.

A sound from behind drew the miko's attention, her luminous blue-grey eyes turning to serenely watch the approach of her guard.

A gentle smile tilted rosy lips, warmth entering the beautiful orbs sparkling into a pair of iceberg blue. Beckoning. Inviting. Encouraging the warrior to sit back and take pleasure at the simple occurrence of seasons changing.

There went her grand escape from reality. It looked like she had lingered out here much longer than she had planned, and been caught.

Kagome began to trek slowly towards the waiting kitsune, the youkai having stopped coming to her once she acknowledged his presence.

Smoothing a few tresses that flew into her face away, she trudged over thick grass, the springy stems offering a plush carpet beneath her feet.

The hem of her jeans was slightly stained green, the emerald blood blemishing the coarse material as it broke the fragile strands in their wake.

She frowned, annoyed that her clothing was now permanently stuck being marred, not having any type of stain-remover to take it away. Shrugging it aside, she looked up when she reached Akito, smiling softly at him.

"Hello, Akito-kun."

Cold pearl-blue eyes swept over her quickly, making sure she was well before he said in disapproval, "Lady, you know you're supposed to take someone with you while roaming about the castle."

The girl had the grace to look guilty, breaking eye contact after a few seconds to stare off to the side at the scenery. Sunlight danced over her raven hair, making the drying locks shine in undulating waves as another breeze rifled through them, the arctic fox's eyes drawn to their inky depths.

"I know. I'm sorry if I worried you, Akito-kun," regret shadowed her pretty features, her mouth edging downward in an unhappy grimace. She waved a hand through the air between them. "I just...wanted to get away from it all. To think, you know?"

There was a sort of desperate pleading in the gaze that rested on him once more. A haunted quality that blanketed the happy sparkle that had been there moments before, but was now nothing more than a memory.

His stomach wrenched, a tightness around his heart making the arctic youkai feel as though someone had reached inside his chest to squeeze the organ.

The human in front of him was in such emotional turmoil and pain. No one ever fully realized it because of the sunny front she put on for the rest of the world. A ploy that had worked on him as well until he had gotten to know her better. Even her friends, the people closest to her, didn't notice that there was an internal wound that was refusing to heal. A wrong she had suffered which ate away at her from the inside, breaking her spirit one piece at a time, damaging her soul.

Some of that bleakness had mellowed whenever he had seen her with his master. The Taiyoukai having a balm-like effect on her frazzled nerves, a mediocre amount of comfort yielded by her time spent in his company, even if he didn't actively participate in making it so.

Although, judging by the way Lord Sesshoumaru was slowly dropping his icy demeanor around the girl it could only mean she was having some sort of effect on him as well.

"There is no need to apologize, Lady," he reassured, voice gentle with compassion. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you." The hand on his spear tightened at the mere mention that harm might have come to her while she had been out on her own while he, obliviously, contended with Musashi's banter outside the hot spring.

A tremulous smile appeared at his words, and he was alarmed to see the crystal sheen of tears pooling in her eyes, making them even brighter.

"Neither do I, Kito-chan." She scrunched her eyes shut, taking a shuddering breath while willing the moisture from her lids.

Damn, but she hated being so emotional. It was probably due to her period. Hormones being out of wack always had a way of making her less than normal.

It took great effort, but she managed to dispel the moisture from her eyes.

As soon as she was certain she wasn't going to embarrass herself by crying like a baby, Kagome lifted her lids to stare at the fox, who was currently frowning down at her with concern.

Trying to play off her momentary lapse in self control, she smiled cheerfully while asking with false gaiety, "I've been wondering something, Kito-chan. Can you change into an actual fox like Sesshoumaru does a dog?"

There was still worry in his face when he answered her question, leaning upon the spear he held in a relaxed pose. "Yes, Lady. There are a number of youkai who have that ability, but none as large or impressive as Lord Sesshoumaru."

A picture of the Taiyoukai in his full demon form flashed into her mind. White silky fur, fangs dripping with sweet smelling poison, and his royal house markings smeared across his face, stark against his ivory pelt.

Akito was right. Sesshoumaru was a sight to behold when transformed, something a person could see only once and remember clearly for the rest of their lives. Inutaisho was said to be even more awe-inspiring than his son, a recollection of her first meeting with the dog demon entering her thoughts at the mention of his father's name. Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru had battled on their father's shoulder, the brothers fighting fiercely until the Tetsusaiga had severed the youkai's arm from his body.

She wondered if Inutaisho had been watching them from wherever he went after he perished, if the sight of his first born's blood being spilled upon his bones by the child gifted him from a female mate caused him any grief. He had crafted the swords in the hopes that it would prove to the siblings that they should unite, balance one another out. Instead, they were used in countless attempts to maim and kill one another, bring pain and not the protection they were meant for.

How sad it must have been, if the previous Taiyoukai of the West had been witness to that fight three years ago. He had left the powerful blade hidden within his own body, sealed away in the pupil of his hanyou child so that the demonic blood inside his half human frame could never awaken fully, tearing him apart with its potency.

A regular demon's power would have been hard enough for a half demon to handle, but the added strength of a Taiyoukai made it all but impossible for Inu Yasha to ever be able to support blood of that purity coursing through his frail veins. It would rip him apart from the inside out, take over his brain until nothing else existed but the need to kill, release the energy and destructive force that had been harnessed for decades without an outlet.

If their father had lived instead of died, would Inu Yasha have been able to accept himself more? Would Sesshoumaru still look upon him as a lesser being because of the circumstances of his birth? Did the current Taiyoukai forget so easily that their father's genes ran strongly through his system just as they did his own?

In any event, she continued to feel a sudden strong surge of sympathy for the deceased Lord of the West. To create implements you hoped would protect your children, draw them closer when you knew you wouldn't be there any more to watch over them, pieces of yourself molded into the very steal they were crafted from, spoke of deep love and affection. She couldn't imagine how painful it would be to see those same weapons used to harm one another, in a strange way, his own fangs being the ones to rend the two apart.

Realizing she had become lost in her own thoughts for a while, she started in surprise, blushing a light pink at Akito's inquisitive gaze.

Looking at him closely, she noticed the tail wrapped neatly about his trim waist, an idea taking root, gaining more appeal as she mulled it over.

A wicked glint lit her eyes as she sidled up closer to the now wary youkai, clasping onto one of his clawed hands between her own.

Swaying a little from side to side while keeping a hold on him, she pleaded sweetly, "Aki-chan, would you let me see what you like fully transformed?" She winked, adding playfully, "I bet you look really cute!"

Chuckling, he extracted his appendage, rolling his eyes expressively as he said, "How could I refuse such an earnest request? Of course, Lady."

He arched a navy eyebrow when Kagome clapped her hands and began dancing about, clearly excited over his answer. She looked like a kit that had been granted their first set of armor, impatient to don it and begin training.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Akito-kun!" She surprised the youkai further when she hugged him briefly in gratitude before taking his spear from nerveless fingers.

The impromptu embrace had rattled him so badly that he almost wasn't aware of her now standing a bit away from him, waiting expectantly.

His weapon looked odd in her arms, the height of the thing towering far above her dark head. She'd wrapped both arms around the pole, hugging it to her body, the base sitting in the space between her feet, leaning a cheek upon the polished wood.

It was a sight that disconcerted the warrior, the deadly weapon of war almost defiling the miko's pure appearance. If ever there was a creature not meant to come in contact with such startling brutality, it was her.

The thought that she was touching something the arctic kitsune had bathed in both human and youkai blood countless times, disturbed him.

For the first time in his life, Akito was ashamed of some of the deeds he'd done in his past. Through years of protecting the heir to one of the most prosperous holdings in Japan there were many instances where the fox had killed, maimed, even going so far as to torture once, though he had no stomach for it.

Would the girl gaze at him with the same warmth if she knew what he'd impaled on the end of that deadly steel point? The begging and cries for mercy that had come from whoever was pinned at the tip, the merciless answer of the sharp blade being driven home with mortal accuracy?

He was amazed at how afraid of those answers he was...

"Okay, Kito-chan! I'm ready!" She waved, smiling encouragingly, all the while cradling the tall weapon to her fragile frame clumsily.

Pushing down any lingering discomfort, the ice youkai steadied his breathing, concentrating on centering his youki.

White hot power heated the blood in his veins until it felt as though liquid fire was pulsing throughout his body, inflaming his senses to painful levels. Pearly alabaster began to bleed into his eyes, the icebergs irises vanishing, replaced with a roiling myriad of what looked like caged lightning.

His demonic aura rose quickly, an invisible wind swirling about his body violently, causing the clothes he wore to ripple wildly, silver bangs dancing erratically about his intense face.

Unraveling the length of his tail to lay behind him, Akito let go of the final restraint on his youkai blood, giving it full rein.

Kagome stared on in open-mouthed awe as she watched traces of celestial blue and silver wisps that resembled smoke begin to encircle the kitsune, enshrouding him in a hazy film. The colors clashed against one another, as though battling for supremacy , creating a cloud of strong jaki that she felt all too keenly. But just as fast as it had manifested, it receded, leaving a large fox in its wake.

In full youkai form Akito's back came up to her chest, his head easily twice the size of the miko's own.

Studying him closer, she estimated that he was actually around the same size as Kirara when the fire cat went into battle mode.

The color of his fur was a silvery-blue that shone brightly in the afternoon sun, the long strands of hair moving softly in the wind. Eyes tracing him from the tip of his tail, the girl slowly made her way to the ice youkai's face.

Once Kagome reached his furry countenance, she saw his eyes were watching her reaction closely, their iceberg hues easily recognizable as the kitsune guard's. It made her relieved, a tiny part of her having feared that he might show signs of incoherency and bloodlust like Inu Yasha always did whenever he went full demon.

Grinning, she walked over to him as best she could, the heavy spear hindering her progress until she was all but stumbling over the long pole. Who knew the damn thing was so heavy? He always carried it around like it weighed nothing, so she hadn't counted on it being so cumbersome.

Panting, a light red running high on her cheekbones from the exertion, she reached his side at last, gazing at him with joy and wonder.

Now that she was closer she could see a white intricate snowflake emblazoned on his forehead, razor-sharp edges blended with a beautiful design that, if it had been an actual piece of snow, one might try to capture it, even if it meant injury to oneself in the process. The tips of his tall ears were the silvery-white of his bangs as was the end of his tail, giving him a cute aspect she thought was utterly adorable.

Laying the weapon at their feet, Kagome rose and put her hands out towards his furry shoulder, transfixed with the way the wind turned the strands a multitude of colors she had never seen before.

Akito's sharp eyes followed her action, looking at her questioningly when the tips of her fingers stopped an inch from their target, hovering with uncertainty.

Giving the fox demon a shy big-eyed look, she fretted at her lower lip. "Can— can I pet you, Kito-chan?"

What could have been a smile, but looked more like a snarl in his current state, curled the fox's lips, his great head nodding.

Once granted permission, Kagome wasted no time in running her fingers through his silky pelt, luxuriating in the feel of soft fur caressing her skin.

Akito suppressed the sudden desire to wag his tail, sitting down, instead, so the miko could get to his shoulder easier, her soothing motions not ceasing in the least. Letting his tail trail behind him, the arctic kitsune patiently regarded how much enjoyment the girl took from what she was doing, totally engrossed in the repetitive task of stroking his scapula. Blue-grey eyes followed the path of her hands, a happy smile gracing her rosy lips, delight clear on her pretty features.

If she could be so content just by petting him then Akito would gladly change into his youkai form any time she wanted. Not to mention he reaped benefits of his own from the encounter. Her aura mixed with his at her initial touch, her benevolent feelings flowing into him. Comforting. Affectionate. Loving.

Kagome smoothed his springy fur one last time before pulling back with a sigh. Turning to face him directly, she offered the demon a grin.

"Thanks so much, Kito-chan." She indicated his body with one hand, her head leaning to the side while her other arm clasped about her waist. "Your demon form is beautiful, and I am honored that you gave me the chance to see it." Winking, she added, leaning forward to stage whisper, "And I told you you would be cute!"

Gentleness melted the cold clarity of his eyes, ears perking forward to attention at her words. Bowing his head to her, the guard let the miko know that it was he who felt humbled by her praise, graciously accepting her compliments.

Her face popping into his line of vision made him blink in surprise at seeing her now seated at his front paws, the largeness of them nearly the size of her kneecaps.

Not wishing to make her uncomfortable by towering over her, he carefully lay down, stretching out his front legs to the side of her.

Chuckling softly, she cast him another grin, glancing at him from beneath her lashes briefly, then concentrating on watching her fingers pluck blades of grass, letting them loose shortly afterwards.

Akito stared at her raven black down-bent head, long hair swinging over the shoulder closest to him, hiding her face from view while the scent of her hair products entered his nostrils.

In full demon form his senses were more in tune with everything, including his sense of smell. The vanilla/apples aroma she always gave off was stronger, a calming odor that infiltrated his brain, leaving a lazy contentment in its place.

A stray breeze blew over them, the cool temperature of it making her shiver in response, bringing his attention back to the fact that her hair wasn't completely dry, nor was their any protection on her feet.

Coughing into one fisted hand, she jumped in surprise when a large warm body circled around her, driving the momentary chill away.

The wet coldness of a snout nudged her shoulder gently, a silent request for the girl to look at him. As soon as Kagome did he draped the heavy weight of his silken tail over her lap, covering her jean clad legs completely.

Smiling in gratitude, she shifted about until her back was supported against his side, her neck settled upon his wide spine, pulling her long hair free to trail over his other side. She could feel his chest move as he breathed, the gentle motion rocking her back and forth, the strong beat of his heart thumping lightly near her shoulder. Keeping her knees bent so they remained underneath her make-shift blanket, she sniffled, eyes closing to half-mast as she began to get warm.

The kitsune's own eyes narrowed languidly, happy to be where he was and that the tormented quality in her eyes had dimmed considerably.

Placing her hands on his tail, she began threading her fingers through his pelt, separating the strands slowly, her palms enjoying the feel of it. Staring out with unseeing eyes to the meadow, Kagome began thinking back over the past two days.

The usual pang of sadness stabbed her heart, but somehow it didn't seem as damaging as it had before. She could now console herself that just because the hanyou she had loved didn't want her did not mean other males thought the same.

Kouga, for instance, steadfastly proclaimed to whoever would listen that she would one day be his mate. But, despite the grand speeches of affection, she seriously doubted if he meant a tenth of what he said. Wolves were just like that. Rough around the edges, wild, untamable with freedom being their idea of heaven. No wonder the prince liked having the shikon shards imbedded in his flesh. It let him run so fast that no one could capture him, hold him, keep him from going wherever he wished. She knew that wolves mated once for life, but Kagome didn't think that life partner would end up being her.

There were just too many differences between them to ever incite anything more than friendship on her part. And he hardly knew her well enough to say he loved her for who she was, not what she was. With a tinge of bitterness, she acknowledged that almost any female would do for the wolf prince since he didn't take the time to get to know a girl before claiming them. Not to mention he had Ayame. A youkai that the miko believed would be a good match for the Lord of the North if he would but stop to think on it.

But that wasn't Kouga's style. Wolves didn't think things through, they followed their instincts, not their minds. It is what kept them alive, allowed them to remain the dominant species in a harsh land.

So yes, he might find her attractive in some ways, but on a more intimate level, a spiritual all knowing one, he didn't know her in the slightest.

Hojo had been a possibility at one time, but after spending time with demons the poor human boy could never compete. He had seemed so boring and staid after hours of dealing with Inu Yasha's temperamental nature, the boy offering little entertainment or desire to spend in his company after she came home from the feudal era. At least she had salvaged that relationship enough to remain good friends with him.

Other than those two she couldn't think of any others. Miroku, though he wouldn't admit it, was set on Sango and Shippo was nothing but a child. The Taisho brothers she didn't even bother considering. One had clearly told her he didn't want her by taking his former lover as his mate and the other...well there was no possible way that would ever be anything but tentative friendship.

Sesshoumaru may keep her by his side, allow her the run of his castle, even put his personal guard at her disposal, but she knew that when the day came for her to leave he wouldn't offer any protest.

And where would she go from there? The shikon shards still needed to be collected, so she supposed that would be her top priority, but what about after then? There was no college for her to go back to, and who knew how much longer this battle with Naraku would go on, so it wasn't like she could just enroll tomorrow and start attending classes to obtain a career. So while she was stuck here, fulfilling an obligation that had begun to wear upon her in the last two months heavily, her family would be growing, her brother graduating both highschool and college before finding someone and starting a family of his own. Her mother would age gracefully, as she did everything else, her grandpa would grow old and die, leaving his legacy of non-working spells and ancient tales for no one but whoever had heard them last to recite to future generations of Higurashi's. Which would probably be Souta since Kagome was in feudal Japan so much.

Her heart was bruised enough to shy away from entering into another love affair anytime soon, frightened to put that much faith and trust into another person after being betrayed so badly. Not that Inu Yasha and her had been an official couple, but he could have taken greater care in not leading her on for three years. Maybe then the let down wouldn't have been so hard.

Shifting about, she pulled the tail tighter against herself, snuggling further into Akito's receptive warm body. The kitsune curled about her more, almost resembling a cat, his head now close to her own as he watched her intently.

Shaking free of her less than pleasant ponderings, Kagome turned her head without lifting it from its resting place, the proximity of the ice youkai's snout causing her to reach up and gently position it lower.

After having deadly fangs near her throat before it made her uneasy to have them so again, even if deep down she knew the guard would never harm her. Now that his eyes were fully visible, she moved her hand from the top of his snout to where his snowflake marking lay, rubbing it firmly in a circular motion.

Akito's eyes slid closed in bliss, his tail bringing her closer to him as he lowered his skull to her, offering her easier access. Chuckling, she scratched behind his ears, earning a soft growl of thanks for her troubles.

"Like that, do you?" she asked, smiling indulgently while continuing her ministrations. The moist warmth of his breath blew hotly on her abdomen, his nose nearly touching the red fleece over the area.

Closing her own orbs, she said softly, "You know, I wish I could stay like this for a long time."

Ears perking forward, he let his lids squint open until he could just make out the crimson of her shirt, keeping still so she would continue to talk. Perhaps if she was given the chance to discuss what bothered her then maybe the miko wouldn't be as sad any more.

"There is just so much going on, what with Inu Yasha, the assassins after Sesshoumaru and all. I — I guess the strain has begun to wear at me a little." The hand in his tail clenched, no longer caressive, but now tense with agitation. Silence stretched between them, only broken by the swish of wind blowing through grass, the rustle of leaves shaking upon their perches in the trees.

He thought, with some disappointment, that she wouldn't say anything more, but then she went on, her voice subdued and hushed. "Last night I made a total fool of myself. Crying like a baby...how embarrassing. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Kito-chan."

A low whimper left his throat, his nose nuzzling forward against her stomach in a comforting gesture, trying to convey that he disagreed with her.

Patting his forehead a couple times before going back to her previous petting, she replied, "Thanks, then, for not being annoyed by it, Kito-chan. Lately, I have this silly habit of worrying how you will react when I should know better by now. You're a good friend." Reaching up with her other hand, she hugged his head to her, lifting it slightly so that his muzzle was near her shoulder.

Another deep growl left his chest, rumbling upon her skin, the velvet stroke of his tongue running along her cheek as she pulled away. Giggling, she wiped the side of her face with the back of her hand, giving him a mock-outraged look. "Why, Akito-kun! Did you just kiss me?!"

Lowering his brows as best he could, he offered a snort at her words, not taking the bait at all.

Laughing quietly, she grabbed the sides of his face with both hands, ruffling the fur there with her fingers. "It's okay, Kito-chan. I won't tell if you won't!"

Rolling his eyes, the kitsune playfully nipped at her shirt cuff, taking the material up in his sharp teeth and tugging.

"Hey! Don't kill my favorite shirt!" She said indignantly, releasing his face to clasp onto her own forearm, pulling back as best she could. He gave her a doubtful look while keeping a hold of her sleeve. Sighing, Kagome let her hand slip fully out of the sleeve until there was nothing but fabric in the piece of cloth he held. "Okay, so maybe it isn't my favorite shirt...but it did cost a lot of money!" Tapping the top of his snout for emphasis, she added, "Besides, what would people think if we came back to the castle with my shirt messed up and grass stains on my jeans?"

His mouth fell open in shock, the miko wasting no time in putting her arm back through it. Had she just insinuated what he thought she had?

The girl was completely innocent to what was running through his mind, too busy inspecting her cuff closely to see if he had punctured it.

Satisfied that it was whole, she shook a finger in his face, nearly making him go cross eyed as he followed it. "You're lucky my shirt is alright. I might have had to do something to you otherwise."

Instead of being alarmed at her threat, he found himself intrigued. Do something, huh? What could she possibly do?

Taking in his interested look, she waved a hand between them. "Oh, it would be something horrible, I promise you. So don't go thinking I would have let you off easy."

Again he rotated his eyes in their sockets, unimpressed with her attempts to bully anyone.

Throwing her hands up in defeat, she crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. "I give up! None of you demons ever take me seriously. Especially not Sesshoumaru," she muttered lowly, worrying at her bottom lip.

Swatting her in the face with the tip of his tail got her to quit the abuse to the poor piece of flesh, her hand coming up to brush at her mouth. "Ugh! Kito-chan! Now I have fur on my face!" Swiping at the strands of hair, she finally brushed away the last of it, giving him a glare. "What was that for?"

He shrugged, turning his head to look out into space, as though she no longer interested him. When she bopped him upside the back of his head, he swung back to regard her incredulously. The smack hadn't hurt at all, but it did surprise him.

He had never pegged her for the violent type...

"Ha! Now you aren't ignoring me," she exclaimed with a triumphant grin, quite pleased that she had his attention again.

He gave her a look that said 'obviously', but otherwise remained as he was, happy that she was laughing and enjoying herself. It had been too long since he had seen her express this kind of behavior.

Subsiding quietly, the girl lay docilely upon him, once more occupying herself with finger-combing the fur on his tail. "I'm glad I got the chance to know you, Kito-chan. Whenever it comes time for me to leave, I know I'll never forget you."

He rebelled at the idea of her leaving the palace, the close ties he had with her crying out in protest at the thought. A picture of his master and her lying together this morning, the companionable way they interacted with one another, flashed into his mind, calming his rioting emotions.

Akito had a feeling that Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't be relinquishing this human any time soon. Too much had passed between them. Too many instances of closeness, intimacy of the soul rather than the body.

It assuaged his fears, the arctic youkai no longer worried that they would be losing her in the near future.

Nudging her slightly to let her know he felt the same way, he listened intently to what else she said.

"Believe it or not, I think I am actually going to miss Sesshoumaru too." A secret smile tilted her lips, her eyes faraway as she relived some of her memories with the Taiyoukai in them. "Of course, he is arrogant to a fault, and that whole 'I'm better than anyone' persona can get old. But...I think that beneath all that ice there is a guy well worth knowing."

What she had said made the youkai even more certain that something lasting was building between his master and the miko. Something that neither one of them seemed to be aware of, but was ensnaring them tightly together just the same.

Kagome felt tired and relaxed now, after playing a bit with Akito and getting warm, letting the sunlight bathe her face while the kitsune's body did the rest. She really hadn't gotten that many hours of sleep last night, and now, yawning loudly behind one hand, she was beginning to feel the effects of it.

Closing her eyes slowly, she moved her head to rest her cheek upon his back, facing towards him. He rested his head on her lap over her hands, his ear pressed against her heartbeat while the other remained attuned to their surroundings, keeping his eyes open and watchful.

The evening of her breathing let him know she was almost asleep, her lungs sounding much better today than they had for a while. Akito thought she had slipped into slumber when she suddenly mumbled, the words slurred from lack of consciousness, "I just wish he thought of me in the same way."

Pearl-blue eyes widened a fraction, his head coming up to study the now sleeping miko closely. As before, he wondered if she knew how telling her words, her actions were concerning the Taiyoukai.

He knew she was nursing a heartache from his master's brother. Last night had confirmed any suspicions he might have had on that score. But the ice demon also questioned if the girl understood how close she was becoming to Lord Sesshoumaru.

A noise to his left caught his attention, made his ear turn towards it just before his head did. The scent upon the air was familiar to him, as was the figure that stood a few feet away from them, watching the two with interest.

It was a most unwelcome intrusion.


	38. Uninvited

Inu Yasha stalked down the hallways of his ancestral home, an irrate kit gnawing on his ear in between yelling in his face as he perched upon his shoulder. Wincing as Shippo hit a high note in his tirade, the hanyou grit his teeth, growling in his throat while reaching up and grabbing the little youkai by his fluffy tail.

Stopping in the middle of the hall, he brought the now squirming kit up to nose level, glaring darkly into his glowering green eyes.

"That's enough, brat. For the last time, I don't know where Kagome is and I already told you I would go over right now and ask Sesshoumaru where she might have went." The half demon's voice was gravelly, as tense as the knuckles that gripped the coarse fabric of Shippo's vest.

Folding tiny arms over his chest, the kit said, "Well, you're going too slow! Who knows what might have happened to her, and all you want to do is amble around like nothing is wrong!"

Rolling gold eyes, Inu Yasha dropped him unceremoniously at his feet, ignoring the squawk of indignation that came soon afterwards, stepping over the child as if he wasn't there to continue his trek to his brother's study.

One white ear rotated backwards, listening to the patter of small feet, denoting that the kit was following, grumbling loudly the whole way.

In the early predawn hours of the day, Inu Yasha had left his quarters in the royal wing to join Kikyo in the palace gardens located at the rear of the main house. She had requested the meeting last night, a note having been waiting for him upon his return to his chambers after quitting the discussion with Sesshoumaru.

Of course, he couldn't refuse, and really, he didn't want to. He had made his choice and wouldn't keep looking back in regret, no matter how much his heart might long to do so whenever he gazed into Kagome's blue-grey eyes.

The worst was whenever he caught a glimpse of the emotional pain he had poured upon the girl from the future. Those timeless instances when the light in her eyes would dim to a flat metal color, the exuberance that usually surrounded her becoming subdued and hard to see under the dark cloud of depression that clung to her now.

But that was no longer his problem. He had given up any rights to console, offer comfort to the girl when he had chosen Kikyo. No one could convince him that his decision wasn't the correct one, and in time, he hoped that the miko would see it that way as well.

While with the undead priestess, surrounded by the brightly colored bushes dotted with their flowers, Nature's last great tapestry before everything turned bleak and grey, they had talked of their future. Little things that they had visited before Naraku became a reality that had haunted their existence so many years ago.

He no longer had the desire to become a human male, but nor, could he outright say, that he wanted the power of a full demon later. Perhaps that would change by the time the shikon jewel had become whole once more. Who was to say what would happen whenever Naraku was finally defeated. So what they settled for making plans of were where they wished to live, build a home and such.

There was no possibility of children, but that was alright. He also knew that Kikyo would not live nearly to his lifespan, which he also accepted readily. When the day did finally arrive that he would lose her forever he would be sad, forlorn and a little lost now that there was no way for him to ever see the woman again. However, the demon blood coursing through his veins was not entirely a curse. If he was lucky, and used wit to survive the long years, he might make it to see Kagome in her era naturally instead of hopping through the well to do so.

Just because he was a hanyou did not mean he could not live as long as a demon. True, those beings were immortal and survived the passage of time unless killed, but the Taiyoukai heritage flowing strongly within him would be more than enough to sustain him 500 years or more with little to no change in his physical appearance happening.

After a few hours of watching the sun rise and getting to know one another again, Kikyo had excused herself, saying she was tired and would like to rest since she had not gotten much sleep the night before. He hadn't inquired as to why since the look in her eyes had plainly said no response would have been forthcoming any way. That was just how the priestess was. You would learn things you wanted to know when she deemed it appropriate, and not a moment before.

Shortly after leaving her side, Inu Yasha had come upon a frantic Shippo, the kit immediately bouncing up onto his shoulder, shouting demands that concerned the whereabouts of a certain miko from the future.

Even though the hanyou might not have shown it outwardly, he was a little worried with the girl's apparent absence from her bedroom. Shouldn't she still be about at this hour? But with her guard even missing it meant that she was already out and about in the castle, Kami knew where getting into some kind of trouble no doubt.

But that didn't dispel the lingering doubts, the kernel of fear that prickled at his senses, made his shoulders stiffen at the thought that Kagome might be in danger and he wasn't there to protect her. Old habits die hard, and after years of being her main line of defense the half demon was having trouble relinquishing the job to someone else.

He knew Akito well. The entire kitsune's family in fact were well known and respected throughout the Taisho holdings because of their loyal service and great skill in battle. Being promoted to the personal guards of the Western Lands heirs was a very great honor, and more than one clan had vied for the position. There were more important families with larger titles, more aristocratic blood traveling through their bodies that had participated in the competition to be the Taisho bodyguards, but none had stood a chance against the arctic foxes who had come from far away.

The blue and silver coloring had been their first notable feature that had made more than one youkai raise a brow, eyes that displayed such fantastic colors only ever heard of but never seen before save for those of the phoenixes that dwelled in Japan. Like the land from which the foxes originated from, they swept over their opponents like the icy breathe of death itself, precise and sharp as a shard of ice molded naturally into a deadly weapon.

It had all been recorded in vast tombs, leather-bound novels with yellow pages and ancient writing that told of what had taken place before his birth, painstaking pictures depicting fierce battles and how delicate mortality really was. He remembered being a child, spending hours in the large library, sprawled out at his father's feet on the tatami covered floor, reverently turning the brittle pages of the books that had been in their family forever.  
Inu Yasha hadn't fully understood the writing then, his lessons having still been in full force to learn such a skill, but the pictures had been enough to explain what the letters beside them said. One of his favorite sections had been that where demons in their full form had been drawn and colored in. The dark green scales of a mighty dragon, jaws gaping open with malice shining in its amethyst eyes while a blue-silver fox faced it bravely, icy orbs trained upon its opponent with cold calculation.

How many times had he asked his father to tell him about the events for which that portion of the book had been created? The smiling indulgence of the amber eyes gazing into the upturned face of his hanyou son, the tolerant manner in which he explained the same things over and over just to see the excited gleam in the orbs that were a lighter version of his own?

Shaking his head to free himself from the bittersweet memories, he turned the corner that led towards his half brother's study, a small body barreling into his legs and stomach, causing him to pull up short.

Glancing down in annoyance he was met with a pair of warm brown eyes, a toothy grin in a gamine face.

"Sorry about that! Please forgive me." The little girl bowed deeply in apology, the smile not leaving her expressive features.

Looking her over quickly, he recalled having seen the little girl traveling with Sesshoumaru, the black hair on her head now reaching down to the middle of her back, her red and gold kimono more ornate than the ones he had seen her in before.

She was studying his face with curiosity, putting her hands behind her back and shifting from foot to foot as she waited for his reply.

Folding his arms over his chest, he said gruffly, "Keh. Just watch where you're going next time."

Shippo drew alongside the hanyou, giving the other child a once over. "What's your name?"

Smiling brightly, she chirped, "My name's Rin. What's yours?"

Puffing up with importance, the kit answered in his most mature voice, "I'm Shippo, and this," he jerked his thumb to the half demon, "is Inu Yasha."

Interest sparked in the eyes she trained back on Shippo's companion. "Are you Sesshoumaru-sama's brother?"

"Half," he replied, fingertips drumming on his forearms.

She put a finger to her chin as though in deep thought, a frown of concentration taking up residence on her forehead. "Then that means you are the friend to the nice lady now staying here, right?"

Assuming that the 'nice lady' Rin was talking about was Kagome, Inu Yasha said, "Yeah, that would be me."

"We're going to find her right now." Shippo added in, stepping forward a bit. "You wouldn't happen to know where she might be, would you?"

Shaking her head, a little sad that she didn't, she told him, "No. I wish I did though." She was quiet a moment then all at once, a grin lit her face. Grabbing onto the kit's hand, she began pulling him down the hall behind her. "But I bet Sesshoumaru-sama will! Jaken-sama says he knows everything."

Rolling his gold eyes, the hanyou trailed after the children, glad that at least the fox was occupied with the human rather than ranting at how inept he was. It really had been getting on his nerves...

They heard raised voices long before the little entourage came to the door of Sesshoumaru's study.

Inu Yasha's ears flicked forward, picking up Kouga's sharp tones accompanied with that of his brother's more calm ones.

What the hell was going on now?

Rin skipped happily up to the door, completely unaware that there was verbal abuse spewing from the prince's mouth,a few choice words best not heard by a child liberally sprinkled amongst his dialogue.

The little girl didn't notice the worried look in her new friend's green gaze, nor the the now tense set to the other person in their group who was frowning darkly. Not even bothering to knock, she opened the door with a 'snap' the smile on her face obstructing her sight a bit, making her trip over the threshold.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" She dragged the slightly resisting form of Shippo behind her, not seeing Kouga at first, the wolf now silent, staring at the new arrivals in surprise.

The Taiyoukai glanced at his ward, amber eyes flat and emotionless, unnerving the kit she had a hold of. "Rin, what have I told you about entering a room without knocking?"

A light blush blanketed her freckled cheeks, embarrassment spreading across her expressive features as she released Shippo to bow at the dog demon. "Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. I will remember next time."

The dog demon, fully conscious to the fact that the girl would, indeed, forget all about what he had said and barge in again, glanced behind her to his brother. "Is there something you needed that couldn't wait?"

Kouga, no longer in his momentary stupor, whirled back to face the seated youkai behind his desk, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I'm not finished with this discussion yet."

Amber eyes moved to coldly assess the fuming demon, his brown tail all but bristling behind his lithe form, emerald eyes flashing. "Indeed. However, if we are to continue this...discussion...I need to handle this new problem first."

Rin had frozen at the first sound of the prince's voice, the inner fear she could never shake of all wolves instantly taking her over. She was still in a bowing position, brown eyes impossibly large in her small face, breathing a little choppy. Even though Kouga had helped them in the past, even saved her life once, she would never be able to totally get over the fact that it was his wolves that had taken her life, and if not for Lord Sesshoumaru she would have remained in that cold dark place. Alone.

The smell of her fear transmitted to the demons of the room, the acrid scent making the kit behind her wrinkle his nose a little as he bolstered his courage to step up to her side. Giving the Taiyoukai a cautious glance, he placed a hand on her back, asking with concern, "Are you okay, Rin?"

She didn't answer, the little girl completely unresponsive as she became lost in old memories. The terror of running as fast as she could, the aching in her legs as she strove forward, intent on reaching Sesshoumaru. The despair when she had stumbled, fell to the hard ground. Her last sight that of large white fangs in massive jaws bearing down on her, warm breath fanning over her skin seconds before the pain began.

Inu Yasha moved fully into the room, staring down in confusion at the child, arms hanging at his sides.

Why was she so scared? As far as he knew she worshiped the ground his brother walked on, just like Jaken did. What could possibly cause this sort of reaction when the object of her admiration sat a few feet away?

The wolf prince sighed, regret lining his face deeply, reflecting in the stare he settled on the unmoving human. He knew there was no way she would ever understand what had happened back then. That it was before he met Kagome, decided not to allow his pack to feed on human flesh any more. Children had a way of remembering trauma in stark clarity, only picking out the more significant details without seeing the whole picture.

Shifting uncomfortably, he eyed her in indecision, silently wondering what he should do. He didn't want her to be scared of him like that, but what could he do?

Sesshoumaru watched Rin a moment in silence, glancing beneath his silvery lashes to the prince who was showing emotions of compassion, clearly feeling guilty. Speaking with cool authority, he called, "Rin." He waited for her to glance up at him through her bangs. "Come here please."

She straightened with jerky movements, Shippo's hand falling away unnoticed as she began walking slowly towards him, checking every once in a while to make sure Kouga hadn't moved.

Inu Yasha watched everything with a deep frown. It looked like she was terrified of Kouga, but for the life of him he couldn't understand why. The damn mangy wolf may be an annoyance, a bastard that didn't know when to shut up and take a hint, but he wasn't a murderer of children.

When she got to the Taiyoukai, she stared into his amber eyes, shoulders trembling a bit. Regarding her calmly, he reached up to take her small chin between three fingers, holding her stare, transmitting as much calm as he could into the simple touch.

"You wanted to ask me something." It was a statement, not a question.

Slowly, her breathing slowed to normal, the pupils no longer pinpricks, going back to their normal ebony depths. Seeing her guardian, feeling his strong touch on her skin made her feel better, reassured her that nothing bad would ever happen to her while she was with him.  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her voice was a whisper, but at least it wasn't shaking in fear.

Arching a silvery eyebrow, he waited for her to continue, keeping his fingertips as they were, careful not to brush her delicate skin with his claws.

Shippo scampered over to the hanyou, climbing up his body with speed to rest once more on his broad shoulder. The tense atmosphere wasn't to his liking at all, and he felt safer being close to the brash half demon.

"Do you know where the nice lady is?"

Sesshoumaru's face went blank, his fingers leaving their post to settle on the desk top over a pile of letters. He looked over to his half brother, the sibling shrugging while shaking his head.

Apparently the miko was the cause of every calamity that arose in his household since her arrival, whether it be from his charge forgetting her manners, his brother asking after her whereabouts as though the guard he put with her wasn't sufficient enough, and the wolf prince spouting threats and accusations for the last half hour.

Was she really worth all this aggravation?

"Kagome is at the hot spring, bathing." He focused his attention back onto the little girl, a small smile tilting her lips.

She looked over to Shippo, saying in delight, "I told you Sesshoumaru-sama would know. He knows everything!"

Kouga scoffed, but otherwise kept quiet, rolling his eyes while folding his arms over his chest.

Pretending not to hear the other youkai, Sesshoumaru said, "Not everything, Rin. Only a fool claims to having knowledge of all."

She frowned over at him, concentrating on remembering what he had said. It sounded like wise words to her, and Jaken was always yelling at her to store those types of things away so she could use them later. For what, she had no idea. But since it seemed important she would try.

Inu Yasha spoke for the first time, making Sesshoumaru look over to him. "How long ago was that?"

The dog demon quickly evaluated the time that had elapsed since she had left his side that morning. "Close to an hour and a half."

Gold eyes widened incredulously. "What?! It doesn't take almost two hours to bathe!"

Giving him an impassive stare, the Taiyoukai replied, "Then she is probably back at her rooms already. Have you tried checking there?" His tone was condescending at the last part, digging at his sibling's nerves, causing him to growl.

"Yes. I'm not an idiot, Sesshoumaru. I already looked and she wasn't there."

Kouga came closer to their group, a scowl of his own on his face, forking his dark eyebrows together in a V. "Are you saying you lost my woman?"  
Rin glanced around at all of the unhappy faces, suppressing the urge to cringe when she passed quickly over the wolf youkai's countenance. Coming to a halt at her guardian's face, she asked in puzzlement, "There's a lady lost in the castle, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sighing in a bid for patience, he answered the child in his usual icy voice. "He means Kagome, Rin."

"Keh. That is a matter of opinion," Inu Yasha muttered with scorn.

The wolf youkai turned a hot glare on him, asking loudly, "What did you say, puppy? I don't remember you having any room to talk where Kagome is concerned. I wasn't the one who ran off with someone else after leading someone on for years!"

Growling, the hanyou faced his opponent fully, cracking his knuckles. "Shut the hell up, you damn wolf! Quit talking about stuff you know absolutely nothing about!"

'And so it begins,' Sesshoumaru thought wearily, the thrumming at his temples now commonplace whenever the other males came into contact with one another.

Honestly, couldn't they function properly without the desire to yell and cause chaos?

Rin was watching everything with wide eyes, edging closer to the Taiyoukai until she was holding onto his pant's leg, peaking out to watch what was going on.

The kit was still clinging for dear life to the dog demon's sibling, fright clear in his large green eyes. Standing with care, not wishing to jostle Rin, who was firmly latched onto his thigh, Sesshoumaru interjected, "If you both don't desist in this constant bickering I am going to treat you like the embarrassing display of youkai you are and have you evicted from my palace immediately."

The two angry males stilled, continuing to glare threateningly at one another, now silent.

Shippo watched the dog demon with wide eyes, a little scared at how serious he sounded. He would never understand how Rin could be next to the youkai so casually, going so far as to wrap a slim arm about his knee, rest her face against him.

"My patience in dealing with this matter has run dry. For a Lord to behave so badly not only reflects poorly on his self, but also his ancestors." Kouga slouched, backing away from the hanyou, head lowered in shame at the truth of the other demon's words.

Satisfied that at least one part of the arguing duo was properly cowed, he then focused on Inu Yasha. "And you, Inu Yasha. Your offence is worse because not only do I bear the bane of sharing a relation to you, but also dealing with the dishonor you place on Father by acting as you do."

White ears flattening to his skull, the hanyou glared at him, lips tightening into a thin line, hands clenching into fists. There was a trace of hurt in his eyes, a flash of the child he had once been, trailing after his older brother's tall figure, wanting so badly to emulate the youkai. It was an old wound, one acquired when he was a pup, just learning how differently a full demon and a hanyou viewed one another.

"I don't have to take this shit from you, Sesshoumaru," he growled, turning away to stalk from the room, back stiff.

Sesshoumaru's next words reached him, causing him to stop in the doorway, back to the occupants inside as the kit turned an earnest expression to the stoic dog demon. "If she is not bathing and not in her room I have no idea where the girl could be. Akito is with her so there is no need to worry for her safety here."

He said it more for the children's benefit than for Kouga and Inu Yasha, both of which knew that Kagome was not as secure inside the palace as she could be, considering the circumstances.

Turning his head in profile, Inu Yasha said as evenly as possible, "Whatever. The brat wants to see her so I'm going to go find her." After he said that he quit the room, leaving a contemplative Kouga and Taiyoukai behind.

Rin glanced up at her guardian, tugging at his pant's leg to get his attention. "Sesshoumaru-sama, can I go look for the nice lady too? With Shippo?"

Nodding, he patted her on the head, her exuberant smile and brief hug to his person causing a warmth to settle in his chest. Waving, she bounded out of the room, running gracelessly after the hanyou and kit, socked feet slipping on the polished boards a few times.

Once she was gone, he sat back down behind his desk, carefully moving a letter to cover the missive from his uncle, not wishing for the wolf prince to see it and start asking awkward questions. Rough youkai such as the one currently closing the door weren't known for their tact.

When Kouga came back, now much calmer than he was before, he studied Sesshoumaru closely, head tilted a bit in consideration, long black hair swaying with the movement. After a pause he said, "Do you really think Kagome is alright? Even with Akito?"

The Taiyoukai frowned. He didn't want to admit that his household was anything but perfect in every way, including watching out for a single human female. But that wasn't the case. Not with assassins running about, his uncle looming on the horizon, and too many questions still remaining unanswered.

"She should be fine, considering. But nothing is for certain at this point in time." His words didn't reassure the prince in the slightest, anxiety coloring his features.

"Then shouldn't we go look for her?"

Raising a brow in speculation, Sesshoumaru said with a smirk, "You may do as you like, Lord Kouga. If you wish to postpone the remainder of our meeting then I won't object." It was clear he had no intention of searching for the girl himself, but neither was he adverse to the idea that he wouldn't have to deal with the wolf any longer. There were much more important things that needed to be done yet that were being delayed because of him.

A knowing smirk of his own tilted the prince's lips, emerald eyes less friendly than they were upon his first day at the Taisho palace. "Fair enough, Sesshoumaru." Walking indolently to the door, he cast one last piercing look over his shoulder. "Remember what I said earlier. I meant every word."

Tilting his head in acknowledgment, the Taiyoukai mocked, "How could I forget? I'm sure many others heard what you said just as clearly."  
Waving a hand negligently, he said before leaving, "Just so long as you got it."

After he was enclosed within his now quiet study once more, the dog youkai stared blankly down at the missive littered desktop, hand convulsively clenching. He wanted to go look for Kagome himself, ascertain that no harm had come to her while under his protection. More than likely she had just stopped to wander about the gardens or perhaps stop by and see Ah Un at the stables. Kami new she had made enough acquaintances throughout the palace that keeping her busy wouldn't be a real issue.

However, the platitudes he offered his conscience wasn't enough to sooth the restless nature of his youkai heritage. Ever since she had come to mean something to him, his perception of the human altering from irritation to grudging respect and finally actual like the baser instincts bottled inside him refused to lay dormant.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed down the urge to leave, trek through the corridors of the castle in the hopes of hearing a caressive sound of laughter, see the fragile figure of a girl too inexperienced where youkai were concerned to show proper caution when in their presence. One day, her encompassing way of accepting anyone would get her into trouble. It was like she couldn't understand that some individuals were not completely evil. He could almost believe that if asked directly she would even say she pitied Naraku, feeling sympathetic to some plight or other that had made the hanyou what he was today.

Kagome was simply too compassionate. Too giving of herself, willing to see the good in people even when it didn't exist. What could really be said of a person who saved the lives of those who tried to end hers?

Pulling out the elusive letter, he lifted it to his nose, breathing in deeply, trying to catch the scents off of it in the hopes of determining who had it last. A frown marred his marked brow, confusion flashing briefly in his luminous eyes as he drew in another long breath.

There was no mistaking it. Jaken had been the last creature in contact with it. There were faint traces of Shurin as well, but the toad youkai's swampy odor was much stronger, causing the dog demon's sensitive nose to wrinkle in distaste. Putting it back on top of the desk, he mulled over why his retainer would see the need to take the thing in the first place.

Perhaps he had seen his master's folly, the letter lying about in the open where anyone could come along and read its contents. If that were the case, then there was no need to worry any longer. Jaken was nothing if not loyal to a fault, often spouting nonsense regarding the Taiyoukai, admiration and faith laced in every squawked sentence. Annoying, but then what did one expect from a demon that had abandoned his own race to follow another youkai, forsaking his own lineage to do so?

Flipping the yellow piece of parchment open, he reread the words sprawled in an eloquent hand, black ink heavy and expensive upon its thick surface. It was short, concise, and to the point. But why had he followed the wishes of his uncle in the first place? Knowing what kind of treachery he was capable of, why put himself in danger?

He still didn't have an answer to that. Perhaps it was the deep burning hatred he still held for his uncle. The wrongs committed to the pup of his childhood aching for the consolation revenge would bring, begging for reparations after suffering so much.

Sesshoumaru just didn't know. But then, the unknown was becoming a close friend of his ever since staying with a miko from the future. Nothing was as it had been since then, and the fact that the change was completely out of his control made him want to reject it even more.  
But he was nothing if not practical. Which meant he accepted situations once he realized it was the way things were and no amount of frustration or fighting would change that.

Kagome was an integral part of all the altering occurring in his life, and he couldn't say that everything that had happened was unpleasant. In fact, some of it had been quite enjoyable...

Dealing with over-confident wolves, however, was not. He replayed some of the morning's 'conversation' through his mind, forgetting the letter for the moment.

To say that Kouga had been irate would have been a vast understatement. The youkai, one that willfully followed his instincts closer than most, was in a towering fury over the fact that 'his mate' had spent the night in bed with another demon. And if that wasn't bad enough, the girl had only gone there because she was upset, a state of being he should have been the only one to deal with. Sesshoumaru couldn't say he was ecstatic at having to put up with a crying female, but where Kagome was concerned he found he had more patience than he'd have guessed.

But that good will did not extend to arrogant lords who didn't realize how their 'future mate' felt for them. Couldn't the damn prince see she wasn't enthusiastic with his idea of marital bliss?

Was it any of Sesshoumaru's business that he didn't?

Akito narrowed his pearl-blue eyes, intently watching the person walking slowly towards them, in no hurry to reach the pair. His furry body curled more about the slumbering girl, the tail over her legs tightening, bringing her in closer protectively. The movement caused her to sigh delicately, roll over till she was leaning upon him sideways, her cheek rubbing upon his shoulder, one hand coming to rest by her face. She began running her fingers gently through his hair, unaware of their visitor and of what she was doing.

Sitting up straighter, the kitsune gave the grinning figure a warning glare, telling them to keep their distance.

A wry grin twisted their lips, eyes sardonic as they came to rest on the demon and his charge, but they did stop about a foot away.

"There's no need for such animosity, Akito." The voice was smooth and lethal at the same time, like deadly steel encased in velvet. It caressed the senses at the same time it deadened them, numbed them to dullness, impairing the ability to differentiate things clearly.

A breeze flowed over the trio, ruffling the fur on the ice youkai's back, lifting the long black tresses of Kagome's now dry hair to dance upon the wind, the motion drawing the other's attention immediately.

Noticing the focus having shifted to the miko, he growled low and deep in his throat, the vibration shaking the girl's body a bit, causing her to smile in her sleep. Once more, a pair of cynical eyes came to rest on the guard's fierce countenance as they sat with grace upon the grass, looking very out of place as they did.  
"Temper, temper Akito. One would think you cared for that human if you aren't careful." The dark humor behind what they said made the arctic fox's hair wish to bristle, his lips curling back once more, displaying ivory canines. Instead of intimidating as he had intended, the other person laughed, the sound oddly pleasant to the ear, masking the true nature of the beast that created it.

Amethyst orbs glinted eerily in the afternoon sun, the light playing with fascinating hues over the lengthy hair trailing over broad shoulders, along a strong back. Waving one pale hand, the smile on their face turned more cutting, fangs flashing with the gesture. "Such uncouth creatures you arctic kitsunes are. Always ready to bark and snarl at everything you perceive as a threat." Purple eyes slanting skeptically, they added, "Of course, that could because everything to you is a potential enemy." A mock look of sympathy graced their hard features. "It must be difficult, being one of the more inferior breeds of youkai out there."

Akito stiffened at the slight to his heritage, the blatant insult cruelly dripping from the intruder's lips like honeyed poison. Like back-handed compliments, whatever they said was undermined with malice, masking the true message behind false gaiety and wit. It didn't fool the guard for one second.

Perverse pleasure made the person chuckle, head tilting back to expose a smooth white throat, strands of their deep violet-toned hair swaying with the movement. Satisfied with the reactions they were inciting in the fox, a meaningful glance was directed towards the spear lying a little off to the side of the pair, one clawed hand indicating the weapon. "Foolish mistakes such as leaving one's form of protection out of easy reach is something I would expect of a novice, not from the revered personal guard of Lord Sesshoumaru." Hatred flared hotly within the eyes now glaring at the kitsune, unveiled anger thick in the voice that said contemptuously, "An honored post a worthless youkai such as you never deserved in the first place."

What could have been a condescending smirk replaced the snarl on Akito's features, the blue-pearl eyes stark with pride at the mention of his victory over the other. The fact that he held the position he did in the Taisho palace spoke volumes, and was the overall cause of the relationship between the two.

"Everyone knows the dragon clan should have rightfully been chosen to serve Lord Inutaisho, not a nameless youkai from some frozen rock!" Ryosuke snarled, his composure of before cracking under the weight of his own loathing for the kitsune. Bringing himself under control, he relaxed his tense shoulders, unclenching the fists that lay atop his maroon clad knees.

Akito watched the transition warily, not missing a single aspect of the entire transformation from barely leashed anger to stoic calm. It had always been odd how much control the General could place on his emotions, but where Akito and his family were concerned it always seemed to vanish.

A fact which pleased the fox immensely. If he could give the other youkai misery in any way he was all for it.

Amethyst eyes trained back onto the sleeping face of Kagome, a cold smile lifting his thin lips. He knew it made the guard uncomfortable for him to look upon his charge and took great delight in doing so. Casually brushing a few lengthy bangs away from his face as another breeze glided over them, he indicated the girl with a nod, his scythe marking on his brow flashing as he did. "I see Lord Sesshoumaru ordered you to watch the human. Such a pity, being demoted to playing nursemaid to an insignificant girl."  
His iceberg orbs hardened further, resembling chips of ice submerged in water, translucent and iridescent all at the same time. Again, his tail clasped her to him, disliking the attention the dragon was paying to her. The usual remarks on himself he was used to, but when it came to Kagome he found it hard to condone sitting by without lunging at Ryosuke. Raising his chin to an arrogant tilt, Akito leveled his iciest glare at the General.

"Ah, I see you don't like it when I speak of her," he said with pleasure, glancing between the miko and guard as he did. "She is nothing, Akito. Just another useless human overpopulating our lands, defiling the earth with her existence."

Anger, hot and thick, bubbled through the ice youkai's veins, his eyes blinking lightning white for a moment before evening out again. The paws lying upon the ground in front of him dug into the grass, curved divots now spoiling the beauty of before, tiny crystals of frost lining the delicate blades, encasing them in ice as a result of his emotions.

The dragon's gaze turned contemplative, one hand moving to cradle his chin as he studied her with narrowed eyes. "Still...she must possess something of worth if Lord Sesshoumaru is willing to keep her around." Interest made his amethyst eyes lighten to almost a lilac color, the innocence of it misplaced in the General's harsh face. Tapping a clawed finger upon his chin, he asked, almost as though speaking to himself, "I wonder...what possible value could she hold..."

Bright black scales flashed briefly under the strong rays of the sun as Kaizon shifted his position, now leaning back upon his arms, palms flat on the ground behind him. Keeping his long legs folded, he cocked his head to the side, fangs flashing as another caricature of a grin passed over his features. The kitsune saw that he had foregone wearing his sword, no weapons present on the other youkai at all. Which only meant one thing. He didn't consider anyone within the palace a big enough threat to feel the need to arm himself.

But the fox also noticed, with a hint of dark amusement, that he still wore his armor. Very interesting.

"I must admit, I never saw you as being the type to pander to the whims of a human." Maliciousness danced in his voice as he continued. "Not when you've put so many to the point of your spear as you have."

Akito glanced at him sharply, a stab of unease flashing through him before he pushed it firmly away. That Kaizon would mention something he, himself, had pondered over earlier was unnerving.

"Tell me, Akito," his voice was low and dangerous, edged in spite. "Does she know of your past? Have you told that human about the acts of terror you have meted out on her people? The merciless killing you accomplished in the Taisho name?"

Determined to not allow the dragon to see how close to home those barbs hit, he remained emotionless, stare unwavering and unimpressed.

Seeing that he wasn't getting the reaction he desired, Ryosuke changed tactics. "Perhaps I should spend some time getting to know the girl since I've just returned from my duties to the South and shall be here for a while." Slanting a false look of mild inquiry to the ice youkai, he asked innocently, "Do you think my perception of humans would change? It may prove beneficial to the extreme."

The guard couldn't prevent the growl that left his throat, large canines coming into view as lips lifted over his teeth, ears lowered to his skull. The thought of Kagome being in that demon's company for any length of time made Akito want to leap at the General, rend his pearly throat open with his fangs, bathe decadently in his blood. Nails raking the grass again, shoulders bunching with the force he was using to contain the demonic desire, he felt the girl shift upon his side, heart rate alter as she came towards consciousness.

Freezing, he turned to watch her, seeing if his antics had awoken her. The last thing he wanted was for the miko to wake up, see the General, and engage him in some discussion or other.

Luck was with him this day, he noted gratefully, as all she did was scoot up closer to his neck, her arm now draped over his back, her torso pressed to his scapula where he could feel the steady beat of her pulse, the reassuring stir of his fur as she exhaled. Her feet moved down to pull one of his back paws between the arches, rubbing it a couple of times before stopping, his hind leg now trapped.

Even with the General watching everything so near, Akito felt gentle fondness fill his heart, the link they shared working to calm the roiling emotions inside him. Turning back to the dragon, he didn't like the new light flashing in his purple eyes, the way he was considering Kagome as more than something beneath his notice.

"Interesting..." he trailed off, running probing eyes along her body, sitting up to lean his elbows upon his knees, the sound of the leather straps on his armor creaking in the silence spreading between them. "For a human she seems remarkably unbothered by being in such close contact with a youkai. One would almost think the girl has been in such an intimate position with one before." The sneer he showed with his sentences let Akito know exactly what the dragon was thinking. "But who and how close, one can only imagine..."

Any reply or show of outrage the kitsune might have expressed at the degrading insults was forestalled by a whirlwind crossing the meadow, coming to a sliding halt a small distance to the trio's side. A gust of wind blew the General's hair about eradicably, Akito's fur ruffling and Kagome's tresses dancing wildly before settling docilely to their former place, more disarrayed than minutes ago.

Ryosuke didn't move, staring at the new arrival, face no longer showing any emotion. The fox couldn't say he was glad at the prince showing up randomly, but compared to the other youkai's company, his was far preferable. At least he knew the wolf's intentions towards the miko were more honorable and heartfelt than any unwholesome schemes being cooked up by the General.

Kouga straightened, emerald eyes scanning over Ryosuke, dismissing the dragon after a second to look towards Akito and the sleeping human. Once he saw Kagome, he began striding forward, relief blatantly painted on his handsome features.

"There she is," he said, halting at the side of the demon she wasn't resting upon, glancing over to the arctic youkai who was currently watching him. "No one knew where she had gone off to and people were starting to get worried."

Nodding his large head, Akito gestured to her sleeping figure, as though to say that was where she had been and no harm had come to her.

Waving a hand, the wolf grinned, something akin to tenderness softening the orbs that traced her lax features. "I can see she's fine. Thanks for taking care of her, Akito."  
The kitsune was taken aback at the praise, used to the abrupt and abrasive quality to the Lord of the North's speech patterns, not this benevolent side. Ears perking forward, he tilted his head to the side, a question in his pearl-blue eyes.

Catching the silent inquiry, Kouga sat himself beside the fox, picking up a handful of silky raven hair, rubbing the shiny tresses with his thumb. "Inu Yasha, Shippo and the little girl Sesshoumaru keeps around are the ones looking for her right now. I'm sure they'll figure out she's fine sooner or later." Now that he had found her, he was totally unconcerned with the others, if they realized she was here or not. Though considering the hanyou's sense of smell, he had a feeling it wouldn't be too long before they came along.

Indicating the quiet General with a nod of his head, he asked Akito, "What the hell is he doing here?" Glancing over at the other demon, emerald gaze critical, he asked him directly, "I thought you had duties elsewhere. Why are you here now?"

Ryosuke smiled coldly, standing gracefully, brushing off the grass and dirt that the wind had blown onto his clothes as he did so. "I believe, Lord Kouga, that is for myself and Lord Sesshoumaru to know." Bowing, he added, "If you will excuse me." Slanting a malevolent glance to Akito, he turned towards the palace in preparation to leave. "As always, it was a pleasure, Akito. I hope we can do it again soon." The General was soon out of sight, his fast speed taking him to the castle proper in seconds, long hair fanning out behind him.

Now that the dragon was no longer with them, Kouga said darkly, "I really don't trust that bastard." Fixing the arctic youkai with a stern gaze, he ordered, "I don't want him around Kagome either. Something about him just makes me sure he would try and hurt her."

The kitsune assented his agreement, surprised a second time that he and the wolf would come to an understanding on anything. Perhaps where Kagome was concerned they had a lot more in common than he first thought.

The prince brought up his other hand, meticulously separating the hair in his hand strand by strand, concentrating on the task as though it was of the greatest importance. Watching the wolf from beneath lowered lids, Akito listened to his next words, absorbing what he said.

"I have this feeling things are about to get a lot more dangerous around here with the General being in residence. We have to make sure and protect Kagome at all times, no matter what."

He agreed with Kouga wholeheartedly. The prospect of the gentle human subjected to the attentions of Ryosuke were not palatable in the slightest.

"I saw that rainchild on my way over here," he said off handedly, now that all of the hair he held was portioned out equally he put them all together again, running his claws through it, smoothing it back into place. "He was standing near the stables looking haggard as hell. Like he hadn't slept in days."

The ice youkai digested this new information, storing it away to tell his master later. Shurin hadn't ran, which would have been a sure sign of guilt. But the elemental demon's whereabouts were often hard to define since he wasn't performing his regular duties anymore.

Kouga changed topics once more, his trains of thought as mercurial as his mood swings. "Do you think we should move her? Get her inside where it's warmer?"

Akito grunted, shaking his head in the negative, causing the prince to smirk before he focused on a new section of hair, slowly working his way through it all, trying to restore some order to the tangled mane. "Yeah, I guess it's best to let her sleep for a while. She never gets enough when she's in the castle anyway."

No matter how often he visited her, it was always like she had just gotten to bed, her thoughts and troubles keeping her awake till the miko was exhausted. Which probably accounted for why her illness had been so bad. Without proper rest her body couldn't heal as it should.

Yawning widely, jaws gaping open with the action, the kitsune blinked a few times, tired in his own right after a sleepless evening. He had been worried about Kagome so much that he couldn't sleep, counting the minutes until he could go to his master's chambers and ask to see her. The medicine had been an excuse he wasn't ashamed to use, willing to incorporate any ruse necessary to make sure she was alright.

Smiling at the sleepy youkai, Kouga waved a free hand, going back to work right afterwards without looking up. "You can go to sleep if you want to, Akito. I'll stay here and keep watch." Shrugging, he added wryly, "Although with the hanyou searching for her you might not get to sleep long, so I would take advantage of the opportunity right away if I were you."

Grunting again, the kitsune curled his head to lay over where his tail was spread across Kagome's legs, closing his eyes and inhaling her scent. Even though she was in her cycle the more prominent smells of apples and vanilla blanketed his senses. Causing the usual reaction of contentment, a feeling of being replete ebbing through his system.

Her hand came to rest on his head, palm barely spanning the width between his ears, but welcome just the same. Pressing the side of his face to her side, he gave a final deep sigh before falling asleep.

Kouga didn't look up, already aware that the guard had fallen asleep from his breathing and heart rate. Continuing what he was doing with diligence, he glanced to Kagome, a gentle smile forming on his lips at how serene she looked. How at peace.

The prince knew moments such as this were rare for the girl and that, all things considered, it was probably going to be quite a while before things changed.

He would focus on being there for her. Protect her from the threats milling about the palace and hope for an ending to it all soon.

But even with his inner promises firm in his mind, Kouga still felt a sense of foreboding curling in his stomach. A warning that he couldn't fully understand, yet listened to all the same. His instincts were crying out that something wasn't quite right in the Taisho household. And his instincts never lied.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


	39. Kiro

It must have been only twenty minutes before the loud grumbling of the hanyou and the equally indignant replies of a kit reached Kouga's ears. Not bothering to look up from finishing the braid he was weaving of Kagome's hair, he nudged Akito's shoulder with his knee, the kitsune waking immediately, his head raising to settle an alert stare upon the prince. With a motion of his head, the wolf indicated the approach of Inu Yasha, Shippo and Rin, carefully laying the ebony length of woven hair across the fox's back.

"Looks like your nap time has come to an end." Smirking, he sat back, folding his arms over his chest, turning to watch the trio stride towards them.

Shippo hopped off of Inu Yasha's shoulder to the ground, bounding through the grass with a huge smile on his face, Rin running after him as best she could in the confining material of her kimono. Noticing the wolf's presence, she slowed a bit, keeping him in sight while cautiously skirting to stand in front of the guard.

"Kagome!" The kit cried, effectively bringing the woman back to consciousness abruptly.

She sat up awkwardly as fast as she could, blinking around while supporting herself by leaning her hands upon her furry mattress, her braided hair swinging forward to lie down one shoulder. Blue-grey eyes a little bleary, she asked in a raspy voice, "Wha– what? What happened? What's wrong?" She scanned the area, looking for a potential problem.

All of a sudden a small ball of red fur pounced onto her stomach, making her mutter an oaf before falling back against the arctic kitsune's side. Blinking to clear her eyesight, she reflexively grabbed at the bundle that was now hugging her tightly, squealing in delight as he did.

"Kagome, I'm so glad you're okay!"

Arching a brow in puzzlement, she yawned behind one hand, patting his back with the other before looking down at him with a tired smile. "Of course I am, Shippo-chan. I was with Akito after all."

Inu Yasha slowly made his way over to the happy scene of the kit and human, glancing sideways, encountering the mocking glare of the prince sitting quietly off to the side. Glowering at Kouga, he asked gruffly, coming to a halt a few feet away, "Why the hell didn't you tell us you had found her, Kouga?"

Shrugging indifferently, he smirked. "Oh I knew you would be a good dog and find her trail soon enough, puppy. There was no need to leave my woman's side when your canine senses would kick in and lead you right to us."

"Keh! Whatever." Forgoing any arguing, his gold eyes rested on Kagome, who was patiently listening to what Shippo was saying, nodding at what he said, her palm smoothing his wayward bangs every once in a while.

He had been so glad when he saw that she was alright and that no harm had come to her. Of course he was pissed that while everyone in the castle was fearing the worst she was out here sleeping away, completely unconcerned with the turmoil she was unleashing. It was so like her. At times she could be very intuitive while in the same instance totally oblivious to what was transpiring. But now the he knew she was safe, righteous anger was taking the place of his concern. Didn't she realize how people would worry when she disappeared like that without telling anyone where she was going?

Rin stepped forward to stand by Akito's tail which lay upon the miko's lap, patting his shoulder absently while giving him a toothy grin. "Hello, Akito-sama! You're so cute when you are in your demon form."

The youkai inwardly sighed, eyeing his master's ward with gentleness. Cute wasn't exactly the reaction a demon looked for whenever the need called for them to change into their true form. But considering these two human females had an askew set to what they thought was normal it went without saying that seeing him as he was would incite such comments.

My, but what would the other youkai of the palace say if they heard their master's personal guard being described as cute? Thank Kami he would never know...

Leaning forward, he snuffled her neck softly, ears perking forward at the giggles it caused, her shoulder scrunching up as she hopped backwards.

"Heheheh, Akito-sama!" Sparkling brown eyes laughed up at him, hands planting on her tiny hips, dirty socked feet spread apart a bit. Unconvinced with his innocent stare, her cheeks red, a grin on her face, she said, "You know I'm ticklish. Shame on you."

Lowering his ears till they resembled wings on each side of his head, he looked downward, pretending to be chastened at her words. Rin giggled again, placing a hand over her mouth as she did.

Kagome had seen the little scene, hiding a smile behind her hand as she watched how the guard handled the little girl. When a breeze made a few strands of hair dance into her eyes, she pushed them back, coming up short as her bound hair prevented her from running her fingers through the tresses. Extracting her fingers, she frowned in confusion, glancing back as she heard a soft chuckle.

Noticing the amused expression of the prince, she asked in surprise, "Kouga-kun?"

Winking, he raised his hand, saluting two fingers at her. "Yo, Kagome. I was wondering when you were would wake up enough to notice me." His gentle teasing made a blush spread over her cheeks.

Smiling tentatively, she felt Shippo hop onto her shoulder, picking up her braid and inspecting it. "Sorry about that. I guess I fell asleep and hadn't woken up all the way yet." Fiddling with the unbraided end of her hair, she arched a raven eyebrow at him. "Did you..." She trailed off, catching sight of Inu Yasha standing behind him, glowering down at her. "Inu Yasha..."

Kouga frowned, annoyed that her attention was now on the hanyou, his moments of joking around with Kagome now gone. Damn. He barely got a chance to spend time with her as it was.

"And just when the hell were you going to let anyone know where you were, huh?" The hanyou asked, anger clear in his voice, shoulders tensed and bristling. Waving a hand through the air, he continued. " You had Shippo so scared he came and got me, demanding I go to Sesshoumaru and find out where you went."

Guilt spiked through her breast, making her slouch where she sat, ashamed eyes lower to the ground. He was right. She should have gone back to the castle, found her friends and asked them what they wanted to do today. They had traveled all this way to see her, after all, so it was the least she could do. But what with dealing with the wolf prince's unexpected arrival at the Taiyoukai's room she had been consumed with the desire to escape for a while, hide from the troubles that constantly dogged her steps, wore her down.

Biting at her lower lip, she said softly, "I'm sorry...I didn't think— "

"Keh, that's nothing new," he cut in sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest once more.

Aktio watched her shoulders hunch more, all of the calm she had obtained before disappearing under the hanyou's onslaught.

Rin fidgeted nervously, wondering why everyone seemed so unhappy. They had found the nice lady like they'd wanted, so why were they still upset?

Kouga jumped up angrily at the hanyou's comments, whirling to face him directly, snarling as he did. "Why don't you lay off her for once, you damn dog! She doesn't have to answer to you for anything!"

Inu Yasha's arms dropped to his sides, hands clenching into white knuckled fists, a growl leaving from deep in his throat as he fixed a fierce golden glare at the prince. "This conversation doesn't involve you, you bastard wolf! So why don't you shut the hell up and back off?!"

Advancing a few aggressive steps, emerald orbs narrowing dangerously, Kouga asked with soft menace, "Why don't you try to fucking make me? I'm so sick of your constant bitching and moaning where Kagome is concerned. Why don't you grow up and quit harassing her with your petty insecurities and go back to the woman you chose?"

The hanyou flinched as though struck, eyes trailing over to watch the miko's reaction, catching the grimace that flashed over her pretty face. Looking back to Kouga, he felt even angrier than before. The wind made his hair trail behind him in a thick white blanket, ears twitching about as various sounds reached his sensitive ears, the long sleeves of his haori swaying against his strong forearms, which were stiff as he tried to contain his emotions.

"Don't talk about shit you couldn't understand, you mangy wolf!"

The wolf youkai scoffed, his glare turning scathing and contemptuous. "You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how to lead a woman on for years while secretly remaining attached to another one. I don't understand what it is to confine myself to a debt that shouldn't have been created in the fist place." Eyelids lowering the mere slits, he added with a growl, "And I couldn't attempt, or even desire, to understand why, after you relinquished any claim on someone you still continue to intrude in their life as if you had the right."

The meadow became silent save for the noise of the wind blowing through the surrounding vegetation. Shippo was looking down at Kagome with concern, his little hands coming up to pat her cheek lightly, trying to get her to look at him. The ice fox was livid, rage glittering in his eyes, turning them a dark swirl of frigid pearl-blue that resembled blue opals. His master's ward was shifting from foot to foot in uncertainty, not comfortable with the atmosphere that enshrouded the group.

Inu Yasha stood, breathing hard, chest heaving as he absorbed what Kouga had said, not able to contradict any of it. Which was the most damning part of all. The validity of the words. Kami, would he never gain control of himself? Too many times he lost his temper and spoke without thinking, usually turning any situation worse than it had already been. He wondered if he was going to be 'sat', the idea making his toes curl into the soft carpet of grass. The prospect of getting up close and personal with the ground was never appealing, and now was no exception. Even if he deserved it this time...

Kagome rising from her spot by Akito made everyone turn their focus to her, watching her closely. Keeping her head down, she gently removed the swath of fur and bone from her lap, placing it back to her vacated spot with exaggerated care, running a palm in a caress over one of the kitsune's cheeks before moving away. Patting Rin on the top of the head as she passed her, the miko continued walking while looking towards the ground, ignoring everything around her. The little girl glanced uncertainly between the departing miko with the kit to the irrate youkai in front of her, picking at her kimono sleeve, chewing at her lower lip. Finally, she scurried after the girl and her new friend, not wishing to stay near the others with the unpleasant undertones blanketing everything.

Akito got to his feet, a swirl of celestial sapphire and pearl light surrounding him in a flurry of motion, seconds later revealing the humanoid form of the guard. He turned an intimidating glare onto the other males, fangs flashing threateningly as he walked towards them stiffly, picking up his spear as he went. Gripping the long pole so tight, if it had been made of a more fragile wood it would have surely snapped, he grit out, "You both are to stay away from Lady Kagome for the rest of the day."

When Kouga opened his mouth to protest, the guard snapped in a low voice, laced with ice and anger, eyes flashing brightly, "Remain quiet, or so help me I will fell you both where you stand instantly." Ice slowly crept up the top portion of the spear, the tip becoming incased in a deadly razor-sharp weapon that glistened in the sunlight, a prism effect causing a multitude of shimmering lights to dance over the kitsune's hostile features.

Gulping, Inu Yasha held his silence, well aware of what that tone and behavior meant coming from his brother's warrior. For the usually stoic youkai to become this angry denoted that his patience was gone and that whatever he said were words to take seriously.

Likewise, Kouga was exercising caution for once, settling for keeping a wary eye on the kitsune, hands still tense at his sides.

This was no longer the calm youkai of before, which viewed the world with icy indifference, silently observing those around him without letting it bother him. Before them stood the skilled demon who had taken out more than a hundred youkai in the last great battle, vanquishing them with an ease that was envied throughout the entire Taisho household.

"If you find that you cannot keep your insignificant squabbling to your selves without troubling those nearby, then I suggest you do us all a favor and say nothing at all." The ice on his spear added another layer to its cool surface, thickening the solidified water-blade even more. Akito's navy eyebrows lowered into a V, his ivory bangs falling a bit in his frigid orbs, giving him a sinister air. "Your ignorance knows no bounds and your transgressions against the Lady are many. Do not tempt me to take action on her part and end her having to suffer through your idiocies." He turned till his body faced the direction she had gone. "I'm leaving to find Lady Kagome. You will honor my wishes and keep your distance, or suffer the consequence of your folly." Casting them each one last measuring glance, he turned, dispelling the ice from his spear, sprinting off to catch up with the retreating form of the miko who was headed towards the hill that would lead her to the stream and bridge.

Absolute silence reigned between the two males after the fox's departure, neither of them knowing exactly what to say in the now awkward situation. The wolf prince turned to regard the hanyou, his sharp eyes studying the almost defeated air hanging about his opponent. Scowling, he curled his lip in a sneer. "I don't have time for this. I need to talk to your brother." And with that, he ran off, his usual whirlwind chasing over the grassy meadow to the path that led towards the castle.

Inu Yasha remained as he was, head lowered, hands clenching and unclenching nears his thighs. He couldn't believe how stupid he had just been. The things that had been said in front of Kagome, the horrible truths laid bare in front of a very attentive audience that she probably didn't want them to know.

How could he have been so stupid? Why was it that all his good intentions flew out the door whenever he was angry or upset? Especially when the reason for his ill feelings stemmed from the miko. Besides, hadn't his half brother already told both him and Kouga on numerous occasions, this morning included, to stop arguing with one another? Even Kagome had asked that but a few days ago, and already he had forgotten, his blood boiling at the wolf's snide remarks.

Remarks that had struck home with sickening force, straight to his heart.

Turning to watch the space where the girl had once been, ears flattening to his skull, his eyes reflected regret and sadness, one word leaving his mouth to be carried away by a stray wind.

"Kagome..."

She felt miserable. Kouga and Inu Yasha's words kept repeating in her head, a steady litany that she wished more than anything would desist. Along with their words her own inner voice, the one that mocked her and the entire 'break-up' with the hanyou added its own advice.

'He was angry with you...again.'

'A disappointment...a copy...that is all you will ever be to him.'

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, an unhappy frown tilting her lips, ignoring the concerned inquiries of the kit on her shoulder, the little girl trailing at their side. She was lost in an argument with her own mind, trying to convince herself that the half demon's comments couldn't hurt because she had let go of him already.

It was a lie. A falsity she couldn't run from or disregard as easily as she would've desired.

'Did you relinquish him...or did he let go of you?'

Her body winced as though she had been wounded in some way. But this injury wasn't one that could be seen by the naked eye, it went far deeper where it could do the most damage.

They were almost to the bridge when Akito suddenly showed up beside them, Kagome starting in surprise at the abrupt arrival, large blue-grey eyes going to his serious face instantly. Halting, she saw the way his lips were compressed into a thin line, the iceberg depths of his orbs more remote and intense than she had ever witnessed thus far.

Placing a hand cautiously on his forearm, concern roiling through her at the clearly upset youkai, she asked, "Akito-kun, is something the matter?"

Shippo peered at the other kitsune with interest, not having been around others of his kind in a very long time. He had noticed the fox earlier when they were in the main hall and he had led Kagome away, but at the time he had been so excited at being reunited with his surrogate mother again that he had quickly dismissed the demon. Now he wanted to stay around the guard long enough to watch his mannerisms, perhaps see if he could recognize any similarities between his own family and that of the arctic demon's. Even though they were a different breed they shared the same species, so that linked them somewhat.

Akito's gaze turned sorrowful, softening his expression to a more approachable level. Gently, he took up her hand, holding the delicate appendage with care, applying a light pressure to her fingers. When the aura synchronization began taking affect a wave of sadness transmitted through to him, a pang hitting his heart that even though she was in her own personal hell she still managed to enquire about others.

"You are too kind, Lady." The sincerity behind what he said made a tentative grin flash briefly upon her face before a self-mocking smirk took its place.

"Thank you, Akito-kun. Though I'm sure some wouldn't agree with you."

His long fingers tightened about her own, a fierce protective light shining in his eyes down into her own, capturing her gaze. "They are fools then, Lady. Do not heed what they say, for it is their own stupidity expressing itself."

Taken aback, she said falteringly, "Th– thank you, Kito-chan."

Releasing her with some reluctance, he straightened, placid lines framing his features once more. Glancing over to Rin, who was currently trying to get Shippo's attention by trying to reach for his fluffy tail, he said, "Seiryn is coming, Rin." She froze in mid-reach, turning a guilty look on the guard. Arching a navy brow, he asked mildly, "You wouldn't, by any chance, have skipped out on your lessons again, would you?"

Lowering her arm to clasp her hands together in front of her, earnest pleading covering her young countenance, she told him, "Akito-sama, I didn't mean to this time. I was returning from going to the bathroom when I ran into Shippo and Inu Yasha-sama looking for the nice lady."

The kit on Kagome's shoulder interjected, "It's really my fault. I asked her if she knew where Kagome might be and when she offered to take us to see Sesshoumaru I didn't object." It was a little deviated from the truth, but the soldier wouldn't know that.

Rin gave him a grateful smile, nodding vigorously in agreement. The two adults shared a knowing look, aware that the youths were covering for one another and that they probably weren't getting the whole story.

A flurry of movement coming over the bridge they were at the foot of drew their focus, a tall slender female youkai with piercing eyes walking hastily towards them. Spotting Rin, she said in relief, "There you are! Lady Rin, I have been looking all over the palace for you!" she scolded gently, gracefully coming across the bridge, maroon kimono trailing behind her. Taking notice of the others with her pupil, she bowed, respectfully lowering her head. "Akito-sama, My Lady." Rising, she cast a tolerant stare to Rin, who was now a little subdued. "Forgive Lady Rin if she was bothering you. Sometimes her exuberance overshadows her good manners."

Waving the apology away with a warm smile, Kagome exclaimed, "Not at all! We were happy to have her with us, weren't we Shippo?" She looked to the kit for confirmation.

Nodding, he added, "Without her help we wouldn't have found Kagome."

Amusement lightened the youkai's eyes. "I see. Well thank you then for watching her until I could come fetch her. Now, if you will excuse us, Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't like it when she skips out on her lessons." Putting out a clawed hand, she ordered, "Come along, Lady Rin. We still need to go over your spelling and reading skills."

Pouting, the little girl took her tutor's hand, grinning over her shoulder as they began to walk away. Waving, she called, "See you later nice lady and Shippo-chan!"

Mimicking her action, the kit answered loudly, making the miko he was perched on flinch at the vibrations ringing in her ear, "Okay, Rin! Bye!"

Soon the two figures were out of sight, disappearing behind the bushes on the other side of the stream, Rin chattering away non-stop as her teacher listened patiently.

Sighing, the miko focused on her guard, the question in her eyes plain for him to see.

"That was Seiryn, Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru assigned her to instruct Lady Rin when they returned about a year ago."

"Ah, that makes sense," she replied, hugging Shippo when he went from sitting on her shoulder to her middle. Facing outward, his green eyes swept the terrain.

"What are we going to do now, Kagome?" He tilted his head back till he could see her.

Frowning in thought, she pursed her lips. "I don't know, Shippo-chan. Any ideas, Kito-chan?"

A small grin molded his lips. "As a matter of fact, Lady, I do. Remember when I promised to take you to meet my brother?"

Excitement lightened her features, arms convulsively tightening about the kit she held as she leaned forward a bit. "Really?! We can go meet Kiro?!"

Chuckling at how easy it was to please her, and how the news had made the color come back into her cheeks, he nodded in ascent, motioning with his spear towards the bridge. "Of course. This way, Lady."

Nearly dancing about with joy, she smiled happily while skipping over the bridge, explaining to the confused kit in her grasp just who Kiro was. She left out what he did for a living, figuring there were some facts that children need know nothing about where grown-ups were concerned.

The arctic kitsune followed behind at a more sedate pace, secretly reveling in how he was the one to cause her happiness. Pushing away the voice in his head that was reminding him of his master's orders to keep the girl away from the rest of the youkai in the castle, he told Kagome directions on how to get to the palace dojo.

This meeting should prove interesting indeed...

A large beige building, bigger than almost the main portion of the castle where the Lord slept, sprouted up from the ground that Akito led them to. There were humongous wooden doors, sakura blossoms on their outer edge while towards the middle there were engravings of a large dog, rearing on its hind legs, mouth agape displaying deadly fangs. The doorway was easily big enough for a fully transformed Sesshoumaru to walk inside without any part of his body touching the frame, and Kagome was positive that the inside would be just as impressive.

Sounds of battle were faintly heard through the windows that lined the middle of the building, not near the roof as the ones in the hot spring were. Some of them were open, dark shadows of movement flashing past them every so often, drawing her notice. She couldn't make out who or what would go by the windows every once in a while, but she was determined to learn the answer.

Shippo was quiet, in awe as much as she was of the structure, his sharper hearing picking out the clang of steel meeting steel, exclamations of victory or defeat as the sparring going on inside met a final outcome.

There were no guards standing posted like there was at every other opening in the palace, a fact that did not escape the miko's notice. Glancing uneasily at Akito, feeling a tad overwhelmed now that she was actually here, she asked quietly, "Kito-chan, is this where your brother is?"

Smiling reassuringly, he answered gently, "Yes, Lady. Do not worry. There are only mock skirmishes transpiring, so no real danger is present."

A weak grin was his answer before her eyes trailed back to the aggressive stance of the etched dog demons on the doors, an audible gulp moving her throat. She couldn't wait to meet Akito's brother, but on the other hand, fighting always made her uncomfortable. Especially where youkai were concerned. Bloodlust was a natural trait, so seeing them in action was always a bit frightening, even if there was no intent to kill behind it.

Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin to a defiant angle, she shoved away her doubts. She was with Akito, so nothing would happen to her. Besides, she was only going to meet his brother. It wasn't like she was going to enter a fight herself or anything.

Courage bolstered by her musings, she turned a blinding smile to the surprised guard, stepping towards the entrance. "Come on, Kito-chan! I want to meet your brother."

Proud of the way she decided to set her unease aside, the kitsune walked passed them, opening one heavy door as if it weighed nothing, indicating with a hand for her to step through.

Taking one last deep breath, she stepped over the threshold, hearing the loud 'bang' of the door closing, the sunlight that had illuminated her entry now snuffed, making her blink to adjust her eyesight.

Once it was clear, she could make out that she was in a long hallway with another set of much smaller doors set directly in front of her, these ones were shoji instead of wood like the others. Glancing to her left and right, she could see only the shiny floorboards of the corridors, a bend at each end leading off to who knew where. Warm light shone in through the windows, the ceilings reaching far up to allow the most ventilation for the occupants. Unlit torches were placed along the walls, already full and prepared for the evening when they would need to be lit so one could see clearly to traverse the halls.

The ice youkai stepped to the door, glancing over his shoulder to give her another reassuring smile. "This is the main section of the dojo, Lady. Inside is where the youkai train with various weapons along with their powers so that they can be ready if a threat crops up or Lord Sesshoumaru needs them for anything. None of the sparring matches you are going to see will be real, so don't be scared, okay?"

Grinning, she nodded her head, hugging Shippo closer to her chest. "Okay, Kito-chan. Lead the way."

Setting his face into an indifferent mask, he grasped the door and slid it open with a 'click', the loud noises of many voices and weapons now floating to the girl's ears. Following the guard, she blinked in amazement at the sight that met her eyes. Sunlight spilled in from long tall windows that took up the other side of the wall, a view of a vast open field stretching far beyond where the dojo lay, the tiny specks of archery targets and lance dummies visible.

There were more youkai than she had ever seen standing off to the side of the thick mats lining the floors at the center of the training hall, every color of the rainbow gracing their hair or eyes, cruel beauty reflected in the perfection of their faces. A sea of maroon and black flooded her vision, the uniforms worn by all the Taisho warriors blending into each other, differences only discernable by personal appearances alone. She was used to seeing the grotesque apparitions of the lower youkai she and Inu Yasha always battled. Beings that needed the shards of the shikon because their own strength was weak enough to call for extra support.

A few of the ones closest to the door turned to glance with curiosity at the newcomers, not used to having a female human in their midst. Some began whispering amongst themselves, pointing unobtrusively towards the girl who was cradling a demon kit, her large blue-grey eyes staring with wonder at her surroundings.

Kagome was so consumed with checking out all the other beings, trying to see if she recognized any of them, that at first it didn't register that none of them were fighting and that the center of the room was devoid of any occupants. She was studying a rack that had wickedly curved blades like she had never seen before stacked upon its wooden rungs, some empty spots pointing to the fact that they were in use, when a loud yell drew her attention.

Looking up, her mouth dropped open in shock, eyes widening even further in her now pale face. Shippo also glanced upward, a shiver of unease skating up his spine when he saw what was going on.

A flash of brilliant red lit up the high-beamed roof, reflecting like flames over the wooden surfaces of the strong supports. Frigid blue ice streaked towards the scarlet beam of light, clashing into it a second before separating.

It was then she was able to discern just what it was she was watching. A shocked gasp left her mouth as recognition shown upon her face, the nearby demons glancing back at her curiously before going back to watching the match playing out above them.

Lord Daija floated gracefully in the air, his arms crossed over his chest negligently, feet pointed downward as though he was stretching his arches. His roiling eyes were swirling in enjoyment, a wicked smirk lining his full lips as a dark chuckle left his mouth, making goose bumps rise on Kagome's skin in reaction. The light danced upon his hair, making it resemble a living flame, the markings gracing his face sparkling eerily as he moved.

Cocking his head to the side, he let a fang flash, gesturing towards his opponent lazily. "Now now, Kiro. Remember, this is a mock battle, not a real one."

Upon hearing the name of his sparring partner, Kagome's eyes flew to the other side of the hall, getting her first glimpse of Akito's brother. A tall demon floated effortlessly, crouched a bit forward in a fighting stance, a thin deadly blade cradled skillfully in one hand. He had it leveled towards the firebird at chest height, his other arm sighting down its metal length. Shoulder length straight dark blue hair rested gently upon his shoulders, along his cheekbones, a few bangs framing his forehead. She could barely make out a blotch of navy marring his brow, a youkai marking she wouldn't be able to see fully until he was closer. His hands and wrists were covered in guards like most swordsmen were, the loose material of his silver haori with midnight blue sakura petals splashed along the neckline and hem of his sleeve, fluttering a bit in the wind that came through the windows.

She thought it odd that his outfit would be different from the other soldiers, like Lord Daija's was. But then, considering the position he held, it made sense that he would be given special privileges the other youkai were not, putting him at a higher rank than most. The iridescent black armor that the Taisho warriors wore was firmly tied in place, the sturdy flaps trailing protectively over his thighs, his tail peaking over it at his waist where he had it circling close to his body. Even from the distance she was at, Kagome could see the brightness of his cold eyes that were far more lifeless than those of Akito when she had first met him. Where the guard's orbs could be likened to icebergs, this siblings were more along the lines of an arctic cave. Lost and forgotten save for those who lived in such dark waters, a light ring of ice leading to a black abyss of nothingness.

Another shiver shook her slim body, this time having nothing to do with the reaction from a handsome fire youkai. The miko could only imagine how terrible a sight it must be, to see Kiro's merciless eyes boring down into your soul seconds before he ended your life. It was something she hoped she would never have to go through...

A flash to her left caused her to look back at Daija, noticing for the first time that there was a sword in his hand, tapping lightly against his leg as he continued to eye the other demon thoughtfully. Arching one fiery brow, he asked, "Shall we continue?"

A quick nod was his only answer, the two youkai immediately engaging in battle once more, moving with fast bursts of speed she was having trouble following. Frowning in concentration, she watched as the swords met one another with a loud 'clang' that rang out starkly in the room, the audience attentive to what was transpiring. Suddenly, the phoenix backed off a bit, pointing his weapon towards the ground while reaching out with a splayed hand towards the wary Kiro. A growing myriad of reds, oranges and yellows began growing in his palm, the Lord beginning to spin gracefully where he stood, a streak of fire trailing behind him to create a living stream of flame.

Kiro stood up straight, eyes narrowing as he brought his blade up in front of him, centering the sword till it reached far above his head, his eyes separated by steel as they gazed at his opponent. Placing his other hand sideways, laying it flat upon the blunt edge of the weapon right above the hand-guard, he braced himself.

When Daija stopped to fling the ribbon of fire away from his body, Kagome could of sworn that the faint outline of a bird's head opening its mouth was at the front of the projectile right before it made contact. Wincing at what she was sure would be a painful blow, she peaked up at Akito's brother, eyes flying open fully when she saw that the firebird's attack was split down its center by the kitsune's blade, twin arches of fire streaming out to each side of him, the force of their departure making his bangs and hair fly away from his face.

The hot flames quickly dispersed, fading away as their potency was fractured, broken. Kiro's hair settled back to its previous place, looking as unruffled as it had when she saw him moments ago. Silence encompassed everyone, still held in awe at what they had seen. At last, the two warriors sheathed their weapons, bowing respectfully to one another, Daija grinning in delight as he did.

"Well done, Kiro! Most impressive indeed!" He moved forward, back to his original pose of arms crossed over his red-clad chest, hovering through the air like some ghostly specter Kagome thought a few girls would feel lucky to be haunted by.

Halting in front of the kitsune, he waved a hand towards the ground and their audience, merriment undulating in his roiling orbs. "Shall we go down and tell the youngsters a few points on what defense and attacks to use in a similar situation."

A smirk that didn't reach his eyes curved the fox's lips, a nod his only other answer.

She was beginning to wonder if the demon could speak at all with the way he was being so quiet. Or was that just normal behavior for assassins? She had no idea...

The two lowered to the matted floor, shoe encased feet touching down gently before planting firmly into place. Now that they were on the ground, a swarm of soldiers moved in to congratulate and ask questions of them, eager to listen to what they had to say, any words of wisdom they might wish to impart.

A few stragglers near to the miko remained as they were, wary to have the purifying creature in their midst, and not wanting to leave her unwatched for a moment. Akito, seeing the interest his charge was attracting, grasped her elbow lightly, propelling her forward towards his brother.

The youkai surrounding the assassin began to part, making way for their master's personal guard and the person he had with him. Many eyes widened at seeing a human carrying a kit walking beside their instructor's brother as though it were the most natural thing in the world. A pair of obsidian eyes glared after the girl's form, a low growl emitting from their throat.

Oblivious to the malignant regard, Kagome blushed at all the attention she was getting. Really, she should be a little used to it by now after being in the palace so long, but this was a lot different from before. These were soldiers in varying degrees of battle regalia, their purpose only that of learning the art of war, becoming skilled in ways to kill and maim others. She scooted closer to Akito, the action causing more than one eyebrow to raise in speculation that the miko would willingly place herself in contact with a youkai.

Ignoring the stares, the kitsune had but two more demons blocking his path before Kiro's eyes narrowed as he turned his head quickly to pin his brother with an intent stare. Daija followed his line of vision, a warm smile lighting up his features as he waved the youkai in their way aside.

"Lady Kagome! What a pleasant surprise." He came forward, untangling one of the hands that held Shippo to bow over it with a courtly flourish.

Cheeks burning even more, she laughed nervously while extracting her hand. "Hehe...Lord Daija. That was amazing! I've never seen fighting like that before."

Happiness flared in his eyes, the red intermixing more with the yellow. "You think so, Lady? I'm glad. It's not often we get to perform for such a lovely guest."

Shippo stared up at the new youkai with wide eyes. Since he had been asleep the last time Lord Daija was there he hadn't had the chance to see the firebird. Now that he did, he couldn't keep from staring. His father had once told him about youkai such as the Lord, but never had he come across one. They were very rare and more elusive to find than Naraku was.

As usual, Kagome was hard-pressed not to begin shifting about when in the fire youkai's presence. The compliments he gave always made her feel flattered but embarrassed. Even more so with the interested gazes they were receiving. She was fully aware of the fact that she wasn't nearly as beautiful as the youkai living in the palace, and because of such assumed that she was seen as a plain human girl with no appeal.

"Thanks," she answered with a smile, trying to regain her equilibrium enough to take the blush out of her face. It must be clashing horribly with the red shirt she was wearing...

His hand not having left its post at her elbow, Akito deftly nudged her towards the side, putting her in Kiro's direct line of vision and out from under the other demon's intent regard. He knew it was hard for her to relax at first with the firebird. After about twenty minutes she was her normal self around him, but until she got over her initial unease it made things hard for her.

When her eyes met those of the kitsune's brother, she froze, rooted to the spot as her muscles instantly refused to move. Not even when Sesshoumaru had held her that first time under his chilling stare had she felt how fragile her mortal life really was. Kiro began walking towards her, his eyes not straying from hers in the slightest, stopping once he drew abreast of Lord Daija. He swept her features with a critical look before glancing to his brother with a raised brow.

Inwardly rolling his eyes at his brother's usual way of intimidating people he didn't know, Akito introduced her. "Kiro, this is Lady Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru's guest."

Understanding caused the assassin to settle his brow back to its original spot, the frigid coldness of his eyes now mellowing to a more pleasant blue. Kagome watched in wonder as the darkness left, a sky blue weaving through his irises, his harsh features softening. Bowing formally, he said, "My Lady."

The sound of her voice wasn't something she expected at all. Instead of the icy quality she was ready to hear, a melodious tone reached her ears, the nuances pleasant. It wasn't as enjoyable to listen to as Lord Daija's, but then the Lord was a bird so it would only stand to reason that he would sound more pleasing than others.

Her identity now confirmed, the other youkai close by began talking amongst themselves, relating the news of who she was and how the Lords of the castle knew her.

Grinning with open pleasure, she bowed her head back in return. "Kiro, it's a pleasure to meet you! Akito has said such wonderful things about you that I couldn't wait to make your acquaintance."

Arching a navy brow, so much like his brother's, he glanced to his sibling who was avoiding direct eye contact with him. "Indeed." Sliding a glance back towards her, he let a small smile tilt his lips. "I am only surprised you desired to meet me and not run the other way. My brother is known well in our family for his ability to spin tales."

Chuckling warmly, she shifted Shippo's position within her arms, swaying to the side to nudge Akito with her shoulder. "Oh, I can believe it. He's been such a wonderful friend since I got to the castle. I really appreciate all he has done for me."

Akito's surprised eyes immediately swung to regard his charge, eyebrows reaching into his long bangs. He hadn't known that she felt so strongly about the relationship they had developed since her arrival but a few days ago. Had it really been so short a time? It was beginning to feel as though he had known this girl for ages...

"Is that so?" Interest was blatant in Kiro's stare when he watched the way his brother and the miko interacted, the comfortable comradery between them. It looked like even though his younger brother was just the human's guard he had come to mean much more to her than a simple servant. In fact, she had gone so far as to label them friends... "I can but hope, Lady Kagome, that he continues to find such favor in your eyes. You honor our house with your kind words."

A softness stole into her blue-grey eyes as they rested on him, her words soft when she replied, "Really, it is I who have been honored to have met such wonderful people."

Again, Kiro was taken aback by her attitude. In his experience humans were never this polite and approachable when it came to youkai. What was even stranger was that this particular female was a miko, so the situation was doubly odd.

Not quite knowing what to say in the face of a compliment of that caliber from a virtual stranger, he breathed an inward sigh of relief when Daija stepped in again. The firebird always was better at conversation than he was.

"Lady Kagome, how is your health fairing? Better I hope?" Genuine concern for her fluctuated in his awesome eyes, brows lowering in a shallow V.

Not as skittish as she first was when speaking to him, she turned towards him a bit. "I'm almost completely better, thanks for asking Lord Daija. And thanks again for the tea the other day. I was wondering if you might want to share a pot of it sometime soon again. It was absolutely delicious."

Pleased that she had liked his gift, he nodded. "Any time that is convenient for you will be fine for me."

Her guard, noticing the intent way their little group was being scrutinized by the murmuring crowd, clasped her arm again and began steering her back the way they had come. "We should move out of the center of the room, Lady, so that the soldiers can get back to their training."

Flushing again as her attention was called back to the fact that they were being watched so closely, she walked briskly at his side, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Kiro and Daija were following them. She let a tiny grin mold her lips when she recognized their tall figures making their way through the warriors flocking about them.

There were many things she wished to discuss with them, and standing off to the side so they could still keep an eye on the training while getting to know one another seemed like an exemplary idea to her.

Now...just to get rid of her nervousness and summon the nerve to ask what was really on her mind...


	40. Purity

Miroku walked beside Sango, staff jingling as he trekked along the smooth hallways of the Taisho palace, Kiarara trotting up ahead of them, stopping every once in a while to check back and make sure her human companions were still with her. Glancing under his thick eyelashes at the woman at his side, the monk watched the way the pastel fabric of her kimono draped her lean body, the loose length of her dark chocolate hair swaying against her back as she made her way gracefully through the corridor.

They had met up over breakfast as had been the norm since residing hear at the castle, somewhere between consuming the rice and miso soup she had asked him if he would like to explore their surroundings together today. A light blush had covered her cheeks as she had gazed fixedly into the bowl she held in her hands by her face, not daring to look directly into his eyes as she shyly put her question forth.

At first, he had been shocked that the taijiya would want to be anywhere, that didn't involve hunting jewel shards with him, on her own. After all, she didn't hesitate when it came to either slapping or yelling at him whenever his hands went wandering, so he had figured she would be adverse to being alone with him. The only reason he assumed she ate with him by herself in the mornings, nothing but her fire cat to protect her form his lecherous advances, was because the low table separated them. Of course, she couldn't begin to imagine what less than wholesome thoughts had gone through his mind concerning her and that table...but then that was beside the point.

No, what mattered was that Sango was taking the initiative and asking him if he would like to join her as she walked around the castle and became familiar with the layout. He accepted, of course. Why would he turn down the opportunity to spend time with a beautiful woman with no one else about except her pet? It was like the beginning to one of his fondest dreams...

So here they were, having been moving through the palace for the last half hour, having no idea where the hell they were at. Which was why Kiarara was now sniffing about. Since she had the higher sense of smell, even if it wasn't up to par with a canine's, the little cat had been elected to the position of point, finding the best course to take to gain their freedom. They could have probably asked one of the many guards they went by that were standing sentry every so often along the walls, but their placid expressions and large glaives were anything but inviting to a lost human. Not to mention he wasn't about to ask for directions...so it had been up to Sango to figure something out.

That was where the cat youkai came in.

Moving to walk closer to Sango, trying to do it as slyly as possible, Miroku checked to ascertain that she wasn't on to him, glad when he saw that all her focus was trained on where they were going and not her companion.

Perfect...

Just as she was going by a guard that was standing beside an open doorway, a cursory glance revealing it to be a library of some sort if all the scrolls and books lining dark-wood shelves were to go by, she suddenly stopped in mid-step, entire body stiffening in outage as color suffused in her face. Gritting her teeth, she swung with all the speed of her exterminator training and planted a resounding slap upon a certain smiling monk's face, screaming at him indignantly, "Damn it, Miroku! Will you keep your hands to yourself!"

Taking the hand that had moments before been lying upon her bottom, he grinned benignly at the fuming female, rubbing his now red cheek to lessen the sting of his skin. The guard was now watching them with interest, quirking a teal eyebrow over his almost black-green eyes. When he had seen the male put his hand on the girl he had been interested to see what she would say. What the guard hadn't expected was for her to turn on the boy and strike him. But what was really odd was the way the male in black and purple robes simply smiled as though she had given him a brush of her lips upon his cheek instead of the harmful force of her palm.

Humans...they never made any sense...

"Now, now, Sango...You misunderstood me. I was just brushing away a speck of dirt that had gotten on your kimono."

Eyebrow twitching, chocolate brown eyes sparking in anger, she said between clenched teeth, fists planted firmly upon her hips, "You what?! Oh come on, couldn't you have thought of a better excuse than that?!"

Tilting his head to the side, his purple eyes turned thoughtful, the hand upon the side of his face sliding down to clasp his own chin, as though he was giving her words great consideration.

"Hmmmm...actually, no." Grinning sunnily, he continued. "I think I've used up every other one already, so that was it."

Crossing her arms with a huff, she turned on her heel and began stomping off towards Kirara, who was sitting patiently down the hall, watching the two humans with a bored expression. After three years, you would think her mistress would learn...

Miroku followed Sango's irrate form for a while before turning to wink at the guard. Talking behind one hand in a stage whisper, he told the confused youkai, "She's just playing hard to get. Women are like that you know."

Staring at the human blankly, the guard could but nod dumbly, never having been confronted with such odd behavior from these creatures before.

Smiling wider, the monk hurried after the taijiya, catching up with her stiff figure as she turned the corner at the end of the corridor. Soon, they were both out of sight, his plaintive voice accompanied by that of the irked female, a sharpness to her tone that pointed to the fact that she was still upset.

Shaking himself from his momentary stupor, the guard stood up straight, going back to his original stance before a pair of humans with a fire youkai had gone wandering passed. Ever since word had gone around that Lord Sesshoumaru was allowing the odd group to take residence in the palace everyone had been curious as to why and who they were. If what he had just witnessed was anything to go by, his master kept very strange company indeed...

A multitude of emotions were running through Kagome as she stepped beside Akito towards the wall that directly faced opposite of the large windows that led to the outside. Shippo was busy looking about him with wide green eyes, taking in the sight of a grand palace that was more of a military station than anything else. Relieved that he was preoccupied enough to let her alone with her musings, she tried to form how she was going to ask the questions that were boring into her mind, making her thoughts too chaotic for her to achieve adequate respite from them. A busy mind made for a very burdensome bedfellow, and the miko was past tired with putting up with it in the early hours of the night.

Glancing under her eyelashes to her stoic guard, she debated on how to approach the line of questioning she had in mind without causing him to be wary or try to prevent it entirely. She knew that even though they had become close friends in the few days she had spent in his company that his loyalty belonged first and foremost to the master of this castle, which meant that he would protect his Lord with any means necessary. Even if that would entail making sure an inquisitive young human was silenced and taken away from the other youkai of the Taisho holding. Not that she thought Akito would try to harm her in any way. Hadn't he braved his master's displeasure this morning just to ascertain that she was well? But that didn't mean he wouldn't confine her to her quarters, which he was well within power to do considering she had a suspicion Sesshoumaru couldn't be happier with that idea.

But didn't that arrogant jerk know that she was just trying to help him? Why did that stubborn Taiyoukai persist in foiling all her attempts to figure out who was after him? Any time she brought it up he was evasive, changing the subject flawlessly so that she had to be following the conversation closely so she could catch him and draw him back to what she wanted answers to. Of course he rarely gave them, and when he did deign to do so they were usually useless from the very vagueness of their content.

Thus, Kagome reasoned that it was up to her, personally, to try and find out what was going on and who was behind the assassination plot before anyone else tried to hurt the dog demon. After all, that was why she was here, wasn't it?

Forcefully, she pushed away the stray whispers of her inner voice bringing up her newfound clouded perception of how she saw Sesshoumaru now.

Once they were settled to the side of the vast dojo, all assembled arranged themselves in a semi-circle, with Daija and Kiro closest to the wall so they could keep an eye on their pupils while engaging in conversation. Shippo was once more at his resident post on Kagome's shoulder, alternating between watching the youkai do their drills and listening in on what was being said in the tiny group. Soon, the sounds of orders being shouted out amongst various pairs filled the air before it was overtaken by that of weapons meeting each other, battle cries issued with fierce determination and eyes glowing like fiery jewels.

Upon closer inspection she now saw what the marking was on Kiro's forehead. It looked like two sharp spikes that were crossed over one another, their shape very similar to the icicles that hung from the eaves of her house in the winter. They were also the navy color of his younger sibling's, and Kagome surmised that each one of the arctic kitsune's family had their own personal symbol that reflected their origins. That particular family got more and more interesting as she learned about them.

She was jerked from her reflections when Shippo shifted again. Jostled a bit by his antics, Kagome acted as if there was nothing unusual in having a baby demon attached to your shoulder, little claws digging into the cloth on her red pull-over, the pinpricks derived from his actions long since been accustomed to by the girl. Shifting easily as he turned once more to see a pair of nearby soldiers perform intricate katas, she smiled warmly at Kiro and Daija while saying pleasantly, "This is Shippo, by the way. He's an orphaned kit Inu Yasha and I found a few years ago." She said it more for the assassin since the firebird already knew of the fox's origins, the ice youkai arching a navy brow once more at the news, interest in his deep eyes as they swept over the demon on her shoulder who was busy regarding all the things about him.

"Such actions are admirable indeed, Lady Kagome. Even more so considering the fact that you are a miko. One would think you, more than anyone, would be adverse to taking care of a demon child." It was a well phrased comment that was meant to unearth any indiscrepancies about her. Kiro was used to interrogating others, what with his line of work and all for the palace. Sometimes his second nature of delving within other's personal thoughts and agendas was more pressing than he could ignore, showing itself starkly in such instances as these.

Akito frowned at his brother, irked that his sibling would make a rude remark like that when it was obvious the human was genuine in what she did and said. Likewise, Daija glanced at Kiro sharply, undulating eyes narrowing a fraction as he lounged back upon the wall, arms folded indolently over his chest in a nonchalant pose.

The miko just smiled in a self-mocking way, chuckling a bit while absently patting the kit on her shoulder's back, her braided hair hanging down her other shoulder so his little nails wouldn't get caught in the ebony strands.

"Yeah, I had a hard time at first getting Inu Yasha to let us keep him with us, but after a while he got used to it." Winking, she added good naturedly, "I have outstanding ways of persuasion after all."

Her joking manner brought a low laugh out of the phoenix, who was enjoying watching the girl banter with some of the most stoic and cold youkai within the castle. Already the guard was more at ease and relaxed than the firebird had seen in months and he would bet that the brother wouldn't be too far behind in showing signs of uncoiling the tense existence he lived in. This female just had that affect on people, whether she realized it or not, which he highly doubted she did. Something like that would make her self-conscious and probably alter her perception of them, an occurrence he did not wish to transpire. Daija was having too much fun seeing what new spin she would put in their master's life as she went through her day. One thing was certain. Ever since Lord Sesshoumaru had brought her home there hadn't been a dull moment yet.

Kiro let a small smile flit over his features before settling them back into the bored lines from earlier. His brother caught his eye and rolled his own, clearly unimpressed with the older sibling's attempt at remaining unaffected by Kagome's presence. It was an inner battle Akito was sure Kiro would lose, but then his brother never was one to just let things go easily as some of their younger siblings were.

Becoming serious, she glanced over to Shippo to make certain he was engrossed in watching the training exercises, then focused her attention on the assassin, blue-grey eyes contemplative. Chewing at her bottom lip, the miko subconsciously ran a hand through the end of her braid, immediately alerting her guard to the fact that she was nervous about whatever she was going to say. This made him tense, shoulder muscles bunching up in warning as he held back the desire to tighten his hold on his spear. He knew that his brother could be trusted with whatever the girl might ask or divulge, but not being well acquainted with the firebird, he wasn't comfortable with her entering into any in depth conversation that might involve Sesshoumaru while he was there.

"Kiro, I was wondering..."she trailed off, fretting again at the soft tissue of her lower lip, the abuse to it turning it red and irritated.

Now that everyone, excluding the kit on her shoulder, were listening attentively to her, Kagome felt self-conscious and unsure as to whether or not she should continue on with what she wanted to say.

Expression softening as he noticed her unease, the older kitsune asked kindly, "Yes, Lady Kagome? Is there something you wished to know?"

He was giving her the perfect opportunity to divest herself of the troubles plaguing her thoughts and shadowing heavily upon her heart. But still, she held back, faltering a bit under the youkai's intent stare. Something inside was cautioning her, and she wasn't one to disregard her inner voice's advice so flippantly.

"I...I was just..."

Daija frowned a bit in puzzlement, abandoning his lounging position to come up beside the assassin. It wasn't like her to be so evasive about something, and he was wondering exactly what would make her act that way right now.

Akito stepped forward a bit, cutting over her slight fumbling to say smoothly, "The Lady was curious to know if you would be interested in joining us for lunch later today."

Kagome's surprised eyes swung to the face of her guard, mouth hanging open a bit at his words. He looked as calm and collected as ever, no evidence of the lie he had just fabricated visible to the naked eye.

Kiro, well aware of the oddity of the request, answered hesitantly, "Of course." Narrowing his dark orbs at his brother a moment, he looked to the miko to add, "It would be a pleasure and an honor, Lady Kagome."

A bright fake smile lit her countenance, trying to cover up how off balance her guard's comments had caught her. She saw that Daija didn't look exactly convinced, so to detract his slightly suspicious study of the brothers, she reached out to take his clawed hand in her own, gaining the phoenix's notice at once. Toning down the happy expression to a more normal one, she said lightly, shifting from one foot to the other and leaning her head to the side, "But I also wanted to see if you might want to take tea with me tomorrow, Lord Daija."

Thoroughly distracted from his previous ponderings, a warm grin molded his lips, eyes fluctuating amazingly in his handsome face, the sunlight pouring in from the windows across the room flashing over his markings eerily. Squeezing her fingers back, his velvety voice trickled seductively along her spine, and she wondered if he would ever cease to have that effect on her. It was just too damn unfair that youkai didn't only have the looks, but now the vocals as well.

"I shall look forward to it, Kagome." He dropped off the honorary title on purpose, his silent message being read clearly by the other demons present.

Ignoring the way Akito was now scowling a bit at the flamboyant firebird, she exclaimed, "Great! Tomorrow then," extracting her hand seconds later, she tugged Shippo's tail, causing him to yelp in surprise while spinning about to face her. Laughing up at him, she nodded towards the youkai in the center of the room, the small kitsune glaring at her with mock ferocity. "Shippo, do you see anything interesting?"

He nodded vigorously, the little ponytail at the back of his head bobbing with the motion as he began talking fast. "Yeah! I've never seen an actual training facility for youkai before. My father had spoken of them and how some of the more powerful lords would keep their soldiers in top condition by involving them in regular mock battles and daily exercises so they would be honed well for combat. This is so cool!"

Chuckling, she patted him on the head. "Perhaps one day you can train somewhere like this and learn how to become a strong youkai like your father was."

He squared his shoulders and sat up, puffing up his chest with importance. "I should! Then father would be really proud of me."

A little sad at the fact that the kit would never be able to see how his father would react to the adult his son had become, she cupped his cheek and hugged him to her own, closing her eyes as she did. "I'm sure he's always proud of you, Shippo-chan, no matter what you do."

Observing the interaction of the miko and the kitsune, Kiro couldn't help but be amazed at the depth of emotion that passed between the two. It was so obvious that she cared deeply for the child, as he did in return. He also noticed that the warriors closest to them were listening avidly to what was going on, some even being bold enough to pause in their sparring to see the miko show outward devotion to a youkai.

Shippo wrapped his arms about her neck as best he could, returning the embrace wholeheartedly, still too young to be embarrassed by such things in front of older more mature demons. Opening her eyes slowly, she was surprised at the way the three demons with her were staring. A mixture between disbelief and humor. Blushing, she dropped her arm to rest along her side, her other hand coming up to cup her elbow as she gave a sheepish grin. The child youkai stayed as he was, clasping onto the girl as he would his own mother, content to be as close to her as possible.

At that moment, one of the soldiers came forward to stand a small distance behind Akito, waiting patiently for Kiro or Daija to acknowledge his presence so he could state his business. Sensing someone behind him, the guard moved to the side, making sure that he was between the new demon and his charge while letting the soldier have a full view of his superiors.

Face set in indifferent lines, Daija asked in clipped tones, "Is there something you needed, Saipryss?"

After executing a swift bow, the other youkai responded, glancing over at Kagome as he did, "I was wondering if there were any other specific exercises you wished me to instruct the others on doing."

Kagome peered with interest over the arctic kitsune's shoulder, standing on tiptoe to do so rather than skirting around her guard to see who was there. He looked vaguely familiar, as though she had seen him before but she couldn't place precisely where. Frowning in thought, she tuned out whatever was being said to concentrate on where she had seen this new demon. He wasn't one that she had been introduced to while roaming the castle grounds, all of those she remembered quite well and made a point to offer a greeting whenever she saw them again.

Tapping a finger against her chin, blue-grey eyes unfocused while she pondered, ebony eyebrows lowered in a V upon her brow. Suddenly, she knew, and it brought an instant smile of triumph to her expressive features. Not able to contain her sound of happiness that she recalled him, she exclaimed, cutting off whatever Daija had been saying to the demon, "Aha! Now I remember you!"

Surprised garnet eyes blinked at the miko who was teetering on her tiptoes over Akito's left shoulder, lips tilted in joy and mirth. Kiro, also surprised by the girl's outburst just stared at her, looking at his brother with a raised brow, for which he got a shrug as an answer from his sibling. The firebird, even though puzzled by the oddness of the statement and at being cut off by her, stood there with his lips slightly parted, curious to know what had made her act that way.

"Pardon, Lady?" Saipryss asked in confusion, body now facing her as he waited for an explanation.

Akito stepped to the side so that she wouldn't have to keep hovering over him to talk to the soldier. It didn't bother him, but he knew the only reason she had been doing it was because there was a sparring pair directly beside them and she couldn't go around him that way or she would get caught in the middle. Likewise, if she had tried to go the other way she would have had to ask someone to move back so she could get by, and he knew she would consider that ill-mannered and not do it.

Now that she had a full view of him, she came forward, a warm grin painting her lips engagingly, trying to put the youkai at ease. Shippo studied the person Kagome was trying to talk to closely. He didn't want her getting hurt because she got in range of someone that didn't tolerate humans as well as the people they were keeping company with right now. The guard had allowed her to go up to the warrior, but still...

Waving a hand, she said, "I now remember where I saw you. I apologize if I startled you there...it's just that I thought I recognized you from somewhere and didn't realize where till now." Folding her arms across her stomach, she leaned forward slightly as she talked, causing Saipryss to resist the urge to back up. It wasn't that he was afraid of her, he just was not a demon used to close contact unless it had to do with combat. "When I first arrived you were the guard that met Sesshoumaru and I in the courtyard. We weren't properly introduced at the time, so you might not remember me."

Recognition dawned in his garnet gaze. "Yes, now that you mention it, I recall exactly what you speak of. At the time there was much chaos transpiring from Lord Sesshoumaru's return and it was only later I heard that he had brought a miko home with him. I didn't make the connection until now."

She chuckled briefly and nodded. "Yep, that would be me. My name's Kagome, what's yours?"

Hesitantly, a dazed look on his face, he replied, "Saipryss, Lady Kagome."

Akito smirked, catching his brother's eye with a meaningful look. It always made him laugh inwardly whenever she first made the acquaintance of the others in the palace. Between her easy-going way of talking to them and her lack of fear at being in close proximity to them it usually unnerved whoever she was focusing her attention to. It looked like this soldier would be no exception as he floundered for a moment on how to have a conversation with the miko.

The phoenix, thoroughly enjoying the effect Kagome had on other youkai, watched the two in amusement, taking no offense that she had interrupted him while he was giving orders. It was much more entertaining seeing the other demon talk with her than keeping an eye on military drills any day.

As she continued happily, inquiring after his day and praising him on what little she had seen demonstrated of his skills when he had been fighting with his partner, Kiro observed everything as he would an inquisition, storing away details on her behavior as well as the way the nuances in her voice changed as she spoke. It was second-nature to the assassin, years of hard training grilled into his head on how best to track and learn the habits of his prey. Not that he considered the girl an opponent, but accessing these abilities helped him understand her better, the kitsune now viewing the upcoming lunch with more enthusiasm than previously.

The pairs nearest to the group were clearly not paying attention to practicing with their weapons, casting surreptitious looks from the corner of their eyes, listening in on whatever the human was saying to their comrade. Many of them had never seen a human behave in such a way, but then even more were only accustomed to meeting them on the battlefield, the outcome ending badly for the weaker creatures. Inching towards them inconspicuously, Daija soon took note of a crowd gathering around them, weapons long forgotten in relaxed grips with the deadly implements either resting upon broad shoulders or points situated to the ground. Smiling inwardly, he nudged Kiro with his elbow in the side, indicating with a nod of his head the curious youkai, sunlight dancing over his markings and hair as he did. The assassin had been so intent of his perusal that their audience came as a surprise, and he was about to order them back to their duties when a staying hand from the firebird detained him.

Arching a navy brow in question, Daija simply shook his head with a tiny grin, fiery eyes undulating eerily in merriment. Obviously he was having fun playing spectator to Kagome and Saipryss, seeing the soldiers lack of attention humorous instead of irritating. Rarely had the Taisho warriors been so easily distracted from the engaging game of war, but apparently the miko could accomplish what colorful rains of demon powers coming their way could not. Lacing scarlet encased arms over his chest, he smirked, mirroring the guard's expression who was regarding his charge with indulgence sprinkled liberally with warmth. In fact, his iceberg orbs were more alive and had more heat in their depths than the firebird had seen since his arrival.

This girl was full of surprises with the way she could bring out hidden traits in demons. And from what was being said about the castle, no one was immune to it. Not even their master...

Sniffing the air delicately, Akito tensed a moment when a scent he knew entered his olfactory system, eyes narrowing an instant before blanking out to their usual frigid coldness. Sweeping the area unobtrusively, he spotted the stiff form of Hirei towards the middle of the group surrounding them, his hand white knuckled towards the top of his glaive, glaring with loathing at the female in front of the guard. Consciously relaxing his own knotted muscles, the kitsune decided to not let the bear out of his sight, fierce protectiveness blossoming in his chest and settling in throughout his system. Today was just yielding one unpleasant individual after another.

Focusing back on the pair who were the point of attention for all in the room, he caught the tail end of what Saipryss was saying, iceberg eyes sharpening with new consideration upon Kagome, wondering what her answer would be.

"... show such an interest in our battle exercises, do you, perhaps, wield a certain weapon of your own?" By the way the soldier was no longer leaning away from the girl, but instead a little forward, eyes shining with speculation as they glanced over her slight form encased within her odd clothing, it was clear he didn't hold any faith that she could, even if she was miko born.

A sheepish smile painted her rosy lips, the color echoed along her cheekbones as she shifted on her feet and mumbled a reply. "I do use the bow and arrow whenever I am traveling the countryside."

Shippo, frowning down at her lack of enthusiasm over the matter, stood straight and said proudly, making sure all could hear his declaration, "Kagome is one of the best archers I've ever seen! More than once she has fatally injured a youkai while we were searching for the jewel shards."

Kagome inwardly wished the little kit hadn't been so robust in his praise, especially since it would probably lead to results she didn't want to indulge in at the moment. Not to mention she couldn't take full credit for felling half of those demons since Inu Yasha and his Tetsusaiga were what killed them in the end. If anything, she hadn't done more in vanquishing them than either Miroku or Sango had, but from the murmurs now flying through the air from the soldiers it looked like a demonstration would be asked for.

Waving her hands, hoping to downplay it enough where she wouldn't have to give them a sample of her 'skill', she said with a nervous laugh, "Heheh...really, I am not that good at all! There are those who are way better at it than I."

Rolling emerald eyes expressively, Shippo exclaimed, "Of course you are, Kagome! In fact, why don't you prove it and shoot one right now?" He couldn't understand why she wouldn't want everyone to know how good she was.

When a cavalcade of encouraging remarks arose from the assembled youkai, Saipryss even adding that he would "be most appreciative" if she decided to let them see her fire the weapon, she couldn't very well refuse. After all, it wasn't like they were telling her to pick up a sword and enter a mock battle with one of them. They were just naturally curious about her and wanted to see for themselves how well she could fire an arrow, so what could she do but oblige them?

Akito eyed the girl closely, ready to intervene and forestall any further urgings from the crowd to display her power, she had gone through so much today as it was... His brother and Daija looked on silently, waiting to see what her answer would be since a part of them wished to see her in action as well. Being the audience to a miko utilizing her training wasn't something they got to see every day.

Licking her lips reflexively, she sighed heavily, offering a wan grin to the others, moving her braid to lie down her back as she did. "If one of you could retrieve a set for me I would be more than happy to demonstrate my method of shooting an arrow for you guys."

Excited outbursts filled the air, one young eager warrior with sapphire hair and brown eyes, a teardrop in brown on his left cheek, came forward with a bow and arrow set, all but shoving them at her in his hurry to please her. "Here you go, Lady! The firing range is this way." He turned and began making his way towards the other side of the dojo where the line of windows lay, the other warriors parting like the red sea to allow the little entourage of the miko, her guard, and the two upper-class demons make their way out the shoji doors to the grassy field outside. Once they would pass the gap would close so that the youkai could trail after them, taking their weapons with them, forgetting all about putting them away in the face of this escapade.

"Thanks," her voice was timid as she slung the container of arrows over her free shoulder.

Akito and Kiro flanked her on each side, Daija ambling along at her back with Shippo hopping down to run on the ground once they had cleared the wooden porch that led to the meadow beyond. Gripping the leather strap of the quiver slung over her shoulder, the miko tried to calm her jumping nerves, stomach flip-flopping in a nauseating way and mouth now desert dry.

The sunlight pouring over her didn't feel as warm as it should have, the rays deceptive as the wind that blew dropped the temperature by several degrees, underlying the good that the sun would have done to the habitants of the Earth. Although, considering who her companions were, it was no wonder that she was the only one that shivered in response and hunkered down a bit into the fleece of her shirt. Things like the cold and heat didn't affect youkai as it did humans, no matter how humanoid in nature these creatures appeared, they were anything but.

The palm clutching the center of the bow was slick with perspiration, heart thundering at a gallop as nervousness coursed through her system. Staring blindly at the carpet of grass they were trekking upon, Kagome couldn't contain the trepidation that resided heavily in her mind, self-doubt and conscious of multiple sets of jewel-hued orbs trained with predatory intensity on the miko. At least Shippo was no longer sitting on her shoulder, his diminutive form scurrying ahead next to the youth that had given her the weapon and Saipryss, talking with the older demons who were patiently commenting back on whatever he was saying. It warmed her heart that these youkai could easily accept the child. He hadn't had enough interaction with his own race, at least in her opinion, and she knew that in order for him to reach his full potential he would have to start staying around them more often to glean the most information form them. He needed to accustom himself to their ways, not those of humans, since those who would find no objection to his presence were few and far between. Too often, he would be seen as a threat, ignorant people throwing anything from insults to harmful projectiles at him just because of his heritage.

Rustling footsteps crushing the brittle blades of grass offered a dull muffled sound in the background as she was escorted to the firing range. As the straw and canvas targets grew larger, scarlet circles narrowing in size to become a solid sphere in the white center, she berated herself again for allowing herself to be coerced into this farce.

If Shippo hadn't been so ardent in his praise of her archery capabilities...if the warriors gathered weren't extremely curious to witness a miko in action first-hand...even the ludicrous thought that if Kiro didn't make the palace dojo his usual haunt whilst not completing one of Sesshoumaru's missions flitted about her brain.

Whatever the reason, she had nothing to blame it on now, and the situation couldn't be helped. Fate had decided to step in and put Kagome where it wished her to be, which was anything but perfect in her opinion, but since when had her personal desires ever been considered by that fickle trickster? Really, she was beginning to feel like a sadistic child's favorite plaything...

Being put on display like a mannequin posing for a magazine featuring weapons of war, the subscribers a multitude of highly adept demon soldiers who could execute intricate battle maneuvers in their sleep, was not as esteem lifting as it probably should have been. Instead of keeping her confidence by reassuring herself with how much she'd improved shooting the bow from three years previous, the girl saw the same scene of her first attempt at wielding the implement. The damning scene played in an endless cycle, Inu Yasha's harsh insults and disgusted golden eyes glaring down at her while she sat in a dirty heap upon the forest floor, hurt and upset that she couldn't measure up to whoever Kikyo was. At the time, she'd possessed no knowledge of the other woman or who she had been to the hanyou, but that had been rectified soon enough as the truth behind Naraku and the dead priestess came out.

Ebony strands of hair brushed her cheeks when a breeze flew across the vast field, their tickling tips going unnoticed by her as she mulled over her thoughts. The warm sunlight being soaked up by the crimson of her pullover didn't penetrate the cold hollowness gaping inside, an empty space created by her sorrows related to the half demon and becoming bigger as time progressed.

The gentle hum of many voices discussing lowly amongst themselves rose and fell caressively through her ears, though she could not identify what they were saying clearly. Upon reaching the point on where to stand to face the target, Kagome's gaze swept her surroundings, taking in the bulls eye that was meters away, the assassin and his brother standing off to the side towards the dojo, Akito ever watchful with his spear at the ready and Kiro with his arms clasped behind his back. Daija smiled at her with encouragement, undulating red-orange eyes wickedly gleaming out at her, trying to convey a small amount of comfort to the human who was now tense at being the center of attention to so many youkai. He couldn't blame her. Being enclosed by predators who were more at home driving a sword through a person's chest than engaging in pleasantries at a banquet would be disconcerting for anyone, let alone a solitary female who was recovering from an illness. It just showed how much trust she was placing in them, how much stock she put in their word of honor to their master that she would remain unharmed in their midst.

Tucking the bow under her arm, she ran her hands down her jeanclad thighs, drying the palms of any sweat while trying to calm herself sufficiently enough to notch the arrow with steady fingers. As everyone settled quietly in a large half-moon to watch, she took courage from the strong presence of her guard who stood with his brother and the firebird, Shippo seated at their feet, the pride in his young features directed at her. His unwavering devotion made her feel better, affection lightening her blue-grey eyes considerably, the tightness about her mouth to ease a tad. If he had this much faith in her then perhaps this wouldn't be too disastrous...

Clearing her throat, she once again took up her bow, holding it out before herself with one hand near its middle, the curving weapon points standing at attention, ready to be used. Withdrawing an arrow, she twirled its wooden thin pole between her fingers, the brown feather at the end blurring at the quick movements near her abdomen. Smiling hesitantly, she called out as cheerfully as she could, only getting a slight pang in her recovering throat as she did, "I'm just going to shoot one arrow, but keep in mind, I haven't done this in a while so it might not reach the target." Waving the hand that held the arrow towards the target, she continued, tone becoming self-mocking. "I seriously doubt you guys will see anything interesting since you probably are way better than any ordinary human could be, but hopefully I won't embarrass myself too badly here."

Doing her best to put those around her at ease, even if the state of being was beyond her, she took a deep steadying breath, exhaling slowly and winking at Shippo. Giving her a thumbs up, a sign he had seen her use a few times since he had known her, she chuckled as she turned to stare at the far off canvas laden straw, wondering if that laugh had held more desperate hysteria in it than she hoped to divulge to the others. How had she gotten herself into this again?

Pushing down her doubts as best she could, she worked on blocking out her environment, focusing on her breathing, holding her arm straight out with the bow in perfect alignment to her body. Her grip tightening about the strong dark surface of the bow, she notched the arrow with nimble fingers, leaving it lax until she was certain that she would fire. Slowly, the things about her body began to fade until it was as though she was looking through tunnel vision with nothing in sight but the target with its red circles. Soon, the only thing she could hear was her own breathing and the beat of her heart as it began to return to a placid rhythm within her chest, shoulders relaxed lazily.

Everyone watched the transformation of a nervous human to a confident archer, her preoccupied air denoting that she was no longer aware of their presence, the practiced movements of notching the arrow one associated with someone comfortable with the weapon they held. Her braid would blow about in the wind, as did the bangs swaying upon her face, but it was if she never even noticed their existence. Blue-grey eyes narrowed critically, studying the distance separating her arrow and its desired destination, feet planting firmly so that her body was a slender line facing the target. Complete silence overtook the entire area, no birds or movement distracting the girl from what she was doing.

Akito felt his breath catch in his throat as he observed Kagome with the weapon, seeing a different side to the miko that he had never thought existed. Before, when she had taken his spear up in her arms he had thought it looked grotesque in its misplacedness. But with the bow, she could be likened to a confident fighter that had used the weapon she possessed countless times, and not failed once in an attempt to bring down whatever prey was being sighted down the beige length of her arrow.

She closed her eyes a second as though in thought, the two fingers keeping the end of her arrow in place not tense at all, but rather loose compared to the grasp on the bow's middle. Languorously, her eyes opened to half-mast at the same instant she brought the arrow back, putting it at eye level so she could sight down it, her pose and grace that of a master using their weapon of choice. The arrow tip began to glow in an eerie light blue as multiple rays of purifying power drew from her body to the small piece of wood and stone, lighting up her face briefly with its luminescence. Holding her breath, Kagome's gaze sharpened just as she let the arrow go, the 'twang' of the bowstring sounding starkly in the quiet of the meadow, the blazing tip of the arrow resembling blue flames that grew in potency as it flashed towards the target until the entire projectile was engulfed within its azure brilliance.

Hair rising on the back of their necks from being this close to magic that could purify them, the youkai watched in awe as it struck the target, a flash of bright blue enshrouding the straw and canvas just before it disappeared, leaving nothing in its wake but a patch of blackened grass. More than a few mouths dropped open in surprise, amazed eyes swinging from where the target once stood to the human that had remained in the same pose she had after letting the arrow fly.

Inside, Kagome was feeling panicky and more than a little confused. Since she had never gained full mastery over what miko powers she did possess, she had never been able to temper her attacks to a certain level, so basically any time she shot her arrows they came out as all or none. But this time...this time when she had been forcing her energy to the arrow's tip she had felt as though she were pushing against an inner blockade that was trying to prevent her from accessing the purifying magic in her soul. When she had let the arrow go she was even more worried to see how weak it was. Usually one of the projectiles fired from a bow should have been strong enough to take out the neighboring target with a large burst of energy, yet this looked like it had barely decimated the one target it had struck.

Biting her lower lip, she lowered her arms slowly, staring at the dark dead grass, pushing the bangs away from her eyes as a stray wind put them in her line of vision. Why hadn't she been able to fire an arrow with as much power as she would have had a month or so ago? Was it because she had just been doing a demonstration, no threat apparent and so subconsciously lessened the energy put into it? But then she had never been able to do that before, so why would she start now? Better yet, what if she was starting to lose her miko powers completely...what use or purpose could she have in the feudal era then?

This thought, more than any of the others, made her scared and desperate to find out what was wrong with her. She didn't think it could have any relation to her being sick recently since she had come down with colds in the past and it had not altered her arrows firing power then. Clenching her fist, she hung her head a moment to regain her composure, not wishing to face a bunch of demons with anything less than normalcy. She was aware that not all of them could be pleased with her presence at the palace, and after this little display she doubted if it would endear them further to her.

Assured that she had herself under control, even if beneath the surface she was an emotional wreck, she turned to face the others and said with a small grin, "Anyway, that is about the best I can do. Told you it wasn't anything too amazing."

At first, they all simply stared at her, making her fidget with the bow in her hand, plucking at the string lightly as one would on a harp. Their regard was making her more on edge than she was already, and now she just wanted to go find Sesshoumaru and ask him if he had any idea why this was happening to her. Finally, Akito stepped forward to take the bow from her nerveless fingers, handing it back to Daija before deftly threading clawed digits about the coarse strap of leather attached to the quiver and alighting it from her person. The firebird looped it over his arm while keeping a hold of the bow with his hand, accepting what the kitsune gave him without a word.

"That was well done, Lady. I'm sure everyone agrees with me when I say we are honored that you would show us how skilled you are with your weapon." Akito could tell that she was still unsure of the reaction she was getting by the way she frowned a bit in worry, something in her gaze causing him to feel as though she was very troubled.

Upon hearing the guard's voice, a dam seemed to break and all of a sudden there were bodies surging forward, warm tones of excitement washing over her as she was bombarded with praise and questions over what she had just done. Stepping back a couple of feet to gain some breathing room, she looked about helplessly for either ice kitsune, feeling overwhelmed at the response she was getting from the soldiers. A few even asked her if she would explain how the purifying energy worked, if she would perhaps consent to showing them a few times in the future so they could study it further.

A hand wrapping gently about her elbow made her start in surprise as she was answering one interested youkai who she thought had introduced himself as Kiern, glancing behind her quickly, her braid swinging forward with the motion to lie over her shoulder. The calming icy eyes of Akito met hers briefly before he trained his attention on the demons vying for her time, pulling her to stand behind him as he addressed the crowd. Sighing in relief, she let him take over so she could put her thoughts in order, at this point not even wondering where Shippo was in the mass of people around her. Closing her eyes, she rubbed a hand across her forehead, massaging the bridge of her nose with her fingertips, tuning out whatever the arctic fox was saying.

"I'm sure you can all understand that Lady Kagome is still getting over an illness and shall most likely not be able to acquiesce to any of your requests. Now, if you will excuse us, I believe the Lady would like to retire to the castle for a bit since she is tired from using her power and there are a few more hours of training left for you to do." When he arched a brow at his brother Kiro nodded, understanding flashing through his dark eyes before he began barking out orders that had the youkai, now a bit disappointed, walking back to the dojo to finish up their exercises for the day.

Satisfied that they were headed in the correct direction, the assassin focused upon his brother, the firebird standing at his shoulder, a thoughtful expression on his handsome features as he glanced between the miko and the spot where the target once lay.

Akito, his grasp still upon the human, propelled her forward with gentle force, taking in her abstract behavior with a twinge of concern. Maybe all this excitement had been too much for her and she was in the first stages of suffering a relapse...Lord Sesshoumaru would not be pleased at all if that were the case...

"Lady, is there something wrong?"

Kiro watched the way his brother gazed at the girl, dark eyes narrowing sharply to see such mannerisms from the colder of the siblings in their family. It was uncommon for his brother to show outward emotion to anyone, let alone something bordering on open worry or concern for another. Especially if the person in question wasn't directly related to him. A flash of red made his eyes drop to the ground where he saw the kit scampering on all fours towards the pair, stopping once he reached her shoe-clad feet to gaze up at her questioningly.

Dropping her hand, she looked over to Akito, saying softly, "I need to talk to Sesshoumaru, please."

Alarmed that whatever was bothering her would make her need to talk to his master, he applied pressure to her arm, drawing her closer as he did until she was standing fairly near to his body. "Of course, Lady. We shall go there now."

"Is there anything the matter, Kagome?" Daija's warm voice flowed through her ears, his face reflecting how concerned he was that she might not be feeling well.

Smiling in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, she told him, waving a hand negligently as she did, "Oh, it's nothing. I just need to ask Sesshoumaru something about when lunch and such is around the castle." Even to her it sounded like a weak excuse, and she prayed that he would let it go at that for now.

His perceptive writhing irises plainly told her she hadn't fooled him at all, but then neither did he demand the truth from her. Bowing his head, he gave her an amiable tilt of his lips. "Ah, I see. Well, whenever you wish to take tea with me let me know and it shall be done."

"Thanks, Daija. Expect a message sometime tonight or tomorrow, okay?" Relieved that he wasn't going to press the issue, she smiled with more ease than before. She really didn't want to offend the phoenix in any way, not when he had been so cordial to her since their first meeting.

"I await it eagerly, Kagome!" His usual exuberance was back in full force, his fiery temperament not dampening for long no matter what the occasion. Hefting the bow, he winked at her while turning to leave. "Take care and I shall see you tomorrow."

Waving, she tried to tamp down the impatience now sparking inside her. She wanted to get to Sesshoumaru and ask him what the hell was going on with herself, and taking the time out to placate others before seeing to her own needs definitely fit the mold of a curse right now. She watched the strong outline of the fire youkai until he was a ways off before turning to Kiro, his features solemn, the X on his forehead standing out starkly beneath the sun. He stood with arms lying loose at his sides, the wind dancing through his hair in odd patterns, ruffling his clothing one way and then the other.

She felt guilty that already she would have to give him a paltry half-truth on their initial encounter with one another, but until she was certain that the lack of access to her miko powers wasn't life threatening or dangerous, she wanted as few people to be aware of the problem as possible. Sighing, she reached out and took up one of his hands, the wrist guards that led to the back of it feeling both smooth and hard at the same time beneath her fingertips.

"I'm sorry for running off like this, but I really do need to talk with Sesshoumaru right now. Thanks for letting me use the bow and arrow and I'm very glad I got the chance to meet you today, Kiro." Squeezing slightly, she added, "I hope you still wish to have lunch later today because I really would like to get to know you better."

Face softening, he returned the light pressure upon his hand, being mindful to not stab her by accident with his long nails. "Don't worry on it, Lady Kagome. It would be a privilege to take the afternoon meal with you and my brother. Just send word to the dojo whenever you are ready." With that, he released himself from her hold. When her skin had touched his something odd had happened...and he wasn't quite sure what. All he knew was that a feeling of warmth and kindness had enveloped him, emotions enfolding him as his mother once had when he was a young kit growing up. He would have to ask his brother about that later. Since he was primary guard to the miko he had to know what it meant.

A genuine smile crossing her face, she bent down to pick up Shippo, who was tugging upon her pant leg to get her attention, Akito's hand falling away with her movements, the baby kitsune snuggling happily against her once she had him cradled in her arms. Standing again, she hugged the child to herself while running a hand through his bangs. "Thanks! I'm sure it won't be too long."

"As you say, Lady. I had better not keep you any longer. Besides," he smirked, a fang flashing as he did. "I still need to train a few of the newer warriors on proper conduct and such."

"Always an engrossing topic," came his brother's wry reply as he began ushering his charge towards the side of the large dojo.

"Indeed," Kiro's voice was sardonic as he made his own way back to the training hall, waving one last time before disappearing into the shadowed confines where sounds of battle could be heard faintly.

Outside, Kagome was trying to quell the inner voice that was listing every drastic possibility for her decrease in power, anything from a simple one-time fluke to the total loss of the miko abilities within a few days. Eyes not watching where she was going, she let Akito's hand on the small of her back guide her to where Sesshoumaru was. She couldn't explain why she felt the driving desire to see the arrogant Taiyoukai, she only knew that her entire being was screaming out for him, as though as soon as anything became frightening or potentially threatening to her she wanted nothing more than to see his indifferent face, listen to his reply as he told her that whatever was troubling her was nothing more than a human's weak mind playing tricks on itself.

Yes, that was no doubt it...it just had to be something that simple, because if it wasn't...

If it wasn't, she didn't even to think about what that would mean.

Sesshoumaru was reading through a few last letters that Yoshin had given him when he picked up the sound of hurried footsteps approaching his study. Amber eyes lifting from the sentence he was reading, he kept his head tilted downwards so that he was peering through his silvery bangs, lips tightening in displeasure at being interrupted for what felt like the hundredth time today. And it wasn't even noon yet...

In fact, he had just gotten rid of that annoying wolf prince minutes ago after having to listen to another long rant that involved many 'stay away from my woman' and 'stupid puppy and his loud mouth' references before Kouga had calmed enough to leave. Being the ruler of the Taisho castle was becoming more aggravating than it had when the Taiyoukai had come into power all those years ago. Even the other lords apposing him hadn't given him this much of a headache, the root of which revolved around one human girl. A girl, if he was not mistaken, who was almost to his door right now, his personal guard trailing along behind her, fulfilling his duty of escort with exemplary attention to detail.

Perhaps too close of a perusal...

Hearing the footsteps halt right outside his door, he sighed quietly while setting down the missive upon the polished surface of his desk, straightening to sit with proud indifference behind the piece of furniture as he waited for someone to knock and announce their arrival.

As predicted, a light tapping shook the ornate door, the softness of it letting him know it was her and not Akito that had put their fist to the wood. Ignoring the almost expectant feeling bubbling inside him, he called evenly, "Enter, Kagome and Akito."

Needing no further encouragement, she stepped inside, cheeks a little flushed with color, blue-grey eyes over bright as they came to rest on him. Walking quickly into the room, she wasted no time in seating herself opposite him upon one of the cushions lining the floor, her messy braid she tossed carelessly over her shoulder to lie down her back.

Arching one eyebrow at her actions, he glanced stoically at his guard who shrugged before closing the door, taking up post outside to allow the two privacy for whatever Kagome wished to discuss with his master. Since the child had shown nervous tendencies at the mention of the dog demon the miko had instructed him to go find Miroku and Sango and let them know that she wouldn't be able to see them for lunch, but that she would talk to them during dinner. The kit, happy to get away from being in the Taiyoukai's presence, gave her a quick hug before darting off down the halls, his sense of smell leading him easily to wherever his companions were.

Settling her with a flat gaze, he asked icily, "Did you need something?" Even though he had begun to see her in a more friendly light, after all that had happened this morning, it was hard for him to treat anyone with anything less than impatience. Couldn't he be given enough peace to at least finish his correspondences before being saddled with even more difficulties?

Kagome was silent for a moment, regarding him in something akin to uncertainty laced with fear. As she continued to not say anything, her hands clasping one another in her lap in a white-knuckled grip, small body tense, he frowned.

"Are you not feeling well? Did Inu Yasha or Lord Kouga upset you perhaps?"

Shaking her head vigorously, she rubbed at her eye a moment, before dropping her hand back to her lap. "No, no. It's nothing like that. It's..." she trailed off at this point, looking a bit helpless at how to get out what it was she wanted to tell him.

Sighing in long-suffering, he bit out, his patience having fled, "Well then what is it, girl?"

A frown of her own forked her ebony brows into a V upon her forehead, eyes glaring a bit at him. "I came here to ask you something, Sesshoumaru. You don't need to snap at me!"

He was surprised to see something close to hurt reflect in her blue-grey orbs, the stranger impulse of regret making him even more amazed. Clamping down on his irritation and the unexpected pang of remorse, he gentled his voice as best he could. "I apologize, now what is it you need, Kagome?"

Resignation lined her pretty features, eyes dulling a bit under the direct onslaught of his obvious lack of interest. Damned if he didn't feel an even stronger surge of guilt at it!

"I...I was worried," her voice was a whisper, nothing but his natural hearing enabling him to pick up her words.

Puzzlement warred with wariness inside him. The instinctual part of him that drove his baser emotions demanded he sweep her with an assessing gaze, make sure she wasn't injured or harmed anywhere, tune into her breathing sequence to ascertain that her lungs hadn't become inflamed again. He wasn't about to identify what could have been relief spreading through his body when he couldn't see anything amiss with the human.

"Worried about what?" She had his full focus now, his hand splayed flat atop the envelopes he had already gone through and answered in between handling a yelling prince, barging in guests and berating his young sibling.

She rubbed at her eye again with a fisted hand, shoulders slumped in a subdued fashion. "Today, I went with Akito to go and meet his brother. He was at the dojo so we went there," holding the hand out towards him when it looked like he was going to cut in and ask what she was doing going about his palace when he had instructed her on more than one occasion to stay away from his soldiers, she said, blinking at the desktop as she did, "and before you go and start spouting on about how I wasn't supposed to talk to anyone else in the castle, I didn't have a choice since that was where Kiro was located and at the time I really wanted to do something that...that would take my mind off other things." Her deliberate evasiveness over the last part had him giving her a look that spoke volumes in the speculation department. It probably had something to do with her disappearance earlier and his brother and Kouga's need to go find her.

Casting him a swift look beneath her lashes to make sure he was going to remain quiet, she let her hand fall back to her thighs, this time not lacing her fingers together. "Anyway, while I was there I was asked to demonstrate my miko powers and shoot an arrow. Since I didn't think there would be any harm in it, I accepted." At this point she began chewing at her lower lip, the tender flesh threatening to tear under the constant assault of her pearly teeth fretting into the soft tissue. He couldn't keep himself from staring at her actions, distracted and quelling the desire to reach over and remove the poor ruby skin from its abusive prison. Didn't she realize she was going to hurt herself if she kept that up?

Her next words made his amber eyes clash with hers. "There's something wrong with my purifying powers." The ominous way she said it, fright she couldn't mask heard in the nuances of her speech that went with the scared spark in her bright eyes let him know how troubled she was by whatever was going on inside her.

"Explain," he ordered. From his conversation a few days ago with Cheiro, he had a pretty good idea what it was that had happened when Kagome went to fire the arrow. If what the healer said was true, then because of her recent heartbreak over his brother and the depletion of her own body's health her miko abilities would be sorely lacking.

Sighing heavily, she slouched in a defeated pose, her head down-bent so her bangs hung in her eyes, obstructing his view of the vibrant orbs. Tracing imaginary patterns on one jean-clad thigh, she rubbed once more at her eye, shifting about till she sat with her legs folded to the side and not directly beneath her. "My powers are so weak. When I fired the arrow it had but a fraction of the potency it should have. I thought you might know why." At this she lifted her head to regard him hopefully, lowering her hand a bit to blink a few times, her eye not opening all the way before she repeated the friction to her eyelid.

Making sure to present his usual calm facade, he began to answer her. "When Cheiro examined you when you were very ill she said that you may suffer a decrease in your miko powers for a while until you heal all the way."

"Heal all the way?" She asked with interest, putting her hand down onto her lap, opening both eyes to full capacity.

Inclining his head, long silver hair swaying with the motion, he chose his words carefully. He didn't want to tell her anything about the aura synchronization if he could help it, so that meant the dog demon would only be relaying a half truth to the girl. "Yes. Your body took quite a beating when you got so sick this last time, and the healer told me that..." Sesshoumaru stopped what he was saying in mid-sentence, Kagome's consistent rubbing of a fisted hand at her left eye distracting him again. Frowning, he demanded harshly, "What's wrong this time, girl?" Amber eyes narrowing suspiciously, he asked with icy calm, "You aren't crying again, are you?"

Irritated, the miko rolled her one visible eye at him before settling into a full fledged glare. Now using only one finger to brush against the delicate skin of her lid, she grit her teeth. "No, Sesshoumaru, I'm not crying." Lowering her hand, she blinked a few times, scowled and muttered a curse. "Damn it." She put her fingers to the closed orb. "I got an eyelash in my eye and since there are no mirrors around I can't see to get it out."

Expelling a sigh of defeat that he could never seem to finish a conversation with the girl (which were usually really him giving orders she was sure not to follow) he beckoned her over with a wave of his clawed hand, his haori sleeve sliding back to expose the striped smoothness of his wrist.

"Why am I not surprised that you've managed to acquire some new malady?"

Kagome's hand fell to her side as she exclaimed indignantly, "Hey!" Pouting, full lower lip protruding forward, she mumbled under her breath while plucking at the hem of her pullover, "It's not like I get sick and stuff on purpose ya know."

Regarding her with inward amusement, the Taiyoukai arched a silvery brow. "Indeed. Now come here."

Resisting the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him, she shrugged her shoulders, tottering on her knees around the table to the dog demon's side, her jeans scratching loudly upon the pillows and tatami covered floor as she did. Reaching her destination she sat in a kneeling position near his leg, seeing that he was seated indian-style upon a large white pillow that had red tassels at each corner. Turning where he sat, he kept the leg by the table in the same position while letting the other stretch out and bend at the knee so that it was caging the girl between him and the desk, propping his elbow upon his up drawn knee. Unraveling his tail so that he could move with ease, he let it lie in a silver heap behind him. They were almost at eye level with her body positioned as it was, her blue-grey eyes blinking up into his striped face.

She was struck with the random thought of how beautiful he was, listing a bit to the side so she could rest against the leg he had placed beside her, not really noticing what she was doing.

Usually one could not use that word to describe a male, but in this case beautiful fit perfectly.

A sharp stabbing sensation in her eye quickly brought the miko from her silent contemplations, clenching her jaw in annoyance while trying ineffectively to divest the sensitive organ of the fine hair.

Reaching up while steadying his arm on his knee, Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist in a firm grip, long fingers easily circling the delicate bones, bringing the captured appendage down to rest in a fist upon his other knee by the table. Giving her a look that plainly told her to leave it there, he then took her chin up with gentle fingers, tilting her face farther back so the meager light from the window in the wall behind his desk could illuminate it better. He would need the added help the sunlight gave him, even with his advanced youkai eyesight to see the tiny hair clearly.

Her earlier worries began to vanish as she instead focused on the strange feelings she got whenever coming into direct contact with the dog demon. Everything else was melting away under a warm barrage of feelings that were oddly familiar but hard for her to identify or decipher. Content to just go with it, she let him examine her face, willfully keeping her hand where it was so that she wouldn't reach up to rub at her eye again.

The muted glow from the pale sun's rays cast soft shadows across her expressive features, a sparkle shining in the deep blue-grey depths of her irises. The one in her left was glistening a bit more from the extra moisture of tears, her body naturally trying to cleanse the foreign object from the tissue. Spiky ebony lashes swept her high cheekbone, a reddish tinge marring the rim of her lids.

Leaning his face within inches of Kagome's own, his warm breath unknowingly fanning upon her as he did, he studied her closely, trying to find what he was looking for while putting most of his weight upon his up-drawn knee.

It was red in the white area, denoting that the friction she had pushed upon it earlier hadn't helped in the least, but hindered. She kept closing her eye in a squint, a reflexive reaction in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort of her situation. The scent of apples and vanilla mixed with the other scents clinging to her filtered into his nose, his senses picking out that of anything from the wolf prince to that of his assassin. He wasn't pleased to have such a deadly youkai's smell on her skin, especially since he knew what type of work he employed the demon for, but considering she was looked upon as his honored guest and Kiro's own brother was the one guarding her, he knew there was nothing to worry about in that quarter. That didn't make his demonic instincts accept all the other scents on her, however. Its unreasonable demands to either make her bathe again or blanket them with his own made him frown, not knowing that his expression was being interpreted by the girl that he was growing annoyed with having to help her.

Kagome began to feel kind of bad when she saw the scowl that painted his marked brow, assuming that he was becoming irked with the fact that she always seemed to need help with something or other when his time was probably very valuable and better suited else where.

Maybe she should just tell him to forget it and ask Akito instead...besides, she was no longer that worried about her miko powers since he had said Cheiro put it down to her being sick, which meant they should be returning to full potency soon.

Moving his hand, he said in a low voice while using his thumb and index finger to carefully open her eye all the way, "Where does it hurt? To the side, or the bottom maybe?"

Blinking with difficulty, she debated a moment, focusing on pinpointing the exact location of where the pain was coming from. "Ummm...it hurts mostly at the bottom."

Nodding, bangs swaying at his temples as he did, his nose almost brushing her cheek, making the miko increasingly aware just how close they were, he leaned nearer. Unbidden, a flash of their encounter in the hot spring danced through her mind, making her start in surprise, the action causing Sesshoumaru to frown as his sharp claws barely missed piercing the side of her forehead.

Grabbing her chin in a hard grip, he moved away to level an intent stare at her, saying sternly, "Hold still, woman. I nearly sliced you when you did that."

Chastened, she subsided quietly, supporting her entire side on his leg, confident that the muscles under the silk of his pants could well keep her upright with no problem. "Sorry, Sesshoumaru," she whispered.

"Hhn," was all he replied, taking up his previous spot by her face, fingers moving to gently rest upon her lower lid, drawing it away with a bit of pressure, searching for the strand of hair. Spotting it lying on the inside of her lid, he trained a watchful gaze on her. "I found it. Hold very still so I can remove it for you."

"Okay," came her soft voice, trust clear in the eyes that stared deeply into his own. Kagome wasn't worried that the dog youkai would accidentally harm her, and the realization let her relax docilely beside him.

The amount of trust radiating through to him from her humbled the Taiyoukai. How far their relationship had come. Less than three months ago she would have been terrified at this type of close proximity, and he would have found sadistic pleasure in her fright moments prior to slaying her in a messy spray of blood and gore.

But now, here they were, in his quarters with him helping her in this mundane task like any friend or lover would, and she willingly allowing it.

Delicately, with the care of any surgeon, he used one pointed nail to brush against the minuscule dark hair, extracting it in one precise motion.

Blinking her eyes as he sat back, Kagome smiled in relief when the nagging discomfort of before was no where to be found. Thank Kami that was over with! It had been bugging her for the last fifteen minutes at least.

Discretely flicking the eyelash off his finger, Sesshoumaru froze in surprise when he felt a pair of slim arms encircle his neck over his hair, a body soon coming into full contact with his, legs tangled within his own.

At the angle she was at she was almost in his lap, her chin notched over one of his shoulders, his arm trapped between them where her stomach was, clawed fingers digging into the soft red material of her shirt upon impact. Amber eyes widened in shock, he braced himself to take her full weight without falling backwards in an undignified heap, catching himself before he did so.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, keeping in mind how acute the youkai's hearing was, not wishing to harm him from the vibrations in her voice. Tilting her head to the side, she put her cheek to lie flat on his silk-clad shoulder, staring off to the side at the wall, paying more attention to the sound of his breathing filtering into her ears than really seeing the beige edifice before her. Shifting forward more, she drew her legs up until she was sitting half on the leg bent beneath him, her hip leaning fully on the inner thigh of his other one. Comfortable, Kagome crossed her arms at the wrists behind his head, nimble fingers sifting through the fine curtain of his hair as she did.

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the black mass of her woven hair, the side of her pale face just visible to his sight. When she had moved to clamber into his lap he had been able to dislodge his arm from being stuck, and with hesitant movements, he brought it up around her, his palm hovering over her a moment in indecision. It had been so long since he had willingly embraced someone like this that it made him uneasy to try now. After not entering into physical contact fo years, the thought of being rejected now wasn't one he thought he would be able to take.

But this was Kagome, and that fact alone let the dog demon relinquish the last few doubts he had till his palm now lay at the back of her head right above where the beginning of her braid began, his eyes sliding closed as she responded by hugging him to her briefly in thanks. Arching his head downward, he leaned it next to his hand, breathing in the shampoo she used, not able to prevent the scowl that marred his marked forehead when he picked up the strong odor of not only Akito but Kouga liberally spread throughout the strands and her neck. Inhaling deeply, he kept his eyes shut so he could concentrate completely on what he was smelling, picking apart what she used to bathe with down to the those of the wolf and kitsune. There were even traces of the youkai child she cared for, but none were as prevalent as the arctic fox's was.

The Taiyoukai expected her to retain the scent of the guard somewhat since she was accompanied by him almost every waking hour of the day and late into the evening, but never to this degree. It was on the same scale as when she had awoken in his bed with him this morning, and one could only achieve that amount of scent on someone else by being in intimate proximity with them for an extended period of time. It was bad enough he had to deal with the prince's wilder scent floating about his house, the smell of pine prominent because of the lands he hailed from, just as his half brother's resembled that of forests, woods and leaves in every stage of life. But Akito...the kitsune's odor was as unique as that of any other demon that was exotic, not indigenous to Japan, reflecting it clearly in the odor that was solely his.

Fresh snow and mint...that was what it smelled like. Everything that tasted, felt, and looked cold wrapped in one scent that tantalized the senses at the same time it made them recoil from the frigidity of their nature, like the very creatures that possessed it. Funny, it had never bothered or bordered on offending him...until now that is. For some reason, Sesshoumaru found the scent offensive, or at least his youkai persona did.

Something primitive residing in his nature wanted him to snarl while rubbing his cheek across every spot that smelled of someone else, ensuring his claim, warn others off. Which was absurd since he had no grounds to substantiate the desire on other than the animalistic aspect of his being crying out for him to do so. Not strong enough reasons to follow through with it, that was for sure.

Still...

Grimacing, he subtly nuzzled his cheek along her scalp, enjoying the caress of her soft hair traveling over his skin, brushing fleetingly over his lips. Repeating the action, he laced clawed fingers in the knot of her braid, tugging lightly upon it, wanting to have it unbound and draped in wavy disarray about her shoulders and down her back. Now, more than ever, he regretted the lack of his arm, cursing his brother silently as he held back a frustrated growl in his throat when one of his nails caught on a lock and refused to let go. Opening his eyes a fraction, he lifted his head to stare down at his hand, pulling back a bit just to see the same lock of hair firmly attached to his hand like an ebony web.

Kagome, having been wondering what he was doing when she felt the tugging on her hair, moved to sit up, taking his hand with her so that when she was finally leaning away from him enough to see his face fully, her hands resting upon his shoulders, his arm was at level with her head. Arching one eyebrow, she grinned in amusement, laughing outright at his annoyed expression. "Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru?"

Giving her a flat look, he stated indifferently, "My hand is stuck."

Trying to hold back her laughter, she made sure she was securely planted in his lap before reaching back with both hands, using his arm as a guide to slide along it till she could feel his hand under her own. Blindly tracing the situation by touch, she began to pull at various strands of hair, getting annoyed herself when it seemed to do nothing but entangle him more.

Pausing, she thought it over, eyes thoughtful, hands resting complacently on his own until an idea made her grin. "Okay, let me try something real quick."

Offering no reply, he simply kept perfectly motionless, hoping that she had figured out what to do to gain his freedom. Not that he minded so much being close or linked with her anymore, but this wasn't exactly what he would call ideal either...

With practiced movements she began unraveling her braid, the divided sections staying separated in wavy streams as she went. A surge of satisfaction made him almost grin. He was getting one wish realized after all, her hair was coming unbound.

Once she reached his hand she gave a few short firm tugs and then, like magic, the lock slipped through his fingers to join its brethren over her shoulders. Drawing back slowly, careful not to yank on her hair in case there were any strays lingering on, he freed the appendage, bringing it out between them.

Smiling happily, she chirped, "See! Told you I would get you out of that mess." Running a hand self-consciously through her hair, she added sheepishly, "My hair has a mind of its own sometimes."

"It reflects its owner aptly then," he replied with a smirk, delighting in the way she took the bait and small sparks danced through the eyes glaring balefully into his own.

"Hmph!" She huffed, folding her arms across her chest while tilting her chin in the air at an arrogant angle. "See if I ever help you again, you arrogant Taiyoukai."

Pretending to be unaffected by her show of temper, knowing it would only irk the girl more, he reached around to run his fingers through the length of her hair, combining the previously segregated sections into one silken mass. "I seriously doubt if you could 'help' me in any way. Hinder, perhaps. But aid? Somehow I don't think so."

Unfolding one arm to poke a finger in his chest, having figured out quickly that it was a spot he hated being assaulted at, she said, "You know I am invaluable to you. Why, if I wasn't around just think about how boring your life would be!" Smiling cheerfully, she smoothed out the place on his haori where her nail had left a small crease. "And since I couldn't stand the thought of you dying of boredom I have made it my mission of mercy to make sure you never have a chance to be anything but busy."

"Why do I have this feeling that you're more dangerous to my well being than any assassins could be?" He asked sardonically, ceaselessly brushing her hair with his fingers, the softness of it reminding him of the fur on his tail.

She gave him a speaking glance before training her attention on fixing the collar of his haori, straightening the lapels with exaggerated care, eyes focused on what she was doing. "You're just jealous that I'm such a skilled archer and you aren't."

His hand stopped in mid-stroke, splaying in the center of her spine, rolling his eyes as he stared at her down-bent head. "Oh yes, that must be it," he answered in a deadpan voice, laughing derisively on the inside.

Nodding, she went on to say, "I know, it's hard for you to deal with it, but you're just going to have to come to terms with the fact that there are some things you will never be able to do as good as I." Sighing, she cast him a mock look of sympathy, hands now lying still near his clavicle. "We can't all be as perfect as I am."

At that, Sesshoumaru did something he hadn't done in a long time. He smiled. He truly smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. Kagome watched the way his lips tilted in something akin to awe, her mouth parting a bit, eyes widening impossibly in her white face as the transformation to genuine enjoyment painted his features.

If she had thought him lovely at being the ice prince, he could be downright lethal when he smiled. There was something infinitely seductive and mysterious about it, all the more precious because of the rarity behind the gesture. Elusive as a unicorn, it was a hundred times more profound and moving than if one found the real mythical creature, placed mortal hands upon its pure body.

Not taking time to think about what she was doing, she reached up with one hand to run the tips of her fingers over his tilted lips, almost as though by doing so she could draw an invisible set of lines there that would trap it to his face forever, hoping that it wouldn't vanish for another century until it was used again.

The fragile scrape of her nails over his bottom lip caused a shiver to travel the length of his spine, amber eyes half-lidded and languid as they stared down at her, the hand on her back tensing as though waiting for a command from its owner.

When his mouth relaxed into a grin that was a shadow of the previous smile, she swallowed hard, wondering in what instance during the last few seconds her own had gone so dry. Meeting his eyes, she was even more startled at how different they were compared to the cold indifference coloring their iridescent irises. Now, there was a warmth there, like heated mead with a dash of spice, a glint of wickedness that she was prepared to see from perhaps Daija, not the Taiyoukai of the West. Transfixed by his gaze, she could but continue to stare up at him, fingers resting at the indent of his chin as time seemed to freeze around them.

Swallowing again, she whispered lowly, "You should smile more often. If you did, I bet you wouldn't have to fight half so much."

"So apparently there is something I can do with greater finesse than you," his voice was as soft, but held more nuance of emotion in it than she had ever heard before. It made her want to lean closer, place her ear upon his chest so she could feel where such a sound originated from, assure herself that it hadn't been a figment of her imagination.

Flexing his fingers, he moved his hand to cradle the side of her face, thumb running down her chin, even lower to the pulse point in her neck by her jawline. Letting it rest there to track how fast it was pounding under the surface of her skin, he drew her forward in agonizing slowness, giving her ample opportunity to pull away.

Listening to his silent command, Kagome leaned forward until her body rested fully on his, her arms now back in their push-up like state as she aligned herself to him. The heat from his body flowed into her front, easily going through the thin shield of her pullover and jeans. Her head was now tilted far back on her neck so she could continue to gaze into his face, which was looming in her line of vision, coming nearer until she saw nothing but the fiery amber of his eyes.

She knew this was leading to a kiss, and deep down Kagome also was well aware of how badly she suddenly wanted him to kiss her. Enough to cause her own eyelids to lower when the hot stir of his breath danced over her lips, a shuddering exhale escaping her lungs at the feel of it. Yearning, something she had never felt so strongly before coursed throughout her veins, lighting them on fire until her entire being was focused on Sesshoumaru's face hovering so close to her own.

At the first brush of his lips over hers, butterfly soft, a fleeting caress that left her hungering for more, she uttered a small whimper of protest, levering up towards him to meet the next kiss half-way. This time he pressed his own lips fully onto hers, slanting his head slightly for better access, his thumb making slow circles over the place where the beat of her heart was increasing in tempo under his ministrations.

Repeating the gesture a couple more times, he drew back, allowing enough room so that he could place a kiss at each corner of her mouth, parting his lips so his tongue could dart out and run a sweep over her lower lip. A muffled sound of surprise left the girl in the dog demon's lap, one of her hands gaining freedom and immediately placing itself half on his striped cheek and half tangled within the silver hair at his temple. Encouraged by her response, he delicately drew her lower lip between his own, nipping it lightly with his teeth so that she would open her mouth to him. He was becoming insane with the need to taste her fully, and the teasing sips he had taken from her so far were fast becoming inadequate in pacifying the fire raging in his blood.

Picking up on what he wanted, Kagome hesitated a second, the hand that had been rifling through his hair freezing before continuing what it was doing just as she opened her mouth, eyes closed so she could focus on all her other senses instead. What was sight compared to being able to pinpoint the exact nuance of his lips upon her own?

A pur-growl of satisfaction left his throat as he molded his lips to her own, brushing his lips one last time along the line of her mouth, moving in to taste her fully. He swept his tongue passed her teeth, flicking each side of the soft tissue walls, finally curling it deftly about her own teasingly.

Sesshoumaru couldn't seem to stop himself from delving into the warm caverns of her mouth again and again, the miko's flavor filled with everything that represented who she was. A heady mix of sweetness tempered with the tartness of her pride, a wild tang of her magic underlying it all in an intoxicating concoction he couldn't get his fill of. The more he became accustomed to her, the more he wanted to reacquaint himself with it, remember the velvety feel of her tongue brushing his timidly before she gained more confidence and pushed her entire body into his, as though attempting to meld with him.

Which, in his way of thinking, lust clouding his mind and blood pounding furiously in his veins, the youkai aspect of his nature desiring this female with greater force then he had any other, wasn't such a bad idea...

Pulling back, he released his hold on her mouth, both of them taking in gulps of air as their oxygen deprived lungs gratefully replenished its depleted stores. Resting his hot forehead upon her own, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes half-way to stare at the girl who had managed to set his entire world askew just by kissing her. Dazed blue-grey orbs looked back at him, the hand in his hair sliding down till it rested upon his cheekbone, two of her fingers tracing the magenta stripes there. Her heartbeat was still hammering away under his fingertip, the color high on her cheekbones. Calming his breathing pattern, he tenderly brushed her bangs back to the side, reveling in the way she shivered against him when one of his nails ran over the shell of her ear as he settled his palm to cradle the side of her neck fully, careful to make sure his thumbnail didn't accidentally break her skin.

Kagome had never felt the sensations flowing through her right at this moment. Even the attraction she had experienced towards Inu Yasha couldn't measure up to the intensity of want flaring in her bloodstream. It was like there was this live link between her and the Taiyoukai that hummed with life whenever they came into direct contact, and the kiss had only solidified its hold on both of them. She was also surprised that there were no stray stabs of guilt bombarding her conscience. Did that mean she was over the hanyou more than she had thought? Just another odd piece to add to an unidentifiable puzzle that was her life now days...

When her breathing had gone almost back to normal, she opened her mouth, intending to say something as he continued to stare down at her, but she was forestalled from finishing any comment she would make when he nuzzled his cheek against hers, causing the hand on his face to falter and lie at the hair at the base of his skull. A warm exhale made goose bumps appear on the skin of her arms, her spine tightening in reaction so she arched even more into him. Blowing lightly into her ear, he took the lobe into his mouth, biting it gently, storing away how it caused her to clench the fingers lying on his shoulder and in his hair. Nibbling, he released it to make his way slowly down the side of her neck, turning his wrist, to tilt her head to the side, exposing the creamy column of her throat to his questing lips. Raking his fangs over the area, Kagome whimpered a little louder, now fisting the material of his haori in her hand as what he was doing made sensations travel from her neck to her lower abdomen.

Laying his open mouth in the middle of her throat, he began sucking lightly, alternating between caressing her skin with his tongue and teeth.

"Se—Sesshoumaru..."she exclaimed haltingly, eyes sliding shut as she was swept away in another wave of pure sensation.

His eyes bled red for a moment, pupils constricting to pinpricks within his irises when he heard her say his name, passion thick in her voice. It was when he felt the overwhelming desire to bite down that he drew back quickly, making sure to place a soothing kiss on the light red mark on her neck before departing completely.

Fighting inwardly for control, he clenched his eyes closed until he was certain they were no longer crimson and demonic. She was now leaning fully upon him, her forehead resting on his shoulder while she steadied her own body's rampant responses. Eventually, Kagome's breathing became normal, heartbeat still faster than usual, but not thundering as it had been previously. Her hand was tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck, and he found that he didn't have any real desire to have it removed from his person. Running his hand down her spine, trying to input feelings of calm through the link they shared in place of the need of moments before. He knew they had been basically feeding off of one another through the aura synchronization, and the dog demon was pleased to note that he could at least tell what she felt was related to him and not some half-memory of his brother. Everything she had just given him had been for Sesshoumaru and no one else...and the knowledge made him infinitely pleased...

With a tenderness he didn't know he possessed, he gathered her closer to his body, moving his tail to wrap around the both of them securely, holding her to him while rubbing her lower back beneath the weight of fur encased bone. She was relaxed and docile, the easy acceptance with which she was taking what had just occurred surprising the Taiyoukai somewhat. He had expected perhaps indignation, or even a shy retreat from his quarters, not her resting trustingly in his embrace, as though she had every right to be there.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru was content to remain as he was, the soft sunlight pouring through the open window drenching the tatami matted floor in a longer arc, letting him know it had grown later in the day.

Kagome listened quietly to the healthy beat of his heart by her ear, her thoughts coming together lazily until a picture of Kiro popped into her head. Starting, she leaned away from the dog demon holding her, levering herself away from him by putting her hands on his shoulders. How could she have forgotten?! It was no doubt passed noon now and she still hadn't even asked for him, and there were a ton of questions she wanted to ask!

Giving Sesshoumaru a helpless look, she said, the enormity of what had happened not having sunk in completely enough to leave her embarrassed as she faced him, "I forgot about Kiro!"

One silvery eyebrow arched upward, amber eyes returning to their normal state, giving nothing away. "Kiro?" he questioned mildly, not showing how much it irked him that she could talk about another male moments after he had kissed her. It was the way her mind worked, jumping from one idea to the next.

Nodding, she pushed away from him, his tail loosening so she could get free, the hand on her lower back falling away as she scrambled up and off his lap. Straightening her shirt that had become slightly askew in her rush to stand, Kagome looked down at him, taking in his less than perfect hair and tousled appearance. There was a crumpled imprint of where her hand had clenched his haori front and the bangs by his temple were more mussed. Biting back a giggle at the immaculate Sesshoumaru looking anything but, she bent forward to run her fingers through his hair, the silky strands resuming their usual place. Next, she ran her hands a couple times over the crushed portion of silk on his haori, saying sheepishly, a blush staining her cheeks as she felt his gaze on her, "Sorry I wrinkled your shirt."

Intrigued by her odd behavior, he plucked one of her hands up in his own, drawing her attention to his face, blue-grey orbs dancing shyly away from his amber ones. "Some things are worth a rumpled appearance." The blush darkened considerably, a small smile gracing her lips at his words. Releasing her with some reluctance, he inclined his head towards the door. "I believe you have an appointment to keep with Akito's brother."

"You're right," she said, standing up and pushing her hair back from her face. She'd have to have someone go get her pack from the hot spring since it had a lot of the things she would need to get ready to meet the kitsune's brother. Holding her hair back in a ponytail with one hand, she regarded the Taiyoukai closely, a new emotion blooming in her chest, one that she didn't have the time to analyze right now. Shaking her head, she began walking slowly to the door, dropping her hair to fold her arms across her stomach, turning to glance back at the now cool youkai seated behind his desk, looking almost exactly the same as he had when she had first entered. Even his tail now covered the place where his haori was wrinkled, effectively blotting out any reminder of the kisses they had partaken in. But there was a difference in his eyes, the way he watched her as she hesitated leaving him. "I'll talk to you later, Sesshoumaru."

A small smirk molded his chiseled lips. "I would have been surprised if you didn't."

Giving him a playful scowl, she waved a hand at him negligently before spinning on her heel, opening the door to disappear behind it, Akito's tall frame visible for a brief moment before the heavy ornate piece of wood closed.

Left alone again with his last few correspondences, Sesshoumaru tried to go back to reading the last letter he had been on before Kagome had come barging in. However, no matter how many times he read over the last sentence he kept seeing in his mind the way a certain miko looked in the beginning throws of passion, and his answering response that relished the effect he had on her...


	41. Aion

Kagome didn't give herself time to think over the past few moments spent inside Sesshoumaru's quarters. If she did, a small voice in the back of her head convinced her that she would not only begin questioning every thing she had ever done in her short life, but the very tendrils of sanity she seemed to be holding onto lately. So, instead, she barely glanced up at Akito's all too knowing opalescent blue eyes, trudging with thin-lipped determination the short distance to her own room.

She knew that the arctic kitsune could clearly smell the scent of his master all over her, and since she also was well versed personally on how intelligent this particular demon was, it did not take a genius to figure out that he knew precisely what had taken place inside the demon Lord's study.

Raising one hand self-consciously to the exposed portion of her neck just visible through the curtain of raven hair she had been sure to drape over her shoulders, the miko could almost still feel the slight pressure of fangs scraping seductively along her pulse-point, the lingering caress of lips flitting over her skin. It made a rush of color ignite in her cheeks, her blue-grey eyes to take on a slightly dazed look that spoke of an inner turmoil Akito could only guess at as he gazed curiously at his charge.

Shaking her head to dispel any last vestiges of the interlude in the study from her mind, Kagome gave her guard an empty vague smile in his general direction before quickly opening her door and escaping into the shadowed confines of her room. The silence between them held and she had no quick desire to offer any explanations to Akito since she couldn't very well think of any herself that didn't sound paltry or idiotically inadequate. Desecration did seem the better part of valor at this point.

After closing her door, she didn't waste time dallying about or pausing to reflect on inner feelings that were in an uproar. Kiro was probably becoming impatient with having been left in perpetual stand-by for quite a while, and the miko didn't want to give him an even worse impression than she feared he already had of her.

How else would the assassin view a human who had just stalked off without a reason to demand an audience with Sesshoumaru? The complete lack of social etiquette she'd utilized in this time era had never crossed her mind, so it was only now that Kagome was embarrassed by her actions.

Again, color rose on her cheeks, burning hotly as she began rummaging through her first aid kit, messily depositing its contents all over the floor with much clattering. Forcing her mind to focus on the task at hand, she steadfastly sifted through bandages and gauze until she came upon what she had been searching for. Grinning in triumph, she tore open the package of wet-wipes, wrinkling her nose at the stringent smell that arose from it. Unfolding it, she then ran it over where the Taiyoukai had placed his mouth, closing her eyes tightly as the isopropyl drenched cloth made them water.

The knowledge she had gained during Sesshoumaru's convalescence in her time era regarding rubbing alcohol was proving an invaluable asset considering she could cover the scent of pretty much anything with it. Not only would it be strong enough to irritate anything with a strong olfactory system, but it also completely killed any lingering odor of anything else. A wonderful discovery indeed.

At this rate, however, she was going to have to invest in quite a few bottles of the damn stuff since she kept getting herself into situations that called for either covering up the evidence later or just plain warding off an over zealous demon bent on who knew what. Yep, the local pharmacy was going to love her since she would be their number one customer for purchasing medical supplies once again this month.

Finishing up by making another swipe over her neck, she wadded it up in one hand while standing, her hair falling back into place softly. Kagome disposed of it in the bathroom before picking up a black scrunchie as she passed the low table next to her bed that held one, putting her hair up in a messy ponytail while casting a glance about the room. Her blue-grey eyes came to settle on a pile of her laundry that lay neatly folded at the foot of her bed, a bright white spot towards the middle of it where some jeans lay made her pause in what she was doing. Arching one raven brow, she went over and removed the object, surprise etching on her features when she saw that it was a piece of parchment folded in half.

It looked like someone had left a note for her. But why in her clothes and in such a secretive manner?

Frowning in puzzlement, she quieted the sudden stab of trepidation that arced through her heart, her fingers running nervously along the piece of paper as though searching for a latch of some sort that held it closed.

She wasn't so sure she should open and read the contents of this missive. Whoever had left it had meant for no one else but her to know about it, which in itself was extremely odd considering her circumstances. Who could have done such a thing?

Swallowing her unease, she squared her shoulders and set her jaw, determined to not let a piece of parchment scare her. After all, it wasn't like it was going to be a bomb or something. All she had to do was read it and there would no longer be this great worry about who it could be from. It was probably sent by one of the servants letting her know when they would next be by to pick up her laundry or something. At least, that is what she tried to convince herself of as she flipped it open, her eyes quickly scanning the bold black kanji written on its pristine surface.

What it said caused her breath to catch in her throat, the hands holding it to clench until her knuckles shown white and the edges were crinkled beyond repair. Again, she read over what it said, hardly believing what she was seeing, and not understanding its meaning clearly.

Biting at her lower lip, she looked frantically to her door, silently warring whether or not she should call out to the arctic kitsune and show him what was left for her. But then...the letter specifically said not to tell anyone of its existence, secrecy being key to what was being set in place by the words scribed to it.

Coughing a bit, she placed a hand over her mouth, letting it remain there afterwards, almost as if to hold any words she might have spoken to alert her guard in her throat. Fearfully, she looked once more at the letter, her hand slowly sliding down to cradle her sore throat in a loose grip.

The sentences chased one another around her brain, making her dizzy with trying to decipher the correct interpretation to them.

"Miko,

Your presence is requested at the far end of the eastern pasture behind the bathing hall on the morrow's evening. Make sure you are alone, save for your personal guard if you feel it absolutely necessary that he attend. Do not tell anyone of this letter. Do not let your guard know why you are going or what made you go there. If silence is broken on this matter then I will not be responsible for the consequences. If you are followed, even without your knowledge, and others attend, again, I am not responsible for the consequences. It is imperative you come tomorrow for reasons I cannot divulge here in case this is found by another. But know that the welfare of the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands rests on your decision. Consider it carefully."

It was not signed by a name or any other marking which would denote to someone's personal signature. All she really had to go on was the phrasing and the way they had began it with the word 'miko' instead of Lady Kagome or just plain Kagome. That in itself caused a few qualms to take root within. If this person was relegating her station in the Taisho household to that of an unspecific name without any honorary connotation before it, then it spoke of ill tidings felt towards her. Then again...it could just be a random servant that did not know her name or what else to call the girl staying so close to Sesshoumaru, thus left with no alternative but to call her by what she was, not who.

Still...the tone behind the entire thing seemed off. As though it wasn't written in haste, but extreme deliberation, each word placed carefully to have the greatest effect on its reader. From her own reaction, Kagome found it profound enough without the added worries of the intentions behind whoever had sent it.

Another alarming thing was that they had slipped it into her personal belongings. A shiver slid down her spine at the thought, her hand convulsing around the paper until it was a ball in her palm. A being that meant to do her or Sesshoumaru serious harm may have entered her very room, rummaged through her things, touched objects she held close and intimate. It sickened her, the idea of an assassin's hands touching anything that belonged to her. The same hands that had attempted to meet out murder to the dog youkai she was finding herself caring so much about.

Roiling nausea assaulted her stomach, waves of adrenaline making her hands shake and her legs to feel unsteady until she finally had to sit heavily on the bed beside the clothes, making the pile totter precariously.

It never stopped, the constant surprises that popped up over and over again in her life. She could barely resolve one issue without being handed another that was more complex and harrowing than the last the miko survived through. Which is basically what it was. Surviving. Kagome couldn't call the last few days, or weeks even, anything more than seeing to the day to day things that would allow her to live, her body to function. Although, judging by how much that had deteriorated healthwise even that could not be counted on anymore. Did nothing ever bow to her wishes?

A cold sweat had broken out over her skin, making it clammy beneath the red pullover, the insulating cloth now stifling instead of comfortable. The surge of nervous energy now running along her nerve endings, causing her abdomen to clench almost painfully, also aggravated her breathing sequence enough to make her cough again rather violently. It reminded her that though she had felt better after digesting the medication from before it could not be attributed as being a magical cure-all. Modern science was wonderful for offering relief from illnesses, but doctors had yet to concoct something which would make a respiratory ailment vanish in one day.

Cheeks red from trying to regain her breath, she sniffled loudly, wiping the light sheen of moisture from her forehead with the back of a hand, the other still cradling the note. As pensive blue-grey eyes rested on it, she found herself wishing for once that she had the extraordinary sensory system that canine youkai possessed. Perhaps then she could simply put it to her face, inhale deeply, and let her natural sense of smell pick out who had delivered it. Unfortunately, she had but her own human abilities to go off of, which weren't looking promising in figuring out how the letter had come to be there at all.

Calming her frazzled nerves, Kagome stared at the piece of ivory paper. After another pause of indeciveness, her eyes hardening with a deep resolve, the hand which held the parchment captive crumpled it into a misshapen ball.

She would tell no one of this, not even Akito. The possibility of some malady befalling the arctic kitsune because of information that she'd divulged was more than the miko could bear. Everyone had done such a thorough job of watching over her welfare that the least she figured to do to return the favor was keeping silent.

By letting the mysterious note remain a secret it would cause her nothing save perhaps her own safety. Whereas if she were to say anything to anyone, whether it be her guard, Sesshoumaru or even Kouga and Inu Yasha, their lives could be forfeit. That was a price she absolutely refused to pay.

Decision made, Kagome stood on somewhat steady legs, swaying back and forth before locking her knees so that she was straight and unwavering, the pile of clothing finally succumbing to momentum and falling aside to lay in a messy sprawl across the pristine coverlet. Ignoring the untidy display, she walked to the brazier which still held the container of water and herbs on its top, the coals banked down within its metal belly to naught but smoldering ashes. Releasing the latch to open the heavy door, she winced at the high screech it let out when moved, her hand convulsively clutching the letter. The earthy odor of burnt wood filled her nostrils, a tepid heat slipping out to caress her briefly before being overwhelmed by the frigidness of her chambers.

With a defiant tilt to her chin, the miko threw the incriminating missive inside the blackened mouth of the ancient 'heater', watching it begin to instantly smoke as the hot coals began to burn it. The acrid smell of burning paper soon filled her nostrils, causing her to sneeze in reaction, making Kagome bend forward a bit at the force of it. Sniffling loudly, she straightened, watching as a myriad of orange, yellow, and red flames hungrily consumed the only piece of evidence she had of this entire ordeal. A fleeting image of Lord Daija's eyes sped through her mind before she easily dismissed the similarity between the firebird's eyes and the fire dancing before her. Soft light from the brazier played upon the miko's features for a moment before she resolutely closed the door on it, dousing the room into sudden half shadows and coldness. It made her shiver, goose bumps breaking out along her flesh, her hands rubbing up and down her arms, not only with the temperature change, but the almost foreboding symbolism of it all.

Would her life be just as easily snuffed out from this encounter? The light of her soul extinguished beneath the smothering heel of an unforgiving enemy that had no name or face? It was worse, she realized, when you were ignorant to who your potential killer was. With Naraku, although he may use subterfuge often to gain what he desired, was still easily recognizable after years of thwarting his schemes. Yet, this political agenda was beyond anything Kagome had dealt with before, and it was glaringly obvious whenever she tried to reason out the whos and whys of it.

A self derisive smirk tilted her lips as she turned her back on the ashes of her latest folly. Even though regret for destroying the letter snipped at the edges of her common sense she steadfastly ignored it. One way or another things would work out. It was the only true aspect to this entire fiasco that she could hold onto with surety. Everything else kept disappearing in her grasp, her friends slipping through her cold fingers like sand, her numb hands having no desire to save them. Emotional exhaustion was beginning to set in, and she wasn't so sure if it would be worth it to fight its heavy pull.

An icy calm pervaded her form, the dead feeling spreading throughout her system, allowing her to distance herself from everything.

If this turned out to be a trap set by the Taiyoukai's assassins then she had to come to terms with the idea that death was very likely. It wasn't the same as when she fought with Inu Yasha and her friends against the evil hanyou that greedily collected the shards of the shikon. The fact of her mortality may have been considered every once in a great while by the miko, but these doubts had always been disregarded after looking into the fierce gold eyes of the half demon, or the caring ones of the taijiya and houshi. She had felt safe and protected, believing firmly that nothing too severe could happen to them if they just stuck together, fought side by side.

Yet, now that unity was broken forever. No longer could Kagome count on them being there to bail her out of every mishap she fell into, by her own fault or no. She could hardly remember life before releasing Inu Yasha from the Goshinboku, where she had depended on no one but herself and there was nothing more serious than late homework to worry over. Being thrust into solitary reliance after so long was like throwing a person into the ocean and expecting them to know how to swim with no previous lessons.

However, she had made decisions on her own and remained alive before she had been drug through the ancient well. There was life after Inu Yasha, even if it was going to prove short and bittersweet.

Bolstered by this idea, she sedately made her way to the overturned first-aid kit and, crouching down with a faint pop of knee-joints adjusting, quickly began packing it away efficiently. The crackle of packages being shoved into their slot made her smile sadly, eyes tracing the teal lettering on the sealed pouches containing the alcohol swabs.

After tomorrow night, there may not be the need for those any more. Not to ward off youkai or cleanse and dress the minor hurts of her companions. Clamping down on those melancholy thoughts, she snapped the case closed, standing and placing the canister upon its customary spot on the low table next to an open bottle of lotion.

Glancing about, her gaze fell upon the pile of clothing, her skin crawling reflexively at the thought of putting something on a possible murderer had ran their fingers over. However, she would have to change shirts since the dog demon's scent was too imbedded in the red fabric, assuredly broadcasting her proximity to him to the demons with advanced olfactory systems. Kiro and Akito being just two she could name. Swallowing her nausea, she couldn't prevent a distasteful frown marring her features as she gingerly picked up her dark blue hooded sweatshirt, as though it were a snake instead of a simple piece of sewn cloth.

Gritting her teeth, she quickly divested herself of the red pullover, tossing it beside the clean laundry on the bed, and pulled the new one over her head, pushing her arms into the sleeves with force. Her hair was now at half mast down her head, the ponytail loosened from being drug through the tensioned neckline. Smoothing the shirt into place, Kagome then concentrated on facing the mirror and fixing her hair, satisfied that the mark was now hidden on her neck. It wasn't really hickey status, but it wouldn't be fading for quite a while either. The last thing she wanted was embarrassing questions being volleyed at her from an irate hanyou and equally edgy wolf prince.

Sightlessly looking into the mirror, she reflected on how her life was progressing. It did little to alleviate the emotional freeze she was entertaining. After all, if Death did come calling the miko could be reassured that Kikyo was there to hunt shards and keep Inu Yasha happy, that Sango had a place with Miroku even if the demon exterminator eventually lost her brother to Naraku. The dog demon had Rin and even Jaken to keep him company long after she would be gone. Sesshoumaru was the great Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, and his demise would prove disastrous for all. Inu Yasha was ill-equipped to take his place, beside the fact that the majority of the youkai world would refuse to follow a leader of mixed heritage. The blood of Inu Taisho would not prove enough to alli others to his side.

Actually, the exact opposite was probably true.

The hanyou's inability to control the potent blood coursing through his veins was but another prime example of how unstable and unreliable he'd be as ruler. Since demons were a natural form of predator, it would follow to reason that holding any place of authority amongst them would be constantly trying. It could be handled one of two ways. First, one could act like Kouga, who's brash behavior coupled with corporal reprisals being enough for his peers to respect him. The other method was how Sesshoumaru behaved. Stony silence partnered by deadly skill bred not only respect but a healthy fear of him as well. Graceful strength was always deferred to more readily than coarse violence ever would be, but few individuals could pull the former off.

Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho was one of the lucky few.

The death of such a powerful icon would throw the immediate and every neighboring providence into chaos. Disputes over dividing the land and naming an heir were but a few of the problems which would result.

Did Kagome see sacrificing her life a high toll to pay for keeping peace? Most definitely not. When it came to choosing between herself and others it was no contest who would come first. There really was no thinking it over, it was just how things would transpire.

Whether it was the depression she had fallen into or the weariness brought on by her sickness, the miko couldn't muster the will to incite a burning desire for survival. Even the purifying abilities she possessed seemed to be steadily diminishing. Without those she felt almost completely useless. Yet another reason she would attend the late-night soiree alone. The fear for her miko powers disappearing permanently motivated Kagome into wishing to put them to good use, while she was still capable of it.

For, would it not be more grievous if she went to utilize that spiritual energy and found nothing there? No crackling force to summon from within, a gaping desolate hole left in its place with the injury of a close one coming from it.

A throbbing took residence at her temples, back muscles knotting enough to foreshadow the first vestiges of cramps coming on. The trace odor of herbs Cheiro had left boiling for her respiratory benefit was now abrasive instead of soothing. Finished putting her hair into a high ponytail, she placed two fingers to the bridge of her nose and applied pressure in the hopes of decreasing some of the pain, letting loose a stray cough while trying to sigh in annoyance. The girl she could see over her fingers in the mirror looked strained about the eyes, pallor very white even in the semi-darkness of her room.

When she had first entered the confines of her chambers a warmth had blanketed her senses after departing the demon Lord's side. Now, however, a great weight had cloaked her from the shoulders down. A burden of knowing she was attempting to juggle the lives of those she cared for and coming out of this unscathed. It was as though she was tight-rope walking without a safety net lying in wait. The counter-weight pole clasped in a hard grip in sweaty palms was misshapen and jagged as she teetered along the taut line. Accomplishing this would be one of the momentous acts in her short mortal existence. If she could just make it to the other side where the steady platform was stationed, then the miko thought her possible death was well worth it.

Gritting her teeth as another rough cough left her chest, her throat protesting the action, Kagome moved away from her disturbing reflection. Distancing herself physically if not mentally, she let her hand fall to her side, searching for another pair of shoes she could don since her others were still at the hot spring where she had abandoned them. She was developing this terrible habit of leaving little 'nests' all about the Taisho household, some unsuspecting youkai stumbling across her possessions in random places. Finding her only other pair of shoes, black Nikes with a blue swoosh, she slipped a pair of white socks on and then the rest. Tying them tightly, she absently brushed the heavy tail of her hair back over her shoulder after it had fallen forward whilst she was attending to her footwear.

Standing with a sigh, she forewent looking back at the brazier, instead focusing all her attention on placing one foot in front of the other till she came to the door. Akito would be patiently on the other side, ready to take her to his brother so she might get to know the other kit better. The meeting might be the best chance to rout out valuable information on how the assassins operated. What better way to learn about something than from the source itself?

Surprisingly, Akito might actually be a hindrance during this little 'discussion'. For some unexplainable reason the guard held great reticence whenever it appeared she was about to bring up the subject of his Lord's assailants. She understood the importance of not speaking about it while in the presence of unknown demons, but in the privacy found within a luncheon between her and the brothers, all should work out fine.

Hopefully. If Akito began to show signs of interference then she would devise a way to get him to leave the room. A ruse to send him on some errand that would sound important but not necessary.

Whatever happened, Kagome would make certain she learned as much as possible. Sesshoumaru Taisho's life was at stake after all.

Images of the dog demon made the numbness seep away, replacing it with the calming influence only distributed by his solid presence.

Following what happened in his personal study, the miko wondered if from now on the mere memory of the imposing Lord would cause a reaction within her heart. A pang of bittersweet fondness that had no name as of yet. One thing she knew for certain, the caring she had harbored thus far for him had increased greatly. Not precisely because of the new physical closeness, even if it was exciting and a bit frightening. It amounted to a multitude of little instances that most would dismiss out of hand or overlook. A cold voice granting an ill travel-worn girl permission to stay in his palace, disrupting the order of his soldiers. The gentle caress from an elegant clawed hand tracing the curve of her skin, or even the easy warmth of a body wrapped about her own.

It was the way the Taiyoukai had treated her as nothing else but who she was, not what she was. He accepted her as the person which made her a miko, friend, sister, and alli. Whether it was good or bad, the dog youkai didn't pick her apart or demand anything of her. Instead, he took it all in stride and never once pushed his personal expectations on her. Though that didn't mean he had imposed a dozen rules upon her since she took up residence. Not that she followed them anyway...

That was why he was added to her list of who she would protect with her life. She'd always known that traipsing through Feudal Japan inhabited by wars, disease, and demons would insure nothing but a shortened lifespan. Such things were fleeting at best and few could actually say theirs was well spent. As she closed a damp hand over the icy coldness of the doorknob, giving it a turn and a pull, allowing light from the hallway to spill in, she fervently hoped the expenditure of hers would not be in vain.

Pasting a cheery smile on her face, she stepped out of her room and into the brightly lit corridor where the arctic kitsune stood beside her door, spear in its usual place at his side. The sound of the latch sliding into place on the heavy piece of wood behind her made her also mentally close any qualms she might have had over not telling anyone about the letter. She had made her choice, for better or worse, and now she would deal with it.

Placing her idle hands in the front pouch of her sweatshirt, she eyed him closely to see if perhaps what she was wearing held some trace scent of whoever had placed it on her bed, alerting the ice demon to an intruder. With a flash of disappointment, she saw that his iceberg eyes kept their relative calm, the hand grasping his weapon relaxed.

She did not know which was more alarming...the fact that he might recognize the scent on the clothing and disregard it as friend and not foe, or that he couldn't detect it because of the swab she had used that probably overpowered anything else.

Either way, she wasn't about to question him on the matter, thereby drawing suspicion from her guard. Kagome wanted to make sure that nothing she said or did made Akito think she might be hiding something important from him. There was enough on her plate without verbally waltzing with the arctic kitsune.

"Show me the way, Kito-kun," she said in a hoarse voice, clearing her throat while a warm smile that did not quite reach her eyes graced her countenance.

Cold eyes narrowing slightly, he took in her lighter complexion. "Are you certain, Lady? If you are not feeling up to it I am sure dining with my brother can wait."

Bringing a hand forth to wave his enquiry aside, she stepped forward a few paces, glancing back at him with what she hoped was an eager grin. "I feel fine, Akito. Just a little tired from walking all over the palace grounds, but nothing a good meal won't fix." Turning to face back towards the long hallway, her expression now hidden from his sharp eyes, she continued, her mouth a tight line. "Besides, I haven't really had a chance to talk to him yet and he seems like a very interesting person to know."

Arching a navy brow, he hefted his spear and joined her, indicating with the weapon to continue on away from the royal quarters. "This way, Lady. Kiro has already been sent for as well as ample food, so all should be in place for our arrival."

For the space of a few heartbeats the only sound was that of her shoes hitting shiny floorboards, the swish of his clothing moving with his body. A bit puzzled at her hesitancy on any comment, to which she usually always had something to say about whatever the subject, he glanced at her, iceberg orbs peaking through his snowy bangs.

The tingling on the back of her neck let Kagome know her guard was regarding her intently, making her notice that she had not said anything in reply. Cursing herself for doing the exact opposite of what she had intended to appear normal, she turned another grin towards him.

"Excellent, Kito-kun! As usual, you've seen to everything." Facing forward to navigate a turn, passing a few guards stationed in doorways, she added in a voice laced with regret, " I hope he doesn't mind having to wait all this time. I feel really bad about it."

Keeping his focus ahead and alert to any youkai they passed, he replied cooly, "Do not worry, Lady. One of my brother's many virtues is patience." His lips tilted in a small smirk, eyes shining in banked mirth, as though thoughts of his older sibling incited dark amusement. "Being in the line of work that he entertains demands such things. I'm sure reposing in an elaborate room with naught to do but bide his time till we arrive is a pleasant change for him."

The mention of the other demon's profession made her cringe inside, wondering precisely what 'virtues' one could have when their entire existence was aimed towards annihilation of other's lives. Her first impression of the arctic youkai had been positive, but that did not mean she could reconcile herself to what he did for a living. The fact that Sesshoumaru had placed Kiro there when the dog demon had come into power made her head pound a bit at what that implied.

She didn't precisely place attributes on the Taiyoukai that were not there, but again, searched for the good in others, wanting to believe that everyone was capable of great kindness and good if allowed the chance to show it. There was little call for such in an atmosphere where those things were usually considered a weakness, something to be disgusted over rather than in awe of. As far as the miko could tell, Inu Taisho had been the first youkai of the dog demon clan to act on emotions like those towards others. At least, from what she had heard that was so.

But could the same be said for an assassin? The same caliber of creature that had hunted down Sesshoumaru with deadly intent, vying for the exalted position of delivering the fatal blow that would end his life?

Mumbling a soft, "Of course," Kagome let out a relieved sigh when they finally came to a stop in front a shoji door in the middle of a non-descript corridor that she was sure she would have never found on her own.

Opening the door with a light flick of his wrist, Akito stepped aside after perusing the interior quickly to ascertain that none but his brother inhabited the room. Satisfied with his brother's form sitting in a calm pose at the head of a low cherrywood table, a slight smile visible on his older sibling's features, he stepped aside. Smiling in thanks, Kagome went into the newest addition of places she had been thus far in the castle. It continued to amaze the miko how large the dog demon's residence really was. If she went about all day traversing the long hallways and grounds, she doubted she would actually view all of it.

The usual windows placed high up on the walls adorned the left side of the room, permitting enough natural light to forego using candles yet, even if dusk was fast approaching. Now that the colder seasons were coming to Japan the days were becoming brief. It looked as though it wasn't used much since there were but two medium sized tapestries on the wall behind the head and end of the table. That way whoever was placed at either end would be framed by a majestic view of the dog demon clan's shadowy insignia with a large silhouette of a transformed dog youkai in the forefront. Very formal, and not meant for cozy get togethers amongst friends at all.

A real smile tilted her full lips as she spied Kiro at the head of the table that was laden heavily with various dishes of vegetables, rice and meat, three place settings laid out in military precision. With a spark of humor, she wondered if anyone ever did things any other way than as if they were readying for an army drill. Their training carried even into the more mundane task of setting a table.

Taking the seat on his left, the red pillow offering ample comfort as she sat Indian-style, she exclaimed, "Hi, Kiro!" Eyes turning apologetic, she brought her hands from the pouch to gesture towards him. "Sorry for taking so long to come. The discussion," which she was proud to note she did not even blush over mention of, "took a bit longer than I anticipated."

Speaking in his cultured voice, the arctic kitsune watched his brother take the place to his right so that the guard might keep the only entrance in view. "It is no trouble, Lady Kagome." As Akito settled beside him, placing his spear on the ground in easy reach, Kiro turned to her with his sky-blue gaze. "I would never consider it a chore to wait for a respite from training the others."

Chuckling lightly, she took up her chopsticks, signaling to the others that they should begin, taking up the nearest bowl with its sakura emblazoned sides. "I can imagine. How long have you been seeing over Sesshoumaru's troops?"

Grasping a piece of teriyaki in the bamboo sticks, a considering look over his face, he answered thoughtfully, "I believe it has been at least fifteen years now." Glancing to his brother who was busy loading his plate with food, he asked, "Wouldn't you agree, Akito?"

Nodding, the sunlight from the windows dancing over his white bangs, he kept his focus on the food he was navigating from one container to another. "Yes, just about. I remember the day you wrote father and told him about it. He was very pleased at the news."

Real pleasure lit up the older youkai's eyes, making them sparkle and show brightly in contrast to his marked brow and dark hair. A smile that showed a bit of fang flashed in her direction. "That's right. He sent back a letter telling how jealous Toryn and Keisuke were and how proud our parents were for having reached such honored positions in the Taisho holding."

An answering laugh left Akito's throat at the memory of his family. "Those two always were into competition. I'm sure the Lord of the East has his hands full employing them in his staff."

Blue-grey eyes alight with curiosity, Kagome watched the comradery between the brothers with interest, finding the tidbits about what their home life was like easy to listen to. Chewing on some rice, she waited for their mirth to subside before drawing attention back to herself. Now that she was in the combined presence of the kitsune brothers she found herself relaxing, her tension headache losing its potency.

"What exactly do they do in the Lord's household?"

Akito glanced at his brother over the cup he was drinking hot tea from, arching a brow at him as he did so. Shifting about a bit in his seat, Kiro faced her more fully, chopsticks now laying forgotten at the edge of his plate. "I suppose you could say they do a multitude of tasks, Lady Kagome. Since they have not gained a prestigious spot in Lord Tachikaze's palace, they must do menial work until deemed worthy of advancing."

Pondering over this new scope into the lives of ancient Japan, she swallowed a portion of savory chicken, wincing a bit when the food irritated her sore throat. "Did you and Akito have to do the same thing here in the Taisho household?"

Glancing towards his younger sibling, the kitsunes shared a significant look, before Akito set his cup down with slow deliberation, making eye contact with her. "Not exactly, Lady." Another look was shared between the brothers before he calmly went on, Kiro keeping busy with eating once more. It seemed he was ready to let the guard take over this question. "When we first came here, to this region, we were considered outsiders by all other youkai. Because of such we had to establish ourselves in the community as strong beings with great power at our grasp." A dark smirk tilted his lips, frigid eyes taking on an almost sinister amusement, as though the memories he was entertaining were both good and less than pure. "Our father devised a way of attempting to gain employment by one of the most prominent demon families in the area. That being the Dog Demon clan, then headed by Inu Taisho."

Sipping from her tea, thinking she wished it was Daija's since the phoenix's had soothed better, she leaned forward a bit, clutching her cup with two hands. She missed Kiro's semi-amused light eyes watching her and his brother as he finished his food. "Really? What was the plan and how did Inu Taisho take it?"

Iceberg orbs softening at her earnest expression of almost childlike curiosity, the kitsune went on indulgently, content to retell family history. "Father's idea was simple, but very effective. Since he knew that our family would have to prove itself worthy, he asked the great Taiyoukai if he would honor us by allowing him and his sons who were of age to participate in a trial of sorts." Inclining his head slightly, white bangs fluttering upon his cheeks, making a brief shot of sunlight fall upon his snowflake brow, he finished quietly. "Lord Inu Taisho accepted."

Waiting with bated breath, drink long forgotten in her grasp, Kagome fixated all her attention on the story, completely engrossed in the lives of her personal guard and his relatives. Blue-grey eyes impossibly large, she whispered, "What happened next?"

At this point, Kiro interjected, drawing her enraptured gaze to his amused one, a small smile gracing his countenance. "There was a great gathering for the trial. Demons from all over the Japanese provinces came to witness not only the first such event they had ever heard of, but to see the youkai who had ventured so far from the icy regions of the world to be there." Waving a clawed hand to indicate him and his sibling, he went on. "You see, Lady Kagome, our coloring and appearance is such that we are instantly known as foreigners to all around us." Shrugging, the assassin placed his arm to lie on the table next to his empty plate. "If that was not enough to make them uneasy, our scent alone to those who could detect it also unsettled many."

Arching an ebony brow, she glanced between them, puzzlement clear on her features. "Scent?"

Chuckling dryly, Akito interjected, "Kiro makes it sound as though we permeate an offensive odor, but that is not so."

"On the contrary, because of where we are from we give off the clean fresh scent of snow and mint. Everything that is cold and causes the senses to tingle in semi-over sensitivity," Kiro put in, not wishing to give the miko the wrong impression.

Realization dawned in her eyes, a smile coming easily to her lips. "Oh, I get it! So you guys smell almost like a York Peppermint patty!"

Tilting his head to the side while regarding her with laughing bewilderment, the older youkai asked with a chuckle, "A what, Lady Kagome?" Looking to his brother, he chuckled again. "Should we be insulted, or complimented little brother?"

Rotating his shoulders and smirking, he nodded in the girl's direction. "I do not know, Kiro. Best to ask the Lady in question."

Laughing with embarrassment, color staining her pale cheeks starkly, she settled back onto her pillow, letting go of her cup with one hand to wave it in front of her. "No no, don't be insulted! I sometimes forget that you are...not familiar with the objects from my...own home."

They both noticed the slight hesitations in her sentence, but chose not to speak on it. Akito, because he knew her well enough by now that if she wished for them to know she would explain in due time, and Kiro because of the exact opposite. He did not know her at all, and since she was an honored guest of his liege lord he had no right to ask the human anything that personal.

"Pray, explain then what exactly this York pepp-are-ment patty is then."

Swallowing a giggle at Kiro's mis-pronunciation of the chocolate covered mint, she explained as best she could. "A York Peppermint patty is a candy that is made from mint itself. It is made into a flat circular disc that is then covered with a thin coating of chocolate. Not the same kind I gave you earlier, Kito-kun, but a darker less rich type."

Nodding in understanding, he let his brother in on what she was referring to, noticing the inquiring look he was receiving. "It is a compliment of sorts, Kiro. The Lady gave me a piece of food that was a bit like she's describing, but not exactly the same type. If it is anything to go by that, then we were most assuredly complimented."

Bowing his head respectfully towards her, long navy strands of hair shadowing each side of his face, the assassin addressed her in a formal voice. "Then I humbly thank you on behalf of our family for such high words from a wonderful Lady. Again, you honor us, Lady Kagome."

Scarlet darkening her skin even more, the miko set her glass down to wave both hands frantically at the posturing arctic demon. "Oh please, there is no need to thank me! I mean, you and especially your brother have done more than enough for me since I began to stay here." Finally ceasing her sporadic motions, she subsided in her seat, eyes becoming soft and caring as they rested on Akito. "Besides, I don't know what I would have done without your brother being here for me. He has made recovering from my illness and living here under the same roof as...everyone else bearable."

Her guard did not need to ask who she had meant when pausing before saying 'everyone'. He was neither blind nor stupid, and in the few brief days he had spent in her company he had seen how upset the hanyou made her. How utterly defeated she would appear seconds after he arrived, a shadow marring her aura immediately as her sorrow grew.

However, the warm way she had spoken of him made the ice youkai's heart to beat stronger with more heat and emotion than he had felt in a long time. Being in the service of the dog demon clan may be rewarding in its own way, but after years of performing duties that were not wholesome at best made one deaden themselves so that they could accomplish their mission. If he hadn't then a piece of him would have perished a while ago.

"Mere words could never express my gratitude, Lady." There was real feeling behind the words he spoke, and for that reason it made Kiro's head rise sharply to regard his sibling, keen eyes not missing a nuance in the guard's visage.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, Kagome changed the subject to get attention away from herself. The atmosphere had suddenly become more intense than she would have liked. "You were saying about a trial?"

Allowing the switch, Kiro started up once more. " The trial was actually more like a tournament of sorts. To make it fair, Lord Taisho let all who desired enter so that they might be named champion and thus allowed the revered spot of personal body guard to the Taiyoukai himself. Usually, such roles are reserved for close allis that the family has been acquainted for decades, at times even centuries. Never before had the spot been held up for grabs and every well-known and lesser demon given the chance to have it. You can imagine the stir it created." Fond respect shone from the eyes that gazed off into space while he remembered that time. "He was never one to follow the normal traditions of others, was Lord Taisho."

"He sounds like he was a remarkable youkai," Kagome half-whispered, not wanting to intrude on the assassin's private thoughts. Too busy contemplating his trade now, she had previously forgone even considering what he did before Sesshoumaru's father had died. Kiro must have been in close contact with the Taiyoukai for a large amount of his life if he had been his personal guard. What type of loss that was she couldn't even fathom. He probably not only blamed himself somewhat for his Lord's death, but guilt and frustration must also assail him constantly at failing in his one purpose. A new compassion took hold of her, making her view his lifestyle with more tolerance than before. No wonder Sesshoumaru had chosen Kiro to be his assassin. It gave the youkai the means to outlet his aggression and continually perfect his techniques, which he must feel are subpar after his Lord's demise.

Not for the first time, she wondered what precisely the conditions were that brought about the great previous Taiyoukai's end to life.

Having born witness personally to his older brother's harsh days following that of Inu Taisho's death, Akito quickly cut in, wishing to distract the other fox from his depressing train of thought. "The trial lasted about a week, in which time one by one the contestants were eliminated, at times by mortal means."

"You mean, some of them actually died?!" She couldn't keep the shock from her voice, totally not understanding the mentality behind throwing lives away like that.

"It is the way of things, Lady. Youkai face death often, and because of that fact never fear it." Shrugging, he added in an icy tone she had heard on the first day she was here, "Besides, they all knew the risks before attending."

"Oh," was all that came out, the miko still not able to completely wrap her mind around the idea of meting out and partnering death so often that it became natural to be in its dark presence.

Sighing, knowing that the human would never be able to come to terms with ideas such as those, he continued. "In the final rounds there was naught but my father, Kiro and I against the dragons, their top contender being General Kaizon, who was not then of high military status. Documents and accountings were taken of those final tests so that history could be recorded effectively for future generations."

Smiling, she stated the obvious, resting her chin in the palm of one hand, her elbow supported on the tabletop. "You guys won, of course. And Kiro became the personal guard. Why didn't your father win? What jobs were you and he given?"

Kiro chose this time to break the silent regard he had been entertaining. "Father was assigned the guardianship of the Lord's youkai wife, whereas Akito was granted the job of supervising Lord Sesshoumaru. That is, until it came to the training sessions with his uncle, Aion. Those singular instances were when he was not permitted to accompany his 'responsibility."

"Ahhh, I see. After Sesshoumaru's mother died, there must have been no reason for your father to remain so Lord Taisho let him make a home of his own for him and his family. That is what I assume anyway."

"You are correct, Lady Kagome. After many years of loyal service to the Taisho clan, father was bequeathed with a keep of his own to act as vassal over and manage the small village that produced rice for the palace nearby." The older arctic kit mentally shook the last vestiges of depression from his mind, determined to not dwell on past mistakes. At least, follies that he could see at any rate.

Running a fingertip along the smooth edge of her cup, Kagome was silent for a moment, a faraway look in her eyes. "Hmmm...it sounds like you and your family have a lot to be proud of. I'm sure there were some youkai who were not too pleased with the dog demons for initiating that kind of unorthodox 'tournament' of sorts."

Clawed fingers dancing lightly over the side of his own beige glass, Akito nodded. "Most assuredly, Lady. Many enemies were made that day for not only the Lord of the West, but for ourselves as well. But then that is the price paid when one aspires highly. Others become jealous and envious and as a result, malevolent feelings are created."

She made a noncommital noise from her throat, imagining how awful it felt to be hated enough where your very life was in danger. Frowning, her dark brows forking down in a V, the miko reflected wryly that this summarization wasn't too far off what she had gotten herself into for tomorrow night. Unknowingly showing the brothers a look of unease mixed in worry, she started a bit in surprise when the impersonal voice of Akito broke into her revery.

"Is there something the matter, Lady?"

Mind working quickly, she decided that now was the perfect time to implement a plan to get her guard out of the room so she could gain information from Kiro. Coughing a bit while putting a hand to her forehead, she said in one of her most pitiful voices, peaking at the concerned kitsune between her fingers. "I'm fine, Kito-kun. But I think it is time for my medicine and I'm afraid I forgot it back with Sesshoumaru." Removing her hand to wave it weakly, she continued on with regret. "I hate to ask it of you, but since I have no idea how to get about the castle myself without getting hopelessly lost, I was wondering if you could go and retrieve it for me?"

Already standing gracefully to his feet, weapon automatically taking its usual station in his hand, he gave her a reassuring quirk of his lips. "It is no trouble, Lady. I would be happy to get them for you. Stay here with Kiro and I shall be right back."

Smiling gratefully, she gushed, "Thanks, Aki-chan! You're the best!"

What could have been a blush began creeping over his pale cheeks, his icy gaze carefully avoiding that of his smirking sibling who would no doubt find his 'pet-name' his ward had given him ample fuel for much teasing later. Giving a last inclination of his head, he went out of the room, making sure to close the door behind him.

Once Kagome was certain he was no longer near enough to hear the conversation that would be taking place, she turned from her vantage point of watching his retreating form to that of the intent gaze of his brother. Leaning forward a bit while lowering her voice an octave, she met his stare head-on with a steady one of her own.

"Now, Kiro, there are some questions I wished to ask you..."

Conscious of the brief interlude that her guard was absent, the girl began questioning the assassin, learning many valuable facts that she filed away for further contemplation once she was by herself. Kiro, as it turned out, was a handy tool to have when dealing with his own brethren.


	42. Divination

Sesshoumaru fixed amber eyes devoid of emotion on the youkai sitting before him, their features set in a blank mask that the Taiyoukai knew well There was a relaxed slope to the shoulders, a telling show of lack of tension throughout the other demon's body that denoted they felt at ease in his presence. A fact that made the Lord raise a brow inwardly.

The tallow candle sitting in its cast iron holder in a half moon shape upon the shiny surface of his desk was lit, creating soft fractures of illumination that danced over his striped visage while leaving the other occupant of the room in semi-darkness. An eerie glow of amethyst would flash within the shadows every now and then when the dragon would move his head while continuing in his explanation to his master, the black shiny armor creaking and undulating in almost magical splendor. However, the Lord of the Western Lands remained unmoved by the display of a dutiful soldier debriefing his superior on his whereabouts of the last few days. Ryosuke had taken a long time indeed to report back to the palace after Sesshoumaru and Kagome had ran into him near Inu Yasha's Forest, and the Taiyoukai was curious to see what tales would spill forth through the General's silky voice, what excuses he would offer for being absent where no one could contact him.

Shortly after Kagome had departed his side Jaken had arrived outside his study, relating between his bowing and scraping that the General had returned recently from his journeys and desired an audience with their master. The calm of battle had blanketed the dog demon's senses at this information, his face easily taking on its customary marble facade that none could penetrate to see the vast workings of his mind. The encounter with the miko had been enough to make a multitude of questions come forth to tease his brain, and he wasn't too ashamed to admit he was grateful for the interruption of interrogating one of his possible assailants. Devoting his time and energy on pondering ways to divest his potential enemies of their secrets was much easier to handle than puzzling out the workings of what had transpired in his own personal quarters not too long ago.

Lengthy purple locks fanning out in an almost decorative arc as he turned his head from side to side, the dragon replied in his smooth voice, "You see, My Lord, I thought it prudent to continue on and investigate further into your uncle's activities towards the South of your property. After meeting a couple of demons during my search for you that were able to inform me of some interesting facts I saw no need to venture back here." Waving a clawed hand, he added with a smirk, "It is well known that once on your own land that no harm could come to you, so I figured it was my duty to investigate a potential threat to you."

A fragrant breeze blew through the window located high atop the wall behind him that ruffled his silver hair, causing his bangs to caress his forehead where the crescent moon stood, almost as though purposely drawing attention to the mark of his royal heritage to the other youkai. "I find it most interesting indeed, Ryosuke, that you not only knew where exactly Aion was residing, but also the general direction to look when I was missing earlier."

Understanding lit the General's shimmering orbs, a sharpness invading them that the Taiyoukai noticed right away. Mouth thinning out to an even line, he spoke in a controlled voice, resting his palms negligently upon maroon encased knees. "You speak of the time when Shurin and I came upon the miko nearby your brother's usual haunt. I assure you, My Lord, it was by pure coincidence that we went in that area to look. Every other avenue had been exhausted and we were desperate to find you."

Arching one silvery brow, the icy tones of Sesshoumaru cut across the space between them, almost making the younger demon flinch. "How fortuitous that your powers of deduction were such that they led you to my precise location." Lowering his lids to half-mast, he went on, his striped hand stilling the movements of the papers on his desk rustling under the breath of another gust of wind in the room. "Pity that the girl chose not to tell you where I was or who she was with. It might have saved you and my aide much worry."

There was enough sarcastic dark amusement underlying those words that Ryosuke did not miss the sardonic meaning behind them. Expression turning wary, he said calmly, "You make jest of it, My Lord, but I promise that both your personal aide and I were frantic to locate you, and had we known the human knew of your whereabouts nothing would have kept the information from us." There was a sudden malicious gleam to his amethyst depths, a hardening of the full lips at the edges that resembled his demonic counterpart which would turn his aquiline face into that of a scaled predator with unforgiving strength in his form. "A meager woman would not have stood a chance against us, and had I but known of what she knew I would have made certain she spilled all."

The way he had worded the last part let the Taiyoukai know precisely what would have been spilt on the carpet of grass in that meadow all those days previous. He learned something new about himself in that instant as the General sat across from him, completely oblivious to his master's lethal thoughts. The spike of his demonic persona snarling on the inside at the less than veiled threat behind the dragon's words was normal enough considering it seemed to flare to life anytime the miko was mentioned by others in a derogatory or possessive way. What did surprise him, however, was how easily he would find it to inflict pain on another in her name when the only reason the youkai before him talked that way was because he was raised in such a fashion. The entire existence of demons born to noble families was to be instructed on ruling their own keeps and suppressing the rise of humans in said provinces. Now, for Ryosuke acting precisely as Sesshoumaru used to, he was ready to spill his blood all over his nice clean floor.

Instead of giving in to the feral impulse, he steadfastly contained it, replying with his usual stoic serenity, "I would hope that to not be the case now considering the girl is currently under my protection and an honored guest in this household."

"Of course not, My Lord. I was simply letting you know how serious we were to find you, how earnest our searching was." Ryosuke skillfully withdrew his harsh demeanor to replace it with a placating one, realizing how important the female was to his Lord. Her worth continued to rise as time went on...

Amber eyes taking in the look gracing the other demon's countenance, he brushed a few strands of hair away from his face. "I do not question your resolve. What has me puzzled is why you would not check in after mysteriously learning how I returned to the castle."

Remaining composed, pose still relaxed, the dragon demon chose his answer carefully, wanting to convey the truth to his words. "Shurin and I decided to head out towards the Northern side of your lands in case you had gone that way for some reason or if something terrible had happened to you and you were unable to request assistance. It was during this time that we came across two wolf demons that are known for escorting the Prince of the North around. When I put forth inquiries as to whether or not they had seen you they said that Lord Kouga was headed towards your palace. Finding this odd, I asked Hikkaku and Ginta, I believe their names were, why the wolf prince would see fit to cross into your territory. They related the oddest tale to me that I was hesitant to believe." He paused a moment, inwardly reflecting on that meeting and the things discussed in it before continuing. " They said Lord Kouga was going there to find a certain miko that he thought might be traveling with your brother in that area."

Frowning as what he was saying seemed to have little to no effect on the demon Lord, Ryosuke shifted a bit on the plush scarlet pillow he was perched upon, the waning light from the window causing the candle flame to appear brighter. "From the way it sounded, My Lord, I surmised that you must have made it home if your brother was heading your way and the Lord of the North was going to pay a visit to you."

Voice like ice encrusted silk, the Taiyoukai fixed him with an unnerving stare. "And why would you come to that conclusion without substantial evidence to back their claims? The words of a neighboring youkai is proof enough in such pressing matters?"

"I saw no reason to further question what was said, My Lord, and Shurin was adamant that we track down Lord Kouga as quickly as possible." He backpedaled as deftly as he could, attempting to repair whatever damage he had visited upon himself with his rash wording. "To outright call what they said lies would be an insult grievous enough to incite possible bad relations between the two houses. That was a risk I was not about to take."

The validity of what the dragon youkai said was not lost on Sesshoumaru, but that did not make his careless way of disregarding his self-made mission any less suspicious. The exact opposite in fact. There was still the matter of why Shurin would end up back at the palace alone whilst the General decided to go out on his own towards where Aion lay. However, the only way to garner more insight to the situation was to hold an audience with the wolf prince himself, and conveniently he was residing just down the hall. My, but it was amazing how this series of more than odd happenings were turning out to interweave enough to make sense.

He wasn't sure if he should be worried about that or not, considering it was the miko herself who had somehow brought all this together. Only she could be credited with drawing powerful youkai from all over Japan to one spot in order just to be close to her. Extraordinary indeed.

Not finding the dragon's explanation nearly thorough enough, he was forestalled, as was becoming the norm, from going more in depth by the scent of the wolf in question stalking towards the room. It was clear from the heavy weight of his footfalls, the precise way his clothing was rubbing against itself that the youkai was angry and upset about something.

Not that being in that state was anything new or different. In fact, Sesshoumaru was beginning to wonder if the Lord of the North would ever entertain anything but a brash attitude unless he was in the woman's presence.

Raising a clawed hand to halt whatever the General had been about to say, the other youkai immediately closing his mouth with a snap when his sharp hearing picked up what had made his Lord demand silence, the two waited. Sesshoumaru, it appeared, almost with an air of weary acceptance to the newcomer who was presently reaching the shoji door.

As the thin door with its rice paper covering was yanked violently open, the crackling energy of the bristling wolf prince wasting no time in coming forcefully inside without bothering to enclose them back in privacy, the Taiyoukai wondered in bitter amusement if he was to never partake in that rare commodity of respect again. It wasn't so much that other demons no longer feared him, but the ones he had become in the habit of dealing with every day consistently forewent any use of manners or decorum and found it alarmingly easy to barge into his personal chambers as easily as the miko had his life. Most disconcerting indeed.

He was yanked from his inner musings by the angry hot glare from emerald orbs blazing in the ookami's features, his hands clenched tightly into fists, the fur along his tail fairly standing on end with the amount of emotions he was holding in.

Ryosuke barely spared the other youkai a passing glance before facing towards his master once more, displaying an outward appearance of disinterest, as though there was no one else but he and the dog demon there. It was a slight that didn't go unnoticed by the two alpha demons in the room, and Sesshoumaru knew he would have to take his General to task over it as soon as they were alone once more. Disliked, Lord Kouga may be, but he was still ruler of the Northern Provinces, and therefor demanded respect from inferiors no matter what the case may be. To do so was an insult reflected from the house that the particular demon hailed from, plainly showing that the Lord they served did not hold the other demon of high social stature in any regard but derision.

Indicating for the demon to take the seat beside Ryosuke, he arched a silvery brow when Kouga declined, instead standing with his legs braced apart and even. "Lord Kouga. Is there something I can assist you with that could not wait?"

Green eyes flashing, the Prince of the North growled out, showing just how close his inner youkai was to surfacing, "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru, there is." Ebony eyebrows forking down to a V, he went on with a snarl, "You can keep your damn brother away from Kagome for starters!" At this point he began to pace, the speed of his trek causing the long purple strands of the dragon youkai to flutter with the wind caused by his passing.

Following him with his amber eyes, the Taiyoukai gave an inner roll of his eyes. Of course it would be directly connected with his half-brother and the miko. Why even bother asking at this point?

"Would you kindly elaborate on what grievous misdeed my younger sibling has done to anger you? Specifics would be greatly appreciated."

Coming to an abrupt halt, he faced the stoic dog demon, fangs flashing in time with his brilliant eyes, his handsome face contorting enough to resemble his true form. "I refuse to have that hanyou bastard upset her even more than she has been! It isn't enough that she is ill. No, she is being forced to put up with his hurtful comments and derogatory behavior towards her." Stalking forward till he could lean across the low desk to stare the cold youkai in the face, hands widespread and planted in the middle of the hard surface to uphold his weight, he said in a low deadly voice, "I will not have my future mate, the soon to be Lady of the Northern Lands, treated so badly, especially by a half-demon bastard child even if it is Inu Taisho's blood that runs in his veins."

The General had half risen from his position behind the wolf prince when said youkai had come into such close proximity to his Lord. The only thing that made him pause in removing the threat to his master was the glance from Sesshoumaru that calmly told his soldier to back down. Still feeling pangs of unease over doing so, the dragon regained his position on the pillow, awaiting further instructions from the Taiyoukai.

Well aware that the door to his study was still open and that no doubt passing servants were getting quite a show at their Lord's expense, the dog demon didn't even blink at having an aggressive aura pushed so closely to his own. Even if his youkai instincts were raging on the inside at the potential threat Kouga was giving off, he had more control than to let such things tear apart the iron control he had over himself. He would deal with this as he did with everything else, with calm indifference.

"I see," was his icy reply, amber eyes narrowing a fraction to lock with the furious ones trained upon his own. "I believe then, Lord Kouga, that-"

His reply was cut short by a pair of green eyes taking on a heavy scowl of anger, slitted ebony pupils constricting to the point where they were almost non-existent in their bed of emerald. Lips pulling back in a feral snarl, the wolf prince's aggressive stance became more pronounced, shoulders tensing, long nailed fingers digging into the wood of the table so viciously that divots were permanently etched into its surface. Fangs flashing as a dark spiral of smoky azure began seeping into his irises, he bit out, "You Bastard!" The usual rough nuances of his voice were no more than a guttural growl, his demonic nature rising beneath the vernier of his tight control as the gaze fixed on the stoic Taiyoukai writhed in cobalt splendor.

At this point Ryosuke stood, hand going to the pummel of the weapon at his side, advancing a step with a fierce expression, his own amethyst orbs igniting at the sudden show of a threat towards his master. The only thing that stayed his hand was the hair-raising feeling crawling along his skin as the dog demon's own youkai essence reacted to the other Lord's. Amber eyes now ringed heavily in crimson, making them seem to glow eerily in the flickering flame of the madly wavering candle let the General know that this slight would not be allowed to slide. Still, he would stand ready just in case he was called to intervene...

"I would recommend refraining from any rash action, Lord Kouga," Sesshoumaru hissed in a detached voice, his own tall frame having stiffened at this sudden onslaught of energy dancing about the room.

The incensed demon across from him growled in answer, another cool breeze causing his black bangs to brush his cheeks, the only thing offering any break in the deadly stare trained so intently upon the other demon. "And I, Lord Sesshoumaru," his deep tone turning insulting at the title, disdain marring his features darkly, "want to know why the fuck the scent of my woman is all over you."

The dragon's face showed surprise fleetingly before he molded it back into a semblance of his blank facade, processing this tidbit of information quickly, the hand on his sword tightening as he mulled over what the prince had said.

'So, Lord Sesshoumaru does hold the human girl in high regard. Very intriguing indeed...'

Sesshoumaru was finding it more and more difficult to keep the raging beast within under control. The wolf's accusations and attitude were battering against an already cracked barrier that has seen too many harsh blows within the last few weeks. Nerves long frayed by the continuous task of monitoring the miko, his brother with his entourage, and an overly possessive youkai Lord were making his patience but a memory. He could feel the heated building of the demon inside pacing, growling, preparing for battle. The toxic blood in his veins was gaining in strength, the molecules rubbing against one another to call forth the acidic properties that flowed in his body, nails lengthening to razor sharp points as the magenta stripes on his wrist darkened.

Like most deadly creatures, youkai came in a dazzling array of colors and sizes, a trait seen easily amongst most predators. There was no need not to be painted with the master strokes of nature to show a flamboyant display of hues and shades. When you were a being that had no natural enemy but yourself there wasn't a call to try to blend in to the scenery. Instead, you could be graced with fantastic designs so all others would never mistake you for anything than what you were. A living entity with no equal.

"Express caution for what you are accusing me of, Lord Kouga." Unlike with the ookami, the dog demon kept his speech refined, if lowered in growing anger. His breeding was better than to openly offer insult to another demon of high standing. Even if the one in question sorely deserved it.

A caricature of a grin played across Kouga's full lips that were stretched so thinly across his sharp incisors, the look not fitting his handsome face at all. It didn't reach the crystalline hardness of his eyes, the jaki enveloping him not diminishing at all, instead pushing, pulsating against the Taiyoukai's as though it was two canines circling one another to test their capabilities.

"Give me an answer to my question that won't be seen as a direct over-stepping of boundaries and I will."

This really was one of the biggest webs he had ever gotten himself entangled in, the Taiyoukai mused with shadowed amusement, the connotations of which seemed to confuse his demonic side for a moment. It couldn't understand more complex cognitive thought than the more base emotions handed down by pure instinct, so the sinister inner chuckle resounding through its mind made it falter in its anger.

"Your emotions make you forget yourself, Lord Kouga. If you will recall, you found Kagome with me early this morning before she went to the hot spring." Arching one ivory brow elegantly over his still vermillion rimmed irises, he continued on as though speaking to a very dull witted child. "From what you said before I can but surmise you have met up with her a short time ago, and as far as I could tell you were in the process of disparaging my brother, not myself."

Ryosuke's motionless frame jolted in amazement at what his master was admitting to. From all accounts it seemed as though the miko and he shared a more intimate 'relationship' than he had first thought. In a way, if what the wolf prince was eluding to as true, then he could understand why he would be so upset. Pursuing another youkai's mate was considered an offense that had incited more than one Lord to take up arms against another.

A caustic laugh left Kouga's throat, the sound grating to sensitive ears like nails scraping abrasively over glass. But the enraged expression swimming in his now blue orbs was far from amused. "Do not insult my intelligence by trying to pass off what transpired this morning as being the same as now. You know full well that her scent would have faded after so many hours having passed, not strengthened." Tense fingers digging in deeper into the hapless wood, the motion causing it to creak as though crying out in pain, sounded loudly throughout the eerily quiet room. Even the traffic outside the open door appeared to have halted, the approach of more royal guards easily traveling to all three's ears. It had only been a matter of time before guards would feel the sudden electric shock of their Lord's power rising and come running to see what was going on. "Perhaps I have been looking in the wrong direction when it has come to Kagome. Maybe, I should have been keeping a closer eye on you instead."

A low pitched growl emitted from Sesshoumaru's throat, his own fangs beginning to make an appearance as the wolf refused to back down, the crimson now bleeding further into his eyes, pupils wavering between cobalt and ebony. The wispy bonds holding his demon in check were nearing their breaking point, and it was coming close to where the dog demon wouldn't even try to keep it at bay anymore.

"Step down, Lord Kouga. You are traveling into dangerous territory."

Reckless rage flaring throughout his glowing orbs, he growled with a smirk, "Make me." It was a direct challenge to the other's authority and they all knew it. In fact, because there was more than just the two of them this would not be defused without some sort of physical conflict, something that the Taiyoukai felt was not only a waste of his time, but detrimental to the state of foreign relations to his own providence. Never would he have felt that he, like his father, would be entering into a skirmish over a human female. It was both humbling and annoying.

At that moment a cacophony of many sets of rapidly approaching footsteps sounded outside the door right before soldiers garbed with the magenta uniforms of the Taisho household began filing into the room, encircling the three youkai, a river of shining glaives pointing directly at the wolf prince. Most had no helmets since they were inner palace guards that were stationed within the walls of the stronghold rather than out in the elements, a myriad of sparkling jeweled eyes narrowed with steely purpose, taking in the situation in the dim interior of their master's study.

The two combatants that were facing one another over the desk ignored the new arrivals, completely focused on staring one another down, auras striking upon one another in a silent war, the potency of which caused more than one youkai to shudder.

They were all posed as though a group of actors waiting on stage for the call to be given to begin, each person still, poised in readiness for the order to attack to be given.

Just when it appeared that things would go to hell in seconds, the sharp mint scent of his personal guard entered his olfactory system, a momentary glimpse of amber streaking through his eyes before they went back to red. With so many others close by it was difficult for him to tell if the kitsune was alone or if his charge was with him. This was something the dog youkai would prevent her from seeing at all costs. Knowing her, she would attempt something suicidal, like getting in the middle of this, endangering herself. That could not happen...

Akito, pace quickening without being a jog or a run, strode past the crowded doorway, weaving through the maze of soldiers brandishing deadly instruments of destruction. When he had traversed the halls to retrieve the medicine requested by Kagome he had not expected to come upon this. A frown of puzzlement had flashed across his marked brow when he had felt Kouga's and his master's jaki rising, but having born witness to their disputes before he had not been overly alarmed by it. Every time those two came into contact with one another it sooner or later led to a battle of wills, words being thrown at each other like skillfully wielded weapons.

This was a turn of events he had not expected, and the added presence of the General made his own lips pull down in a frown of displeasure. Once was more than enough to see that particular demon in a day.

Cautiously approaching the two demon Lords, spear held with the tip pointing towards the ceiling to show he was not a threat, he came to a halt at Sesshoumaru's side, iceberg orbs skating between one and the other, not showing his consternation at seeing his master's amber gaze now crimson.

Since it would be considered a breech of etiquette to address a superior first, the arctic fox stood straight in the heavy silence, awaiting to be granted permission to speak. Being this close to the pair of hostile youkai was slithering over his skin, causing it to tighten at the feeling of strong evil aura's clashing amongst one another. It made him long to be back in the calming influence of Kagome and his older sibling.

It came as a surprise when Sesshoumaru finally spoke, his voice not having altered at all even though one could tell he was very close to turning. Never glancing away from his adversary, he asked mildly, "What is it, Akito?"

Bowing from the waist respectfully, he replied in frigid tones, "Lady Kagome requested I retrieve her medicine for her. She believes she left it with you from earlier."

Clenching his jaw at the news, the dog demon inwardly sighed in weariness. The mention of why and where the girl would have left the drug had caused the wolf to become even more agitated, his tail now swishing back and forth sporadically.

"You have my permission to get it, Akito. It should be on the night stand where she left it."

Hesitating on following through with his orders, the fox couldn't prevent himself from enquiring, eyeing the scene warily the entire time, "My Lord, is there naught else I can assist you with right now?"

It felt extremely odd to be asking such mundane things when obviously trouble was brewing right before his very eyes, and even though Kagome may be his charge at the moment, his first concern would always be with his master's welfare.

Chiseled lips lifting on one side in a slight smirk, more fang than usual showing through, Sesshoumaru ordered, "Your top priority at this moment is the miko and her health." Raising his voice so it carried easily, he continued. "As to the rest of you, lower your weapons. Such a show of force is unnecessary."

Reluctantly, deadly blades were moved to point harmlessly towards the sky, the guard's not losing their concentrated air as they stood ready to follow further orders. It did not sit well with most of them to simply stand by with someone right before them showing aggression to their Lord.

Showing his own smirk, Kouga bit out mockingly, "Very confident of you."

"I would suggest you desist from digging yourself deeper into the quandary you have placed yourself, Lord Kouga. Enough has been said for the moment." The ice edging his tone caused more than one subordinate to shiver in respectful fear. The only time any of them had seen the Taiyoukai this angry the perpetrator usually did not live long afterwards.

Azure sparking under the soft glow of the candle, the wolf replied with barely leashed violence, "And I suggest you quit dancing around the subject and answer the damn questions being placed to you."

And it was then, Sesshoumaru realized, that things really began to deteriorate beyond redemption.

Kagome jogged slightly behind the fast moving back of Kiro, a confused frown forking her dark brows together, blue-grey eyes troubled. One instant, they had been talking about how an assassin was trained and what said instruction called for, almost all of the information she needed having been gone through, when the arctic kit had stiffened.

His sky colored orbs had quickly sharpened on the door his brother had recently gone through, a look of concentration gracing his face as if he was trying to pinpoint something. She had kept silent during this time, unsure as to if they were in danger or not. The first thing she had learned while traveling the dangerous countryside was the value of being quiet. An enemy would find it harder to discover your location if you didn't blatantly yell it out.

After the space of a few heartbeats he had gracefully gained his feet, the miko watching in fascination as he glanced over to her, his eyes now turning that cold deep blue she had seen upon first meeting him. That in itself let her know something must be terribly wrong.

Standing not as gracefully as her companion, she had gingerly stepped away from the table towards the door as the assassin moved to her side. "Kiro, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"My Lady, if you would come with me. There is a disturbance in the castle and I cannot leave you alone to go investigate it." He watched her intently, not so much asking but ordering her.

Nodding, black bangs swaying with the movement, she offered him a timid smile. "Of course. Lead the way."

Giving his own brief grin of thanks at her answer, he remained in front of her as he moved, looking both ways down the halls before heading out towards where she was sure Akito and her had come from earlier. "I would ask that you stay behind me, Lady."

Biting her lip as the disquiet within began to grow higher, she questioned softly, "Are we in danger or something, Kiro?"

Glancing at her over his shoulder, the kit tried to give her a reassuring smile, the action foreign to him and coming across as a grimace instead. Comforting was never something he excelled at, which was probably why he was so good at his job. Outward expression was for the younger siblings in their family, not he and his brother. Although, this human brought out more emotion than either one had seen in many years...

"I am sure all is well, Lady Kagome. There is just something I think needs my attention that I had best look in to."

Not feeling the least bit better at what he had said, she continued to follow diligently, inwardly speculating on what could have caused him to suddenly act this way. The only thing she could actively entertain was that there was some sort of conflict going on in the palace and he had picked up on it with his heightened senses. Sniffling a bit as the bout of exercise aggravated her sinuses, her breathing becoming a bit labored at the pace they were traveling, Kagome barely kept notice of where they were going. It wasn't like she could ever really find her way through this maze of a castle anyway. Whoever had designed it must have been either a genius, or a madman...

One thing was for certain, though. The closer they came to what she assumed was their destination the more her stomach was tying itself in knots. Nausea was beginning to settle in, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the sudden exercise mixed with just eating, or if it had to do with something besides her illness. She prayed it wasn't whatever she had turning into the stomach flu as well. That would be just beyond her limits of endurance...

Pressing a hand flat-palmed to her roiling midriff, she panted and slowed a bit, a cold sweat breaking out over her body as they turned a few corners she began to see as familiar to go down a place she knew too well. A deeper frown flew across her expressive features as she recognized the pristine halls of the royal wing where she lived with the other honored youkai of the household.

What in the world could they be doing here?

With a sigh of relief, she saw Kiro beginning to slow down to a walk, his shoulders tensing oddly as he came up to where she knew Sesshoumaru's study to be. She could see a few of the guards that were usually interspersed next to doors inside the keep clustered about the open door, their stances aggressive. Their whole attitudes were screaming with the intent to kill, and it made her even more worried till she was frantic to see what the hell was going on inside.

It had to have something to do with Sesshoumaru, and she didn't like the thought that whatever it was his soldiers would be called to answer the threat. Her insides gave an

unpleasant jolt the nearer she came, the back of her free hand wiping away the light sheen of cool perspiration that had accumulated on her brow.

Kiro had stopped just outside the door, predatory eyes narrowed at whatever it was he saw, the other youkai closer to him moving away to allow their instructor room to pass. She couldn't see past his broad frame, frustration roaring through her as she tried in vain to peak around the kitsune, even going so far as to balance on her tiptoes to try and see over his shoulder.

The demons around her didn't even look in her direction, all their focus trained on whatever it was that was happening inside, making her even more determined to get in there to Sesshoumaru.

Gritting her teeth as her patience spent itself, she ignored the way her stomach continued to flop dangerously, placing a delicate hand on the older fox's shoulder and shoving with more force than was polite. The abrupt contact caused him to stiffen in surprise and falter to the side as he swung his head to look back at the miko, dark blue hair flaring out at the motion.

Not even bothering to apologize, she squeezed through the small hole he had made till she stood directly in front of him, a gasp escaping her parted lips, eyes widening impossibly at what she saw.

There were many more soldiers inside the room, crowding in a semi-circle around the forms of two youkai she knew too well. Kouga was leaning close to Sesshoumaru's face, the Taiyoukai's gaze fixed intently upon him in vermillion fury. The color of his eyes alarmed her even more, for the dog demon to get angry enough to outwardly show it meant that the situation was about to turn bad. Quickly.

A flash of blue alerted her to the presence of Akito, her eyes flying to meet head on with his in startled alarm. The hand pressed to her abdomen increased, trying to make the butterflies that were dancing wildly calm down. It was making her sick trying to contain it, and she couldn't understand why she would suddenly become so ill.

"My Lady," Akito's worried voice caused the others in the room to finally take notice of her, the red eyes of the dog demon now trained unnervingly on her. Such a menacing stare made her want to step away in fear, her heartbeat slamming frantically in her chest as Kouga straightened and spun about to face her and she caught a glimpse of his eyes for the first time. Her shocked gaze couldn't look away from his once handsome face, her scattered mind trying to piece together what she was seeing when all that would get through was, 'Blue...his eyes turn blue when he is upset...'

With the force of all their focus now trained on her it felt like her body had been slammed into by a freight train, the air leaving her lungs in a whoosh as her misbehaving stomach heaved to where she thought she might actually be violently ill in front of them.

Something was wrong...very wrong. Eyes narrowing as she tried to make her vision clear enough to see everything, she began to realize what it was. It had begun to scare her when she had first arrived at the castle and had not been able to pick up any feelings of jaki or evil tidings when amongst the demons. Before she had become ill and returned to the feudal era she had been able to pick up on those things easily, fixing on the locations of demons easily.

However, since stepping foot on Taisho soil she had not once been able to sense any of it. Not even when standing right next to Sesshoumaru. She had figured it had something to do with her being so ill, her senses shutting down somewhat so she could heal properly before using them again. It was the excuse she kept feeding herself when fear on the subject would all but consume her, making her want to scream in frustration at the unknown.

Now, with so much concentrated sinister auras circulating in such a confined space by two powerful youkai it was overloading a system that had not been operating properly for quite some time. It was like taking someone that had been shut in complete darkness for a month and suddenly flinging them back into the blinding light of the sun without any warning.

Staggering a couple of steps forward, she choked out, "What is going on?" Glancing between the two Lords who were now staring at her intently, she asked incoherently, "Sesshoumaru...Kouga..."

Ryosuke watched the proceedings with veiled interest, noticing how when the miko arrived on the scene the entire room seemed to change immediately. Such power she held over them all...he couldn't fathom why.

Shaking her head to clear the fog from her brain, the miko's blue-grey eyes drifted about the crowded room, landing for a few moments in surprise upon the General. His contemplative gaze fixed on her with eerie intensity, making the skin along the nape of her neck tighten in warning, goose bumps appearing on her skin.

The stark reminder of the potential danger Sesshoumaru was in by residing in his own home granted her a moment of clarity, the nausea temporarily stilling as the dragon became the miko's main focus. Coughing behind one hand, the sound unnaturally loud and grating within the confines of the silent chamber, Kagome narrowed eyes full of suspicion tinged with wariness at the seated youkai.

She had not known that the General was back, and it made alarm flare throughout her senses, engulfing them with the protective need to be at the Taiyoukai's side, to offer a buffer against any who would wish him harm. In her brief respite of clarity, before her emotions ran away with her again, before the auras clashing into one another was like ceaseless waves of ice encrusted water beat into her fragile body; she promised that if it took the last breathe of life from her, Kagome would keep any harm from coming to the Lord of the Western Lands.

It was the least she could do as payment for everything Sesshoumaru had given her, even if the presenter wasn't aware of gifting her with a single thing.

The scrape of a boot sliding over planks of wood caused her to turn her head swiftly, the broken contact with the dragon acting as a catalyst to allow the barrage of previous illness and panic to course through her system, disorientating her world into a chaotic swirl of colors and sounds.

Swiping the back of the hand previously covering her mouth across her sweat dampened brow, the miko tried to understand why she could suddenly sense things now which had been beyond her grasp since her return to her own time, and what would bring about the situation of Kouga facing against the Taiyoukai with rage tightening every sinew of his body.

But there was a tell-tell crackle of aggression, of rumbling growls held within inhuman throats, elongated claws tipping hands too refined to be a man's, that made her vision tunnel till there was naught left to see but the two would be combatants so near to one another in an enclosed space.

All thoughts of the note she had received, the conflict with Inu Yasha earlier, even the lack of her powers vanished when she understood that the two demons she cared for had been on the brink of something that was more than a simple argument.

Her unsettled stomach continued to protest at being shoved this close with demonic manifestations that were to the brink of being let loose. It had been different when she had been with Akito. There was no malice, no murderous hatred behind his transformation when he had shown her his true form. Just as their had been no intent to kill behind the demonstration she had witnessed before with Kiro and Daija. With her miko senses having been all but numbed for so long it would have taken a potent mix of violence and evil to bring them back to life in a very painful way.

She almost longed for not having regained it...

Kiro had not come further into the room, his eyes meeting those of his brother over her down-bent head in worry as he silently asked what should be done. It hadn't been his intention to bring her into this kind of environment, and waves of guilt were beginning to assail him.

A second rattling cough accompanied with a violent sneeze caused her to lean forward a bit with the motion, the hacking making her feel as though she would lose what food she had consumed earlier as she took a few steps closer to the hostile demons. It felt as though she was going to pass out for the second time in her short life when their combined energies swarmed over her in a malevolent wave, recognizing it as miko, and therefor a threat to them. Unease traveled amongst the gathered guards, more than a few shifting back from the force of the power swimming in the atmosphere.

Her guard began to come towards her struggling form, apprehension clearly written across his face as he took in how badly the girl was reacting being this close to the two arguing demons. It puzzled him on some level that she hadn't shown any of this when Hiei had grown aggressive in her presence, but now was not the time for speculation. She was standing beside a young soldier that seemed uncomfortable with her proximity, Kouga a few feet in front of her with the other guards having stepped away from her a bit when it looked as though she might be ill. They didn't know how to handle something like this and weren't about to try. Not when what they had seen earlier denoted that this miko held value to their Lord. None of them wanted to be blamed if anything happened to her.

The wolf prince's features smoothed out to one of abject concern at seeing her so out of it. He knew that his eyes had altered, that his inner demon was so close to the surface that he wouldn't be able to pull it back before it considered all threats to have passed. Kouga was set in his mind that Kagome was his mate, would be his mate no matter what. And on some level, the beast inside of him realized this too and wanted nothing more than to snarl, bite and claw at anything he perceived as potentially taking her away from him. However, a feeling of helplessness encompassed him knowing that because of that side of him she wasn't doing so well at the moment.

"Kagome, what are you doing here?" He inwardly winced at the growl that was still liberally sprinkled throughout his speech pattern.

Blue-grey eyes watching him hazily, she said, her voice a bit muffled from speaking around the fist she had over her mouth after her coughing fit, "Kiro said something was wrong..." At the mention of the assassin's name Sesshoumaru looked past her to the kitsune, inwardly enraged that what he had wanted to prevent at all costs had come to pass.

Couldn't they keep her out of anything for once?

Her thoughts were beginning to get disjointed, jumbling into one another as her body steadily worsened until she couldn't possibly think straight. The only thing that kept resounding throughout her mind was that she had to get to Sesshoumaru...something was wrong with Sesshoumaru and she didn't want he or Kouga getting hurt over some stupid argument...men were so stupid...couldn't they solve anything without violence?

When Akito came to her side he attempted to grasp her elbow in an attempt to get her out of there, but she evaded him by stepping unsteadily to the side so that she was in the direct path of the Taiyoukai's continued demonic stare. Frowning at her move, he didn't know whether he should pursue her and make her leave or not.

Kagome searched Sesshoumaru's stoic face, not precisely sure what she was looking for, but she did notice that his skin seemed even whiter, the stripes and crescent moon more pronounced with the turning of his eyes. Another thing that randomly flit through her brain was why her miko powers wouldn't automatically have risen in her defense. Even though she was grateful that she wasn't accidentally purifying all and sundry, she still felt more than uneasy that it had abandoned her so completely.

What was happening to her?!

The rising panic inside caused her to want nothing more than to reach the dog demon's side, smooth away the dangerous shadows playing across his skin, the dim lighting of the room making her almost wildly wish there was more light. Shadows were chased away by the light, right? If there was just more light then maybe everything wouldn't be so dark...so deadly...

She didn't know what she was thinking any more. All she could hold on to without it flying away to be replaced by some other incoherent nonsense was that Sesshoumaru shouldn't be angry. Things couldn't be good if he was mad about something or at someone. She had to make sure he wasn't upset so there would be peace again.

Standing, the dog youkai didn't let his gaze waver from her face as it went through a series of emotions that made absolutely no sense. He could tell she was getting increasingly alarmed, disorientated and out of sorts before his very eyes. She kept clutching at her midriff as though she expected to hold something at bay, scent alternating between the acidic smell of the isopropyl he had smelled in her era to her own scent that was now mingling with fear and apprehension. Sesshoumaru conceded that he had no idea what was wrong with her, but he did know that his feral persona was even more vicious than before at desiring to be released. When it came to the miko, all his protective instincts came to the fore and with his already losing battle on holding onto his control he was having a hard time not removing her himself from whatever was having an adverse effect on her.

"Lady, please, I would ask that you leave," Akito's cool tones cut through her hazy contemplations, her head shaking emphatically at his words as alarm shot through her system. She couldn't let them take her away! Not right now! She needed...she needed...

Frowning she tried to figure out what it was she needed to do besides possibly be ill all over the nice shiny boards of Sesshoumaru's floor. Looking about her almost desperately at all the faces staring at her, she tried to find whatever it was she needed, her purpose for why she had to remain.

Kouga, focusing on the human who seemed so lost before him, put aside what he had been 'talking' about with the Taiyoukai, raising his hands in a pleading gesture. "Please, Kagome, just leave before you make yourself sick. You don't look so well..."

Smirking as best she could, her eyes rested on him for only a moment before they danced over the occupants of the room again, her voice wispy and breathy. "Thanks for the compliment...Kouga-kun."

A movement of ivory caught her attention, her wavering eyes fastening on the Taiyoukai as he moved to stand to the side of his desk, keeping a distance between them since the closer she came to either he or Kouga the worse she became. He could tell his soldiers didn't know what to make of the situation at this point. Some stood watching in morbid fascination at seeing something never before even heard of played out right in front of them, while others eyed the door in longing as though they wished they were anywhere but there. He didn't miss the way Ryosuke took in everything with a calculating gleam to his purple eyes, most of his attention on the miko and no one else. When the dragon had locked orbs with her, in those few split seconds of her finally realizing the scaled youkai was back in residence, the dog demon resolved to make this the singular occasion she would be seeing the General while he was at the palace.

Relief washed through her when she saw that it was Sesshoumaru who she was now looking at. A fiery determination took root in her, and all that kept repeating in her fuddled head was that she had to get to him. He must be the reason she was in here even though she wanted nothing more than to follow Kouga and Akito's urgings to be far away. His fierce vermillion eyes reminded her of blood...the blood she didn't want spilled at any cost. A great sadness enveloped her, eyes watering a bit as she thought of someone hurting him, spilling the blood that was the same color as his glorious eyes till there was no more and he lay lifeless and still for eternity.

A strangled sound let loose from her throat, causing Kouga to stiffen at the injured sound in distress as he reflexively reached forward to forestall her when she began moving forward in an unsteady fast gate. It came as an unpleasant shock that went straight to his heart when she didn't even bother looking in his direction while going right past him towards the demon standing to his side and a little behind him.

It made his clawed hands clench in fury, bright azure eyes burning with such anger they almost seemed to scald as she came to a swaying stop directly in front of the Lord of the Western Lands. He couldn't prevent the growl that left his throat as his inner youkai howled in rage that she would be that close to his newest rival for her affections, the result of which making him turn his head away and a bit down, his eyes to close as he quelled the desire to rip into something.

Sesshoumaru didn't show how surprised and a bit, dare he admit, confused he was at her approach, the way she accomplished it reminding him once more of a drunken butterfly that would soon either fall down or continue on her inebriated way. With her this close he could pick out the stinging scent of the alcohol she used in her medicine pack, his senses heightened when he had felt as though he was prepping for a battle. He was also a bit taken aback that she would come this close to him when it was clear that it caused her great discomfort, her breathing now heavy and choppy, a light sheen of sickly perspiration dotting her sheet white pallor.

Her close proximity made the wilder youkai side of him more than happy, even going so far as to feel extremely smug that she would choose him rather than the wolf that was but a few short steps away. Petty, yes, but satisfying just the same.

Now that she had come to her destination, Kagome was finding it rather difficult to contain the multitude of emotions that were spreading throughout her system that had already suffered too much of an overload as it was. She was mesmerized by the light blue quality of his usually dark pupils, the writhing crimson of his irises that were shades darker than Daija's own brilliant hues. They had no less of an entrancing effect on her though. The miko was certain that she could spend all day staring into them and still never tire of it, even if they were frightening and made goose bumps of tension break out along her flesh.

When she didn't say anything, but stared unblinkingly up at him, he frowned. "Kagome?"

At the first sound of his voice, her name nothing more than a question falling from his lips, she let her eyes slide closed, her body to relax till she began to slump forward into him. True, she was so far gone with being ill that she was sure if she moved too quickly it would result in accidentally being sick all over him. But the girl also felt it imperative that she touch him. Make sure that he was fine, that he wasn't about to do something that would alter her growing perception of him. She had had enough surprises as far as personality changes and youkai in the last two months went.

At the feel of her weight settling heavily against his chest, he quickly put his arm about her lower back, feeling her knees buckle a bit till he had no doubt she would have slid to the floor in a heap if he hadn't done so. Her forehead was resting just a little to the side of where his hakama opened in a V, a fine tremor running throughout her body and the air leaving her lungs in an uneven fashion so her breath ruffled the white silk in random intervals. Had he not been as close to turning as he was, he probably would have been beyond annoyed at having her do this to him, especially in front of such a vast audience. Public displays were definitely not his style, and this would have bordered on embarrassment if he hadn't been so inwardly pleased to have her with him.

Lowering his head towards the crown of her own, a few long strands of his silver tresses sliding forward to drape over his shoulder and trail along her side, he couldn't prevent the start of surprise he gave when one of her hands shot up to touch one of his striped cheeks. Vermillion eyes widening at the touch, her fingertips blindly tracing the exact spot where his magenta marks of his heritage lay as though she had done it for years, he felt the instant effect of the aura synchronization. It caused her spine to stiffen, bowing a bit into him as though it was more than she could handle, her breathing labored at the force of the darker side of his soul mingling with her own pure essence.

He began to pull back from her hand, alarmed that he was somehow harming her, but the gradual steadying of her breathing pattern stopped him. Warmth seeped throughout his body, the heated cells of his blood calming somewhat as she lightly traced his stripes again and again. With their connection he could feel how ill she felt, how overloaded and confused everything appeared to her scattered senses right now. How he was the only anchor she had at the moment and that his unhappiness, his anger was something she wanted to ease away and replace with serenity. It overwhelmed him, caused his once cold heart to clench a moment painfully at how much she had grown attached to him in the small amount of time they had spent together.

Lids lowering partway to shadow his emotions from the others, who he was beyond caring at this moment, he listened to her whispered words closely.

"Don't be angry, Sesshoumaru. Please. I'm sure whatever it is you are upset about right now doesn't call for all this unrest."

Forgoing even looking at his guards, he spoke more harshly than he would have liked, the intimacy of their position making him more protective and less inclined to have the others around. "Leave. All of you but Akito, Kiro and Kouga leave."

Not needing to be told twice, they hastily made their way out of the room, some still a bit shell shocked at what had happened in such a short span of the day. One moment they had been all set to skewer Lord Kouga, and the next they were bowing respectfully while leaving their master with the miko draped over him. It just cemented their beliefs that there never were normal or dull moments in the Taisho household...

The General cast one last speculative gaze to the pair by the window who were interlocked with each other before departing, closing the door behind him. His last smirk, he directed at the glowering eyes of the older kitsune, Kiro, as he walked by.

Now cut off from the rest of the palace, Akito glanced uncertainly at his master and charge, unsure as to why they had been asked to remain and what precisely was going on. Kiro, likewise had come to stand next to his brother, both arctic foxes ignoring the wolf prince who was still refusing to open his eyes or glance their way.

Looking out of the corner of his pearl blue eyes to his sibling, Akito took in the perturbed expression on Kiro's face, the puzzled sheen to his gaze as they rested on his master and the girl he had only met this afternoon. Even though the personal guard had grown used to Kagome's habit of casual touching with his master, he could understand why his brother was having trouble understanding it. Primarily because they had both known Lord Sesshoumaru since he was very young, therefor knowing how he protested this sort of thing vehemently.

As Sesshoumaru's aura began to cycle into a more receptive mode, the violent edge leaving it while still allowing the wilder aspect of his nature to stay close to the surface, Kagome relaxed fully into his lithe frame, sighing heavily as the nausea she had been experiencing diminished to a bearable level. She never stopped running her fingers over his cheek as it seemed to have a soothing effect on him, which in turn smoothed her own frazzled nerves.

With the immediate threat of Kouga challenging his authority having passed, the Taiyoukai languished under her caress, enjoying the feather-light scrape of her nails on his flesh. The insane urge to pur assailed him, and he knew that he would have to do something soon before he made a complete fool of himself in front of his personal guard and assassin.

The sound of their names caused both brothers to come to attention, ready to carry out whatever orders were handed to them.

"Akito, Kiro, inform Cheiro to come to my chambers in about fifteen minutes."

Both bowing, they left to retrieve the healer, wondering at the delay and why it would be his rooms instead of the girl's own that they were directing the cat youkai to.

At their departure, Sesshoumaru unwound his tail from his shoulder to wrap it securely about the semi-limp girl who had seemed to improve as his inner rage calmed under her ministrations. Even though his eyes were still crimson, they had mellowed out into a dark ruby color, the pupils back to being cat-like and black instead of a robin's egg azure. Confident that she was firmly pressed to him and wouldn't fall, he gently lowered them to the floor, being careful that her legs folded neatly beneath her so his knees wouldn't accidentally hit one of her feet. Once they were kneeling, he put his arm under her thighs so that he could sit her across his lap as he found a position on the hard floor that wouldn't disturb him too much. As always, she was pliant, offering no objections to however he maneuvered her, a fact that made him quirk his lips in a semblance of a smile.

He didn't know if he should be offended at her lack of response or reassured at how easily she accepted his touch.

She felt utterly drained. Every muscle in her body ached as though she had undergone a grueling physical training program that had transpired for hours. Now that she no longer had the unsavory desire to lose what food she had eaten, Kagome was content to let the dog demon take the brunt of her weight, comforted at being with him. A distant part of her knew Kouga was still there, angry and sullen at what she had done, who she had gone to. It pained her that he didn't understand her enough to know that she loved him as a friend, and as such had wanted to protect him against the dog demon's formidable rage. There was no way, even with the help of the shikon, that the wolf would have stood a chance against someone of Sesshoumaru's caliber, and she would never have been able to live with herself if she could have prevented it.

It all made her depressed, sad that she had failed another one of her comrades when all she had wanted to do was help. Her voice was dejected and hollow when she said, "I'm sorry, Kouga-kun."

Sesshoumaru watched the other youkai's reaction from beneath the curtain of his bangs, the prince turning his head to look at her engulfed in the other demon's furry tail, held tightly to his body as a clawed hand made random designs on the material covering the exposed portion just above her knee. It made anger and betrayal boil through him that the dog youkai was cradling her in his arm when he so desperately wanted to do the same, but he knew he couldn't outright blame her for it. Whether it was by the aura synchronization of whatever something always drew her to the stoic Taiyoukai.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Kagome." He tried to keep his voice gentle, not as much growling lacing the nuances of his words as he began rebuilding the wall of his control. Yet, he could not stay there and torture himself with watching the girl he wanted so badly to be his mate stay in the lap of another male. Turning away stiffly, he began walking sedately from the room, casting over his shoulder as he got to the door, his palm resting on the hardwood of the frame, "Make sure that doctor takes care of her, Sesshoumaru. I won't have her getting sicker because of negligence," and before a reply could be uttered he was gone, closing the door with a loud 'snap'.

Swallowing was becoming difficult around the lump that had taken residence in her throat at the wolf's words. She hadn't meant to cause him pain. In fact, she had done everything to prevent it, and had ended up making things worse anyway. It was disheartening to say the least. Kagome lived and breathed to aid those close to her, but lately all she seemed able to do was harm them instead.

Sorrow assailed his senses, fierce protectiveness causing his tail to tighten her to him further, his head arching down till he could nuzzle at her ear and cheek as the movement caused her face to raise to his a bit. Her eyes were clenched shut, a pained frown marring her brow as she sniffled a bit in reaction to her thoughts. The nausea had made the cramps come back, but she would gladly settle dealing with those rather than becoming physically ill. There was nothing she hated more than throwing up.

The fingers that were moments before tracing imaginary patterns over her jeans flexed, nails digging into the tough cloth, but not enough to puncture or cause harm to the delicate skin that lay underneath. It was instances such as these that made the loss of his arm acutely felt, and as he remained in this girl's presence that desolation rose up again and again. In battle, he had trained himself to get around his handicap, confident that even with the lack of a limb none could oppose him and come out the victor.

But this one human woman, this fragile miko from the future could infiltrate his defenses with more accuracy than any enemy's blade ever could. Just as the dejected picture she made caught at the strings to his heart he had thought severed long ago beneath the heated spear of hatred his uncle had bred into him, so too did the solid mass pressing into him gentle his wilder nature. As he sat there in the silence of his study with naught but her breathing and heartbeat filling his ears, the frail thread of her mortality ringing throughout his skull like the sands of time slowly seeping away, he finally understood a piece of what his father might have felt. Perhaps, he too had succumbed to forces beyond his iron control, Fate shoving the powerful youkai into something that could not be fully explained or fought against.

Many occasions it had become clear that the Taisho house held great sway in the turn of events that molded Japan. If being able to transport one self into the future through an old well wasn't proof enough then he didn't know what was. Which was still a mystery to him as to why he or his brother could make it through without incident and anyone else save Kagome could not.

While Sesshoumaru's thoughts touched upon one subject after another, Kagome was busy dwelling on the consequences of her actions. It made her want to slip away into a deep sleep, not to be bothered by dreams, nightmares, or having to contemplate why she had felt drawn to a known killer.

The consoling reasoning that she might be saving the prince of the North's life in the end didn't ease her as much as she would have liked. If she distanced herself from those she was seen as close to, wouldn't that offer them some protection? In fact, it could even call forth the assassins even quicker considering they might then view her as ripe for the picking now that her friends were no longer by her side. After all, the note had said not to include anyone save Akito in the late night rendezvous so that had to mean they were well aware of who she usually kept company with. It was another disconcerting sign of how intelligent these unknown enemies were. They not only did their homework, they covered all their bases allowing a small margin for error as well.

Kiro had said that one of the prime lessons an assassin had to learn early was to look beneath the underneath of any situation. Take it from all angles and analyze it, then take it apart piece by piece twice over before reconstructing it again. Which was extremely logical when said murderers sole purpose was to take out high officials that governed large bodies of land. So in the end, her subconscious decision to go to Sesshoumaru might be the saving grace for Kouga's existence, and that idea let her calm down enough to not feel heartbroken. At least, not to the degree of seconds before.

Oh, a stinging reminder riled up in the region of where her heart lay in her ribcage with every breath she took, echoing the already pulsating wound where Inu Yasha's choice had struck home, but she knew she could handle it. What choice did she have but to take it in stride?

With disquieting reminders of the assassins being brought to the forefront of her mind, she clutched at the fine material of the Taiyoukai's clothing with stiff fingers, pressed her cheek a little more firmly to his own. After this night there may never be another time she would be gifted this chance to indulge in his presence, breath in the alluring quality of his scent, rub the texture of her skin upon striped flesh. But it was for these very things that she would risk all, even if someone else in the long run would take her place by his side.

It could very well be that she was only meant for these fleeting moments of happiness and calm. Sitting on the outline of knowing what it was to be able to relax and do normal stuff. Well, as normal as keeping company with demons could be at any rate. But that was beside the point. No, what mattered was who she got to spend her days with, not what. Come this time on the morrow she may very well be traipsing to her own death, or finally solving the mortal puzzle that Sesshoumaru had become ensnared in, and she would regret nothing because of it.

Kagome decided it was time that she finally did something for herself. Not for the benefit of others, pushing aside her own wants so those surrounding her could be happy and blissful. The possibility of impending death had a way of freeing one of their inhibitions and insecurities so that they might reach out and grasp that seeming unobtainable prize of well-being they had lacked all these years.

Didn't knowing that she was laying down her life for the youkai she was currently residing on give her a clue as to how much she had grown to care for him?

Being thus was simply the miko's way. Upon meeting someone and getting to know them she either loved them, or disliked them. She couldn't' very well say she hated them, since Naraku was probably the only creature in existence who could make her feel that, but she did fall into her emotions full-fledged, which was what had gotten her into the mess with Inu Yasha. What was even more perplexing was, after meeting Kiro and talking with him she was faced with the distinct possibility that those who had attempted to end Sesshoumaru's could very well be just like the kit. Having his own family and reasons for doing his job.

One thing was certain. After this, if she ever made it back to her own time era in the not too distant future, these interludes with the youkai of the Taisho palace had altered her perception of how she saw the world. And yes, she would even go so far to say that she had matured more than when first discovering the prone figure of a dog demon at the bottom of her well.

Now, if she could just survive long enough to put use to these new realizations...

Meanwhile, the Taiyoukai she was thinking so hard about was wondering why, now that she was with him, the miko had gone so quiet. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but neither did it clue him in to why precisely she had acted as she had.

Shifting to relieve the pressure on one of his legs, he rested his cheekbone near her temple, warm breath rustling the bangs there as he spoke.

"Are you feeling any better?"

A wordless nod was his only answer, besides her fingers finally ceasing their movement to now lay docilely low on his chin.

Not liking her lack of verbal response, he gazed down at her as best he could from his vantage point, barely making out the outline of her neck that was exposed from her hair laying to the side and her collar gaping a bit.

"Do not let the wolf's words affect you too much, girl. His breed is such that their emotions rule them strongly, giving them a lack of caution that results in their tempers and words running away with them."

He almost couldn't reconcile himself with the fact that he was going out of his way to offer solace to Kagome. Key word being almost.

Really, it didn't come as a huge revelation. Not with how he had kissed her earlier, slept next to her during the night with his body shielding her own. Each occurrence showed a scene of caring, of growing affection between two beings who made the most unlikely pair imaginable.

Lifting her lips in a small grin, she let her other arm wrap around what portion of him she could reach, hugging him tightly. "It's alright, Sesshoumaru. I know Kouga couldn't help the things he said no more than you can keep your patience when around your half brother. But thanks for saying so anyway."

Gentle gratitude filtered through to him, the reverberations of which twined about his heart and nature, making both filled in bittersweet fondness.

Again, she put others before herself. Was it so hard for her to accept comfort from another without worrying that some other creature might need it more?

Of course not. Asking the miko to put personal needs before anyone of her acquaintance would seem beyond her. By her very unselfishness, the girl made it possible for others around her to indulge in their own without any regret, to the point of the declination of her health.

Sighing heavily, the heavy scent of the rubbing alcohol and vanilla wafted into his nostrils, the tense muscles along her back which were supported by his arm letting him know her cramps were probably back.

Nudging her forward till she slid to rest on the floor between his legs, he repeated the actions of the other night, cracking his knuckles and drawing forth the heat into his palm. Tracing her spine through the shirt she wore with two fingers, the caress inciting a stray shiver to the female, he felt the edge of the soft material and deftly slipped his hand beneath it. The contact of her warm smooth skin against his own filled him with contentment, his continuous stroking relaxing the tightly drawn area.

In the ambient illumination of a single flame, the fragrant aroma of Fall spreading over the Western Japanese countryside filling the air, two beings stayed intimately close to one another in a silent comradery reserved strictly for lovers. As the shadows deepened the chamber so the sunlight coming through darkened to resemble that of the youkai cradling the human, a fleeting thought passed through her mind.

'For this one instance, I would gladly stake my life to keep this creature alive and well. This makes it all worth it.'


	43. Peaceful Warrior

"To put is bluntly, My Lord, the human is completely exhausted. Between her illness, exertion from traipsing about the palace, and apparent emotional upheaval the girl has entertained since taking residence here it is no wonder she in the current state she is in."

Silence hung heavily between master and servant as Cheiro straightened from her position of leaning over the prone figure encased within the vast confines of the Taiyoukai's bed. Turning level pink eyes to the dog demon, she clasped clawed hands before her, settling them against her waist, waiting for his reaction.

When she had been summoned from her quarters by the kitsune siblings, the cat youkai knew instantly it must have something to do with Lord Sesshoumaru's 'guest'. There would be no other reason Akito would have strayed from the miko's side unless either his older brother or the Lord of the castle himself was with her. Her master held this female in as high regard as he did Lady Rin, both of which were apparently not allowed out of careful vigil in case harm might come their way.

My, but blood was certainly telling in this new generation of dog demon...

Forgoing the healer's gaze to train his own on Kagome's form barely visible beneath the white comforter covering her from chin to well past her toes, he took in how wan her complexion was. Within moments of his soothing ministrations to the girl's back, he had listened to her breathing turn even and light, denoting to the fact that she had fallen asleep against him. For once it hadn't annoyed him how she had used him to rest on, knowing that today there had probably been recent stressful events which would have overloaded a normal being on a good day. And this particular human had definitely not seen any of those in quite a while.

"What do you recommend, Cheiro?"

Sighing, she glanced over to her patient, sympathy interplaying upon her features. "Unfortunately I have exhausted my own resources on attempting to find a cure or even an aide in dealing with the Lady's illness. The medicines I was allowed to analyze from her own land helped, but there were so many components I was not familiar with that I am afraid even that is useless." Focusing on her master again, lips thinned out into a taut line as he finally stared at her, she replied in a soft voice, "In short, My Lord, I do not know what else to do for her."

Sesshoumaru's jaw tightened, the muscle along his mandible flexing in impotent rage. It was an unwelcome feeling, helplessness. One he hadn't partaken in since his uncle, Aion, saw fit to instruct him on how low he could debase a Taiyoukai's son.

Yet all those long years ago he had still been facing a corporal opponent. The very real presence of his uncle could not be forgotten, whether it was felt through a foot placed upon the base of a spine, or the sharp sting of venomous claws penetrating skin. By the very grace of his blood was Sesshoumaru able to survive most of those 'training exercises'. If he had been any other youkai the poison injected into his system at a regular basis would have taken its toll and obliterated him from the inside out. Much as the snake youkai's attempts, but with much deadlier results. Which was saying some with how close to death he had come this last time.

"Has her condition worsened?"

Shaking her head emphatically, her braid swaying about her hips, the healer tried to offer her tense liege at least some relief.

"Not in the literal sense, My Lord. Perhaps she overdid it today, but I do not believe any irreparable damage has occurred."

Willfully making his jaw loosen from its tense state, the Taiyoukai veiled amber orbs glowing slightly in the shadowed chamber, not desiring his servant to see how upset he was. He supposed it was something if the girl hadn't managed to work herself into an even deeper hole than previous. Knowing her penchant for mischief he was silently grateful she had missed this opportunity to delve deeper into the depleted dregs of her failing luck.

The candles lit liberally throughout the bedroom swayed with the minute breeze which managed to infiltrate the slight opening where the window hanging and sill didn't quite meet at the bottom, illumination dancing sporadically over the two youkai's features. Kagome, unaware of her surroundings, released her arms from the blanket to roll away from them, her hands clasping Sesshoumaru's pillow tightly, drawing it to her face. After rubbing her feet against one another a few times the girl quieted down once more till naught but her semi-loud breathing remained.

Taking note of the uneven sound, Cheiro indicated the large metal instrument in the far corner with one clawed hand.

"If it would please you, My Lord, I could always set up the boiling herbs for the Lady in here. It might ease her breathing and permit her abused lungs a rest after their abuse from earlier."

Grimacing, he inwardly warred with whether he should say yes or no. On one hand the smell would irritate his own system from their pungent and overpowering aroma, but if it ended up aiding the girl in the end...

Which caused another thought to take precedence in his mind. Had the repeated administration of the boiled herbs actually produced a viable result? For some reason there was a nagging at the back of his brain...as though he was missing something vital or overlooking a glaringly obvious clue to a huge puzzle.

But now was not the time for self analyzing or sifting through things that held no importance for the current situation. Right now he had to come to the decision of whether or not Cheiro was to incorporate what she had to further the miko's healing process.

With a resigned sigh, his hand moving in an uncharacteristic sign of weariness to brush through his bangs, he nodded sharply once, his voice laced in commanding ice.

"Fine. Since it does not look as though she will be moved soon you can bring in the necessary implements and utilize them."

Bowing her head, the neko youkai said calmly, "As you say, My Lord. If I have your leave I will go to gather what I need and return as soon as possible."

With a negligent wave of his hand as dismissal, she wasted no time in departing from her master's personal quarters, making sure to close the door quietly, nodding to Akito in greeting before hurrying on her way.

Faced with the repetitive scenario of being alone with the miko, Sesshoumaru watched her snuggle against his side of the bed, smirking in self derisive amusement that he had actually labeled his own furniture in terms of being shared.

Since when had he viewed his own damn bed as having 'sides'? The entire thing was his, damn it.

Letting the irritation seep away, the Taiyoukai moved towards the offending piece of wood with its soft covering, quelling the urge to glare at the thing as though it had betrayed him in some way.

Really, why wouldn't the bed be any different from his own servants and mount? If fearsome youkai couldn't resist bowing to her wishes then of course this would have not had a chance.

His foot making contact with something solid, a scraping sound reverberating throughout the silent room causing him to look down with one arched brow, made him smirk again. Now even her footwear was getting in his way.

Pushing the shoes out of the way and under the bed with the toe of one black clad foot, he made sure they were well hidden before taking the last few paces to the edge of the mattress. Unwinding his tail from his shoulder, the fabric beneath which was slightly wrinkled from bearing the weight of the appendage all day, he sat delicately on the duvet, taking extra care not to jostle the girl laying in it.

Moving her from his study to here had not presented a problem since Kami knew he had transported himself and the human enough times within the last few days to become adept at it. He even managed to ignore the speculative looks he got from a few guards that happened to be milling through the halls, the arrogant tilt of his head and icy glare stopping any smirks or comments before they were even manifested.

If they found it irregular to see their master walking through his palace with a human cradled against his chest then they knew better than to act as though they did.

Draping the weighty length of his tail onto the bed and across her legs, Sesshoumaru ran over the orders he would have to hand out to his personal guard regarding the rest of this evening and tomorrow. Since the human couldn't be trusted not to push herself beyond her endurance he figured it was his duty to make sure she took the time to rest and recuperate. Kagome might not like it, but from tonight onward he would be authorizing whether or not she would be leaving her bed, or his as it were, until he deemed her healthy enough.

A spark of anticipation made his lips lift in a small grin, amber eyes glowing at the idea of sparring with the human. No doubt having her freedom curtailed would result in much protesting from the little miko, but in the end his word was law inside the walls of this castle. It did not matter if she desired to gainsay him in this. She would listen this time.

He completely ignored all the other instances he had given her orders and had to have one of them followed.

Why had he taken her into his own chambers rather than place her inside the ones given her? For simple reason that, as was the trend between them, sooner or later she would end up here anyway, so why even pretend to get around it. The girl had an uncanny knack of finding herself a spot beside him each night, and after it happening so often he was loath to even try to keep her at a distance. It wasn't possible any more.

Not to mention that he acknowledged he felt she was safer right with him rather than having others watch her. It made the hand he had resting on the pristine surface of his coverlet tighten, nails digging dangerously into the fabric at recalling the words of the General concerning the girl, and the look passed between the miko and dragon moments later.

Brought from his revery by the female entertaining his thoughts turning back towards him, the dog demon noticed that she was still wearing her clothes that were not necessarily meant to sleep in as the white comforter moved down to her midriff from her motions. Sighing, he knew he would have to waken her enough to change, knowing that besides the fact of those garments looking uncomfortable to sleep in, he also didn't want the abrasive cloth of her pants rubbing against his own skin all night long.

He would have to ask Akito to retrieve something from her personal belongings that would be comfortable, and then wake her up enough so she could change into them. Tilting his head a bit to the side in consideration, eyes softening as they rested on the slumbering miko, Sesshoumaru decided no harm would be done waiting till after Cheiro had finished with her medicinal set-up before rousing the girl.

As if he had silently summoned her, he smelled the scent of the healer at his door scant seconds before a light knock was accompanied by her request to enter. Not bothering to move from his spot on the bed, he gave her permission, watching the cat youkai's eyes as she entered to see her master seated beside her patient. It made him grumble in annoyance on the inside how she didn't even seem phased by it.

Had he become so predictable where this human was concerned that even his own staff didn't find it abnormal that he stay so close to one?

Lifting laden arms full of a cauldron whose lid had holes in it and a series of herbs tied to a string laying across her forearm, she gestured towards the brazier.

"It will take but a moment, My Lord, and then the vapor should begin to work."

Watching the cat youkai advance to the already lit object, he made sure to take note mentally of everything she did on the off chance something needed to be replenished during the night. He wasn't about to wake up the keep if the water boiled down or a certain plant was needed to make it work properly.

"Thank you, Cheiro. Once you have finished please inform Akito on your way out that I would have a word with him."

Nodding while pouring water into the heating metal of the cauldron from the earthen pitcher on a stand close by, the neko efficiently measured out and tore pieces from the line of dried botany, keeping a close eye on everything till she was satisfied with the results.

Finished, she brushed her hands against one another over the open top of the pot, removing any last traces of the herbs from her palms. Placing the heavy lid on the simmering water, she turned to regard the Taiyoukai, bowing with hands clasped much like before.

"If there is naught else you need of me, My Lord, I will take my leave and have Akito attend you."

"No, Cheiro, you are free to go."

Straightening, the cat youkai paused long enough after opening the door to quietly inform the arctic kitsune standing guard to go inside before leaving. As soon as the healer's back was out of sight the doorway was filled with the form of his personal guard, the kit's eyes immediately darting to his charge ensconced in the bed. He didn't even take his iridescent gaze from the girl to see that he closed the door, going by blind feel to make sure it was shut before moving to stand a few feet before his Lord, bowing at the waist as he did.

"You summoned me, My Lord?"

Motioning for the guard to rise, Sesshoumaru captured Akito's icy stare with his own, putting the will of his words behind his amber eyes, transmitting the importance of his orders to the youkai./

"Yes, Akito. I am giving you new orders regarding your charge."

Arching his own brow at the mention of the girl laying behind his master, he waited expectantly.

"As you saw today, the girl's health has not improved at the rate in which I had hoped it would. It has also not escaped my notice how she seems to elude your every effort to keep her at a sedate pace, ascertaining that she doesn't overexert herself while milling throughout my castle." Sesshoumaru knew his tone had a bit of an edge to it, belying the mild anger he felt at the images his own words had brought to his attention. Akito, for his part, seemed to stand straighter, his shoulders tense and eyes narrowing a fraction. "Do not mistake that I am blaming you in any way for how she acted today, Akito. However, I realize that watching the miko is precisely what everyone does around here. Watch."

Chiseled lips thinning in displeasure, the kitsune felt a stab of guilt at his master's words. It was true, none of them ever seemed to make the human do anything, but rather stepped aside helplessly, watching her do whatever she wanted without keeping her from it.

"Forgive my ineptness, My Lord. In future, it shall not happen again." His bowed head and humble words held truth in them, enough so that the Taiyoukai knew the days of Kagome doing as she pleased in the palace were at an end.

The illumination of the candles danced in soft reverence across the hair and features of the two youkai, making their eyes resemble living jewels, their faces even more like alabaster perfection than before as they faced one another.

"It is of no consequence now, Akito. However, from this day onward I am ordering you to keep the girl confined to bed rest until I deem her fit to get up." He allowed a short pause before continuing in a soft deadly voice which commanded instant obedience. "Do I make myself clear?"

Meeting his liege's serious orbs, the kitsune inclined his head sharply, his pearly bangs swaying upon his cheekbones, the hand about the spear tightening. "Perfectly, My Lord."

Eying his servant for a moment, the Taiyoukai was assured that his command would be followed this time and proceed to the next issue at hand, the first trace scents of Cheiro's herbs stinging his nostrils a bit, causing them to flare and his sinuses to throb subtly.

Oh yes, tonight would be just lovely...

"Secondly, I need you to retrieve sleeping attire for the miko since she will need to change before going back to sleep."

Glancing towards the female in question, Akito's eyes softened at seeing her sleeping somewhat peacefully, her ponytail having loosened enough to lay upon the base of her skull. Nodding, he met his Lord's unwavering gaze, saying in his frigid voice, "As you wish, My Lord. Would you like those items now?"

At the dog demons hushed affirmative, he bowed out of the room to quickly make his way to Kagome's own bedroom, walking right in without any hesitation once he got there. Seeing easily inside the dark chamber, he spotted a haphazard pile of her clean laundry on the bed, making quick work of sifting through the contents until he had a pair of black and red plaid bottoms, a long sleeved red top made of a thin but insulated material, and finally the first pair of undergarments he came across. The intimacy of the last item made him avert opalescent orbs, covering them with the shirt so they were not visible to anyone else as he left to head back to his master's rooms. He wasn't about to think on how personal it was for him to pick out a set of undergarments for a female, let alone one he knew so well.

Grimacing in thought, he turned to backtrack the way he had just come, once more entering her rooms to search for what had made him come back. Smiling slightly in triumph when he spotted the large yellow backpack at the foot of her bed on the cold floor, the arctic kitsune adeptly flipped the pliable flap open. Setting the clothing on the corner of the mattress, he kept his spear in one hand, tilting it deftly as his free palm disappeared inside the pack. Fingertips brushing a series of unfamiliar objects, he frowned a bit in concentration until he came into contact with what he has seeking. Smirking, he withdrew from the opening to hold up medium-sized white plastic container which Kagome always used whenever she bathed, saying it had all her 'essentials' in it.

Closing the bag up once more, he placed the container on top of the clothes before hefting all of his burden in one arm and departing the miko's quarters for his master's.

Having left the door open when he had quit the royal chambers before, Akito walked right through the door, knowing his master would allow considering what his errand had been. Bowing, he proffered his findings to his Lord, dropping his arm to his side with military precision once the Taiyoukai had relieved him of his burden.

Settling the objects on his lap, Sesshoumaru waved the personal guard away with a last order. "That will be all, Akito. There is no need to stand guard tonight. Inform Sora and report back to me in the morning when I request your presence again upon the miko's waking."

"Very good, My Lord," he answered evenly, bowing one last time before leaving his master and charge to themselves, closing the door behind him without a backward glance.

Turning his body in profile, the dog demon regarded the slumbering woman in his bed a few minutes, tracing her features carefully, ears attuned to the steady rhythm of her heart. Shaking his head to dispel his momentary intensity, he reached over to clasp her shoulder lightly, the fragile feel of her paper thin skin and delicate bones causing him to lighten the pressure of his palm as though he was afraid if he applied too much he would shatter her.

Nudging her softly, he called, "Wake up, girl. If you are going to be staying the night again you need to change out of your abominable attire."

Breathe hitching an instant before bleary blue-grey eyes blinked open, narrowing against the light from the candles on the night stand, the girl half sat up, rubbing hand over her forehead. The action caused his hand to slide away till it rested beside her hip, his arm now seeming like a type of cage over her.

Coughing shallowly, she covered her mouth till it passed and she was able to open her eyes fully, focusing on the stoic face of Sesshoumaru staring at her with his usual blank mask. Swallowing painfully, Kagome sat up the rest of the way, leaning back against the cool surface of his headboard, a chill going up her spine at the sudden contact that was degrees colder than the blankets.

"Sesshoumaru?" she croaked, dropping her hands to her lap, glancing about a bit dazedly before letting her confused gaze speak for itself.

Arching a silvery brow, he intoned flatly, "You fell asleep on me again, human. Since it didn't seem that I could count on my own guard to take care of you, and Kami knowing you can't be trusted to do so yourself, I have deemed it prudent to place you in here."

A frown had taken residence on her features during the middle of his explanation, a spark of her usual defiance shading the eyes now narrowed on his own. "Did you just insult me?"

Resisting the urge to roll his own amber orbs, he instead moved back to give her enough room for when he would tell her to get up.

"As sharp as always, I see," came the chiding comment he couldn't resist before he unceremoniously dumped her items from his lap to hers, smirking as it made her draw her hands away sharply so they wouldn't be covered. "Now, girl, you are going to take those things into the bathroom with you and get ready for bed. Once you are finished you will come back in here, lay down in this bed and not get out of it till I am positive doing so won't result in more embarrassing outbursts of disruptions on my day."

Gaping like a fish at the arrogant youkai, Kagome tried to wrap her mind around the fact that not only was Sesshoumaru telling her she wasn't to get out of bed till he decided, but that it was also his damn bed she was confined to. What did she look like, some dim-witted child who couldn't even take care of herself?!

Indignation made color run high on her cheeks, her movements to be jerky and violent when she picked up the clothes and shower kit in one harm while flinging the covers back with the other. Kicking her legs free, she gritted her teeth, resisting the desire to growl at his stoic facade, and got out of the warm bed to let her feet make contact with the frigid floor.

Putting her nose into the air at a defiant angle, she stomped by him, yelling over her shoulder on the way to the bathroom, "Don't think you aren't going to get it once I am done! You're just lucky I hate sleeping in jeans otherwise I would purify your arrogant youkai butt from here to Christmas!"

Of course, her little threatening speech was ruined by the fact that she managed to stub her toe on the edge of the low table while her attention was diverted to him, and it didn't help matters that the amused smirk playing over his features let her know that the hopping gate and cursing did nothing but give the Taiyoukai some cheap entertainment.

Fed up with the whole thing, Kagome slammed the door to the archaic bathroom, a bit mollified when the frame shook from the force of it.

If only Sesshoumaru had been standing close to the damn thing when she had slung it closed. His perfect nose being smashed would have helped her feel better.

Still mumbling curses at the offensive dog demon under her breathe, she wrenched her clothing off, tossing it about carelessly to land where it wanted, not even wondering how whoever had grabbed her things knew to get the shower kti as well so she could brush her teeth and take care of everything else. Yanking on her pants, she thrust her hair from her face with two hands, holding the inky tresses back for a moment with tense hands before removing the scrunchie, a few tugs later yielding the tangled piece of cloth from her head.

Now even more annoyed after those sharp tugs on her scalp, the miko brushed her teeth as quickly as possible, anxious to get back out there to give Sesshoumaru a piece of her mind on the subject of his high-handed way of ordering her about.

Toiletries completed, she opened the door with a fraction of the force used to close it to begin with, bare feet padding hastily across the floor in order to bring their owner to the haven of warm blankets and mattress. Still not making eye contact with him, she scrambled back into her previous spot in the bed, drawing the heavy blanket to lie under her arms, unconsciously snuggling her legs deeper beneath the tail casually lain atop the duvet before finally glaring into the amused youkai's amber eyes.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Kagome bit out, blue-grey eyes flashing a warning, "Now, explain to me again what makes you think you have the right to order me to stay in your bed until you deem it fit for me to leave?"

Unfazed by her show of ill temper, Sesshoumaru calmly smoothed a random wrinkle of the edge of the blanket near her shoulder before replying deadpan, "Because I can."

Infuriated, one ebony eyebrow twitched a few times, her teeth gnashing once more at the complete arrogance of the demon.

Sesshoumaru took in how irrate the girl was getting, inwardly smirking to his heart's content at how riled she got over such simple things. What must it be like to be ruled by one's emotions so easily? A veritable hell he would imagine.

Inhaling deeply a few times in the hopes that it would cool the embers of her blazing temper, Kagome tried, in a choked, but placid tone, "You are mistaken, Sesshoumaru. When it comes to the direct running of your household and the safety of your subjects then yes, I admit, your word is law. However," and at this point she was fast losing her control and quickly letting her voice escalate to a berating semi-yell, made all the more interesting by her sore throat and stuffed up nasal passages, "that does not give you the right to tell me I can and cannot get up!"

Unable to contain his smirk any longer, the Taiyoukai scoffed openly at her, his eyes conveying mild disbelief.

"Do not presume to think that every action you do in this palace is not with my approval, girl. It is by my grace alone that you aren't out in the elements right now, dying from whatever cursed sickness you manage to pick up along the way."

Throwing her hands up in exasperation, Kagome looked to the vaulted cream ceiling as though pleading for guidance. "Kami help me deal with stubborn Taiyoukais and arrogant demons!" Glancing back towards him, she pointed towards his chest, still glowering in her most fearsome way, which was not that fearsome at all. "Now you listen here, Sesshoumaru! You can't make me stay here all the damn time. What if Inu Yasha or someone else wants to see me? What, am I supposed to hold a teaparty on your bed?"

Disregarding her theatrics, he gave a meaningful look to the offensive digit pointing towards the region of his heart. "If your friends wish to see you then they will simply have to come here, though their time will be limited so you might actually acquire rest for a change."

"What?! I can't believe you!" Flopping back on the pillows with a growl, Kagome pushed her hands through the hair at her temples as though she would rather pull out the dark strands than comb through them. Sneezing uncomfortably, made all the more difficult because she was now on her back, she didn't miss how doing so was not unnoticed by the dog demon's sharp eyes.

Damn the insufferable creature! His high-handedness was completely uncalled for. She couldn't be confined to a bed now, not when there was so much she had yet to do and the meeting tomorrow. Granted, when he had been detained in her era she had kept him in her bed, but that was different. He had run the real risk of perhaps dying from his injuries if they had grown worse, whereas she had but a simple cold.

Fabulous! Even she was almost convinced of the lies she was spinning for herself as far as her health was concerned.

However, his next words totally defused her ire until she felt almost guilty at having got angered in the first place.

"Can you not see that I am simply taking care of you?" Catching the softening of her gaze, he pressed on, shamelessly manipulating her into doing as he wished. Sesshoumaru didn't care what he had to do as long as she finally took some time to get healthy again, even if it meant using her own emotions to his advantage. It wasn't like he was abusing her trust, just assuring himself she would be taken care of. "Kagome, you will still be allowed to go to the hot springs and bathe, but for the time being you will have to stay here until a few nights of your medication, eating and sleeping properly has put you back on the road to recovery."

Sighing heavily, she relaxed fully on the mattress, letting her arms once more lay docilely at her sides, fingers plucking at the fabric under them. Now that her anger was dissipating she felt exhausted again, drained with fatigue.

Searching his seeming sincere expression, the glowing eyes and gentle slope of his mouth, the miko could not find it in herself to continue arguing with him. After all, he had said she could continue to go to the hot spring, and since that was her main mode of escaping her guard tomorrow so she might make the meeting, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to humor the Taiyoukai. Besides, this could be the last time she would be with the dog demon at night. A thought which made her eyes turn sorrowful and yearning, though she did not know this.

Gaze narrowing at her sudden mood change, he tried to ignore how the bubbling water with its multitude of dried plants were playing hell on his olfactory system. At this rate he wouldn't be able to even smell anything for a day after spending an entire evening with their cloying presence.

Reaching forward, she clasped the clawed hand which lay by her hip, moving it to lay on her stomach where she could interlace her fingers through his own longer ones, tracing the sharpened tips with the fingertips of her other hand. Happy that he permitted the contact, she said quietly, "Alright, Sesshoumaru. I'll do as you want, but only till I get better," the last she added in a chiding tone to let him know she was only humoring him.

Satisfied with the girl's compliance and feeling particularly serene at having direct skin on skin contact with her, he replied in nuances to match her own, "Thank you, Kagome."

Surprise briefly lit her eyes before she chuckled, the sound deeper than normal, her fingers now holding up her own to his to see the size difference.

"You know, why do I get the feeling that you expressing any type of gratitude is a foreign concept for such a self sufficient youkai?"

Joining in her light banter, he glowered at her, flashing a bit of fang in warning as he looked down his nose at her. "Do you dare mock this Sesshoumaru, girl?"

Putting on her most fake serious face she could, she quipped, "Of course not. I wouldn't dare! Why, if I did I bet you would do something horrible to me like making me scrub that lovely courtyard of yours with a toothbrush."

Arching a silvery brow, he enquired mildly, "Toothbrush?"

Laughing self-consciously, releasing him to wave a hand, Kagome felt a light blush color her cheeks. "Never mind, Sesshoumaru. I'll tell you what it is later."

"Ah," was all he said, glad to know that just by being with the miko his sense of smell wasn't giving him near the headache it should, not when he could be distracted so pleasantly.

Enjoying the laid back atmosphere between them, Kagome felt it safe to broach something which had been nagging at her since was woken. Biting at her lower lip, a sign he instantly recognized as her being nervous about something, she asked in a faltering voice, "Sesshoumaru, I wanted to talk to you about what happened in your study earlier, when Kouga was there."

Eyes flashing cold at the wolf's name, he felt his shoulders tense. "What is it you wish to know?"

Sniffling a bit, she peered up at him with inquisitive large eyes. "Well, I know that when I got there it looked as though you two were about to tear each other apart, and I wanted to know why that was."

"The Prince of the North is nothing if not passionate. When he felt that I had trespassed on his 'territory' in regards to you he couldn't keep himself from lashing out in anger."

That made her stomach tighten in guilt, her heart to constrict as though a fist was closing about its battered form. Dropping her gaze to rest on the ivory front of his hakama to where it parted in a V to show his chest, all she could offer was a quiet, "Oh," in response.

Seeing the dejected picture she made, he attempted to distract her from disturbing thoughts regarding the ookami. Flicking the tip of his tail to brush the back of the hand tracing imaginary lines on the back of his hand, he asked his own question.

"Why did you become so ill once coming into my study? You have been around angry youkai in this keep before, yet had not shown such a reaction."

Frowning in thought, she once more began gnawing at her lip, the poor piece of flesh turning bright red, not liking the attention it was getting at all.

If she continued doing that he was going to have to make her quit...

A great exaltation of air left her body, making her chest rise and fall visibly. "I don't rightly know. Before, it was like I was numb, I couldn't detect anything at all. It felt like I had this huge cocoon wrapped about my sense which did not let any wisp of jaki or yoki filter through." Raising her worried eyes to meet his, she went on in a voice filled with trepidation. "And then before that there was the whole thing where my miko powers are failing. Sesshoumaru, why would I now be able to feel the auras of demons again at an almost painfully heightened rate and have my spiritual powers diminishing?"

At the fright clearly reflected in her pretty face, he couldn't prevent himself from clasping her fingers in his own, offering reassurance to a question he had no answer for.

"I cannot claim to know the why's of what is going on with your body, Kagome, but I can safely say that I have Cheiro doing everything within her power to figure out what is causing this." He thought it prudent not to add that thus far the cat youkai had come up with basically nothing, and had exhausted every avenue till there was naught else she could do. The girl was frantic enough without adding that to her problems.

Feeling a fraction better than before, Kagome nodded, yawning widely without bothering to hide it behind her hand, which was too busy playing with Sesshoumaru's anyway. She appreciated the fact that the Taiyoukai was using whatever means he could to find the answer to her problems.

Although, really was there any use in even worrying about those things considering that after tomorrow night she may not have need to do so any further?

That idea did nothing but make her feel desperate again, as though her time was limited and thus she should make the most of it. Heart accelerating in alarm, she hugged the dog demon's hand to herself, gripping it as though it was her favorite stuffed animal used to chase away night terrors.

Puzzled to her odd behavior, but fast becoming used to her mood swings, he let her take his arm where she wanted, not bothered in the least of her clinging. Truthfully, the hour was growing late, and the bed was looking more and more inviting as he sat on it. But first, her medicine.

Indicating the bottle of water and pills that were still in their spot on the headboard with a motion of his skull, he drew her attention to it. "I believe you should take your medication and the both of us should get some sleep, Kagome."

Nodding, she sat up, letting go of his hand after one final stroke to its back, too emotional to look directly at him. Concentrating on taking her pill, she shook out the prescribed dosage with practiced ease, thanking him when he handed her the closed bottle, from which she quickly unscrewed and drank from before replacing the cap. Lying back down on the bed, listening to him put the bottle back, the way the mattress elevated slightly as his weight alighted from it, Kagome tensed a bit. This would be the first time she had lain down with the Taiyoukai when the both of them were awake, an intimacy which made it seem more personal than all times previous.

Closing eyes shadowed with nervousness, she moved her hair out from under her to lie over the top of her pillow, out her way and his where he wouldn't accidentally roll on it or become entangled in the middle of the night. From behind her eyelids she could see the outer lights dim from the blowing out of candles, the soft rustle of clothing as Sesshoumaru changed for the evening before walking over to slide in next to her.

She tried to control her breathing to make it even, calm the fast beat of her heart as the warmth of his nearness immediately transferred to her back, the muscles along which were filled with tension. Kagome couldn't tell if it was fear, anticipation or plain nervousness that caused these reactions.

A slight start of surprise went through her frame when she felt his arm snake over her waist, the silken length of his tail coil about her legs to draw her back into him. At the solid feel of his bare chest against her back, she lay stiff as a board for a few seconds longer before finally relaxing into his embrace.

When he felt her body go from unresponsive to pliant, he pulled the miko the scant inches separating them until he could rest his cheek near where her shoulder and neck met, closing his eyes in contentment.

A pair of small delicate hands came up to capture his own, hugging his arm to her again till it lay between her breasts near her collarbone, the beat of her pulse in his ears and felt in the palm of his hand. Nuzzling his cheek upon her skin, he heard the way her breath left in a staggering way, smell the light saline of tears bourgeoning towards the surface of her beautiful eyes.

Kagome, caught up in her thoughts of tomorrow, time limits, and growing affection for the Taiyoukai spooning so closely with her didn't notice him move until rumbling of a pur resonated in her ears, traveled down her spine. The tail laced around her legs tightened, as if to bring her in more when there was no possible way it could.

Why the girl was starting to cry, he couldn't even begin to guess. He did remember that his father's human mate was prone to excessive tears whenever in her cycle, having witnessed the proud Inutaisho cradle her to him, running fingers through coal black locks while whispering endearments to calm her. At the time Sesshoumaru had seen such displays as frivolous and weak. Disdainful that a creature as unresilient as that human female would dare to express outward emotion for all to see, and even more critical of that fact that a youkai such as his sire would then console her.

Yet, now, here within the dark shadows of his bedroom with the minimal bulk of the miko pressed to him, he found he understood his father better. Perhaps, all those years he had held bitterness towards the Taiyoukai for having doted upon a human mate he should have instead analyzed how amazing a creature she would have had to been to attract Inutaisho in the first place.

But that time for that was long past, and Kagome was the here and now.

With the aura synchronization actively working between them, each emotion was heightened to the point where he felt her sorrow, but couldn't understand it. Thinking perhaps it had something to do with either his half brother or the wolf, he purred deeply, trying to comfort her.

He couldn't know that what was really troubling Kagome was the thought of never getting to see him after tonight. No longer sharing his warmth, bantering back and forth, giving up the first being she felt had accepted her.

Hiccuping softly, she sniffled louder as two tears teetered on the edge of her sable lashes before trailing down in a salty river down her cheeks. Clenching her eyes tightly closed to hold any others at bay, she shuddered as the calming cadence of the sound produced from his throat went through her system.

Dropping a light kiss on the pulse point on her neck, Sesshoumaru worked his way up till he could nuzzle her cheek with his own striped one, the dampness of her tears smearing over his flesh.

"Shhhh, Kagome. It's alright." His words got the undesired effect of a strangled sob from the girl, accompanied by a pitiful cough. Her distress transmitting clearly through the link they shared, he tried to ease her discomfort, loosening the hand captured in hers to slide it beneath the cheek laying upon the pillow. It took little persuasion to get her to move her face towards him, the slight pressure of his fingertips on her flesh enough to motivate her.

The sad sight of her tearstreaked face tore at his heart, made his gut clench at the defeated air about the usually fiery miko.

Leaning forward, he dotted the line left from her tears with the fleeting caress of his lips, intermingling nuzzling her and purring through it all. Coming to rest his marked forehead against her own unblemished one, he stared into her shut eyes, willing them open, his hand brushing her cheek in almost the same way that she had done earlier.

As if heeding his silent command, her blue-grey eyes were exposed to him, their Atlantic depths swimming in sorrow and grief. Placing a light kiss on the tip of her nose, he spoke in a soothing soft tone he usually reserved for Rin whenever she came to him with some scrape or other.

"What's the matter, Kagome?" Running the back of his knuckles over her cheekbone, his thumb catching a stray tear along the way, he continued. "What troubles you?"

Twisting her fingers amongst themselves, she breathed out in a rasp, hardly able to make out his features in the poor lighting. "I'm going to miss you."

Confused, he frowned, narrowing glowing amber orbs at the shock of desolation which followed her declaration. The girl was upset because she thought she was leaving soon? It was preposterous really. When the time did come where she went off on her own again or with his idiot half brother he was certain they would meet again since their paths continually crossed. Why would she become so upset now?

Sighing, his breath feathering over her lips, he replied with confidence, "You worry needlessly, Kagome. I am not going anywhere, and in case it has escaped your notice, neither are you for a while."

Laughing slightly at his joke, the sadness did not fade from her eyes, though the tears seemed content to simply reside at the edge of her eyes without trekking down the sides of her face. The soft caress of her palms cradled his striped cheekbones, her fingernails clawing fractionally to delve in his silver tresses.

Not wishing to alarm him with the fact that he probably wouldn't be seeing much of her at all when night fell on the next day, she pushed away her misgivings to gaze at him with affection. "You're right, Sesshoumaru. Just ignore me. It's probably just hormones or lack of chocolate or something." She tried to tease him and herself away from the disturbing thoughts of earlier, hoping it worked and he wouldn't continue to question her.

She didn't know if she would be able to keep dodging the perceptive youkai without finally cracking and letting him know.

Smirking, he nipped the end of her nose this time, moving in with closed eyes to nuzzle his forehead and cheek near her temple, his tail keeping her securely against him.

"You make it impossible for me to ignore you, woman. You should already know that."

Her heart skipped a beat before resuming at a frantic pace, her fingers flexing in his hair at his words spoken against her skin.

"Are you saying I am a nuisance?" she teased lightly, attempting to ignore how nice it felt to be showered with this type of attention, especially from such a good looking male.

Moving down and to the side, he nipped her earlobe between his fangs, delighting in the shiver it caused, the goose-bumps raising on her flesh at the sensation it caused. "Among other things..."

Making a sound of indignation, she pulled at his head to remove him from her ear area, a spot that she now knew to be ultra sensitive and distracting. The easy way he complied with her desires to maneuver him let the miko know it was simply his wish to be there that let her position him so easily.

Fixing him with a stern glare, she used one hand to shake a finger in his smirking face. "Quit that!"

Quirking a brow down at the female beneath him, he said in his most imperious and arrogant tone, knowing it would push her buttons to annoy her, "Don't attempt to tell me, the Lord of the Western Lands, to do anything, human."

He got an elbow in his side for his trouble, a muffled oaf leaving his lips as her arm joints happened to be particularly pointed and uncomfortable when the force of their irrate master was behind them. Pretending she had wounded him badly, he keeled over to his own side of the bed.

Giggling, behind her hand, Kagome took the opportunity to reach over on the night stand for a Kleenex, which she had left out from her shower kit from earlier. Blowing her nose and wiping the remaining moisture from her face, she discarded the tissue before laying back down beside the Taiyoukai who was still in the semi-sprawled position of before. Without a moment's pause she scooted over to his side, snuggling up to him, wrapping one arm about his lean waist while laying her head on his shoulder.

Nudging her forehead with his chin, he blew at her bangs so they would tickle her face, her hand coming up in irritation to land on his mouth. She felt his lips tilt in a smirk, his tail wind about her in its comforting embrace seconds before he lightly nipped the pads of the fingers against his lips.

"Now you want to steal my body heat, do you? I don't know if I should allow it after you tried to kill me just a minute ago."

Rolling her eyes, she let her hand slide down to rest lightly at the base of his throat, his skin indeed warm and comforting to her sick body in ways that was making her comforted and sleepy.

"Don't make me zap you to show who's superior Sesshoumaru."

His answering scoff of derision made his chest rise sharply, her vision bobbing with the motion enough to make her blink a couple of times before yawning loudly and snuggling closer, hugging him to her.

She was winding down, he could tell. It made him happy to know she was approaching sleep, that he was the one responsible for lightening her mood, make her laugh and smile. Sifting the strands of her fragrant hair that had swept across his midriff when she had moved in through nimble fingers, he felt the butterfly brush of her eyelashes closing. He didn't need to break contact with his view of the ceiling to know that the miko was on the verge of slumber, the lack of tension in her form and breathing cuing him in already.

The sleepy slur of her speech coupled with the exhale of her breath on his clavicle had him clenching his fingers reflexively in her hair.

"Goodnight Sesshoumaru. Thanks for everything."

Untangling his ensnared digits, he stroked his thumbpad down the center of her forehead in a soothing manner, imaging what symbol would be there if she had one.

"Goodnight, Kagome."

He was just drifting off himself, seductive sleep all but cradling him in her tender embrace when his pointed ears picked up what she whispered, surprise making his eyes shoot open since he had assumed the girl had fallen asleep.

"You know, I really am going to miss you the most." And then she was asleep, the even breathing and calm repose of her body letting him know she had finally succumbed to exhaustion.

The harsh ache he felt, the wrenching sadness that arced through his system at her words made the Taiyoukai all but pick her up with his tail and arm till she lay directly on top of him, her stomach lying low on his abdomen as he let both her legs settle between his own, her chest pressed firmly to his own so that her head rest at the hollow of this throat. Cradling her face close to him, he rubbed his chin upon the crown of her head, savoring the feel and scent of her, which was strong enough to drown out even Cheiro's herbs.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kagome. I promise." In those two sentences the resolve to honor what he said hardened into a core of steely purpose in his breast.

No matter what the future days would bring, for this one moment in time he was assured that she had him, and for the first time, he had someone else who cared for him as well.

Kagome Higurashi.


	44. Firebird Tea

The bitter exhale of Fall danced through the meadows along the Eastern borders of the Taisho palace, stray leaves finally releasing their faltering grip on mortality, joining in the festive waltz of changing seasons. Swirling in chaotic grace, the sienna tipped dancers flit in wide arcs followed by low dips which led them to their graves of earth and stone, drifting softly to the packed soil of the path which wound through the Taisho gardens by the hot springs, the wind which had carried them so far dying away as though its sole purpose had been to see off nature's children's last moments.

It was beautiful. It was magical.

It went completely unnoticed...

Mortality, seldom a passing thought in a youkai's mind, never held enough import to take up the free time when late nights called for heavy contemplation. No, life and death were not something a demon worried over.

Living the life they were currently crafting was.

Which is how most of them saw the act of living itself. Existing was too feeble a word for the warring, killing, training and overall energy used in order to simply survive in the world they were born into. Rather, it could be speculated upon that since they didn't necessarily see themselves as having a time limit to their lifespan they were granted the freedom of expressing any and all emotions at will. Divesting the cloak of modesty woven with threads of caution most mortal creatures ensconce protectively about them was a privilege not many knew or felt the exhilarating pulse of in their veins.

Perhaps that was why a certain wolf youkai of royal birth was sitting upon the frigid rough surface of a branch high up in a sakura tree, gazing with unseeing pain-filled orbs to the onyx sky filled with its jewels in gaudy displays of wonder. The cool breeze which came and went, ruffling the silk of his clothing, the flapping of material bending to the will of the wind, fell upon deaf ears which heard naught but the sound of an ill miko's soft words in tormented repetition. With each draft heralding the altering of the seasons it caused the fine cloth of his attire to lower in temperature, until it was as though icy fingers were stroking over his flesh, penetrating the fur of his tail to reach the skin underneath.

Yet, like the grand display of nature before, it went utterly unacknowledged.

Kouga felt neither the cold nor how stray strands of his ebony hair would randomly drape themselves in his line of vision, the lack of a headband letting them have free reign to brush his face as they saw fit. Not even the uneven place he had chosen to repose on, lounging with outstretched legs crossed at the ankle, arms limply lying in his lap, made it through the haze of despair he had become lost in.

Why? Why had she gone to the Taiyoukai when he was but feet away? Did he not know her better and longer than the stoic dog demon could ever profess to? Had he not defended her from other youkai, fought at the bastard hanyou's side, letting the pup live after the skirmish was over just to please her? Had he not ordered his entire clan to stop terrorizing and consuming villagers, all but putting them in dire straights during the winter season when hunting was difficult now that their main source of nourishment was denied them?

No matter how many questions he put to the sickle moon resting divinely in its inky setting, no answers were forthcoming. In fact, the celestial body did nothing but cause his ire to rise, its shape resembling a specific Western Lord's mark of sovereignty, causing him to cast his emerald orbs towards the beaten path which lay beneath his perch. From his lofty height he could easily see anyone coming or going from quite a distance to and from the hot springs and castle proper, but none of the passing youkai held any interest for the ookami.

Clawed hands clenching about the smooth fabric covering his thighs, nails digging abrasively into the muscle, Kouga suppressed the urge to growl, closing his eyes and taking a few calm breaths instead. A number of emotions assailed him, crushing down on his already slouched shoulders till they all but bowed under the weight.

Betrayal. Shock. Hurt. Anger. Even sorrow was liberally interspersed in there somewhere.

Since the moment he had laid eyes on Kagome, seen her spirit and talent for spotting jewel shards the wolf prince had determined to make her his mate. Who would dare stand against his tribe with not only his speed and agility, but her purifying power? He knew that a large part of the reason he had chosen the odd human for a mate was because of what she could offer his people, not so much for emotional reasons.

Those had developed later. As the instances increased in which he ran into her and the half-breed's group he was continually amazed by her depth of caring and compassion. The way she easily gave away her own things to others, even if it was pieces of her heart just so they might feel wanted and loved by at least one person.

After all, even though Inu Yasha had gone to the undead woman time and again Kagome was always waiting for him with a pained smile and proffered hand, pushing the continuous slights away to the back darkness of her aching soul.

A more giving being he had never come across, and he loved her for it.

He had declared it often enough to all and sundry. Pretty much shouting his intentions and feelings for her from mountaintops, staking his claim to anyone that would listen. Apparently that hadn't been enough.

Bitterness spread from the staggering beat of his fractured heart to the rest of his system, causing his sinewed body to tense in rage and pain, a stray growl to break free from his throat. He wanted to kill something, attempt to lose himself in the bloodlust of bathing in the rain of another's lifeforce spraying out of them from the deadly contact of his claws, drink in the shattered desolation of their eyes slowly fading to darkness.

How fortuitous he thought it was, a sinister smirk curling his thinned lips, when he squinted open his roiling eyes to see the flash of white hair against a firerat's hide going by.

Snapping off a twig from the branch he was stationed upon, Kouga flicked it with accuracy towards the unsuspecting victim below, chuckling darkly at the expletive they snarled out when the projectile struck home.

Rubbing one fuzzy ear that had just been assaulted, Inu Yasha spun around to gaze up into the shadowed depths of the sakura tree to his side, a stray wind bringing the unmistakable scent of the wolf youkai to his nostrils.

Growling at the abuse to his appendage, he dropped his hand to his sword, pointing a clawed digit at the smirking demon.

"Fuck, Kouga! What the hell?!"

Remaining in his relaxed position, the prince laughed again, the sound more that of a gravelly growl than actual amusement. Fangs flashing, he replied snidely, "What's the matter, puppy? Get bit by something?"

Glaring daggers from his gold eyes, the hanyou stalked to the base of the tree, still keeping a firm grip on the worn pummel of the Tetsugai, rubbing his sore ear a couple more times as the sting didn't fade as quickly as he would have liked.

"Don't play with me, you mangy wolf. I know you threw something at me. What the hell do you want?"

Shrugging broad shoulders, his bangs flying about his temples when another gust of wind swept over their forms, their clothing swaying with the motion, Kouga glanced up towards the rising pale facade of the moon.

"You do realize your brother is a bastard, don't you?"

The calm question and intent way the wolf was staring at the moon made Inu Yasha frown, his own iridescent orbs training on the spectral globe, his eyebrows drawing together. Seeing that the youkai wasn't posing an immediate threat, he removed his hand from the weapon to cross his arms over his chest, pushing his numbing hands into the wide sleeves of the scarlet haori.

Damn but it was getting cold.

"Keh, I could have told you that stupid. I lived with him when I was younger, remember?"

Quirking one side of his mouth, attention staying upon the moon, Kouga replied softly, "I would say that it is now that you are older more damage is done than any instance of your youth, brat."

Eyes narrowing sharply as they came to rest on the contemplative wolf, the hanyou stood at the rooted floor of the earth, coming to a decision after a few seconds consideration. Pulling his hands free, he deftly climbed up the rough skin of the tree, reaching the occupied branch and sitting a bit away from the ookami's feet, his own legs dangling over the side as though he was on a fencepost. Upon closer inspection he saw the swirling colors in the other demon's eyes, the brackets of stress and possibly discomfort gracing the edges of his mouth, the crease of his lids.

Folding his arms again in an attempt to warm himself, he smirked, golden eyes taunting.

"Keh, you look like shit, wolf. What the hell happened to you?"

Gritting his teeth together, Kouga dropped a glare towards the other occupant of the tree. "Your brother happened." Looking him over with disgust, he curled his lip at him. "I swear, between you two Taisho brothers you make this world a living hell."

Confused at the ookami's vehemence, he arched a snowy brow. It wasn't unusual to be insulted by the prince, but it was odd that he would verbally disparage his older half brother.

"What, did Sesshoumaru actually do something decent for once and ask you to leave?"

Gracing the hanyou with a dismissive roll of his emerald orbs interspersed with fragments of azure, he scoffed, "You wish, dog boy."

Ears twitching in annoyance, Inu Yasha resisted the need to take his sword and bash it over the arrogant youkai's skull, dying to hear the lovely sound of bone cracking from the swing. Really, the damn wolf went well beyond the limit.

"So if he didn't kick your mangy ass out then what the hell did he do?" Real curiosity was now plaguing him, as well as vestiges of unease. Only one other thing could get the wolf prince irritable besides Inu Yasha's presence itself, and that was Kagome.

But if he was linking the miko with his dangerous older sibling then something bad must have transpired. Feeling out of the loop since after the confrontation on the hill the half demon had sought out Kikyou to spend some time with her, he waited impatiently for an answer.

The one he received was unexpected.

"She chose him over me." The hushed pain behind that admission caused the hanyou to flatten his silky ears to his skull, understanding flashing in his beautiful eyes.

For the first time in their acquaintance, Inu Yasha found himself doing something he never figured he would. Comforting his sworn enemy.

Tossing his head, lengthy white hair swaying about his shoulders and back with the motion as he did, the half-breed said in an off-handed fashion, "You probably just misinterpreted things, baka. I'm sure Kagome didn't choose Sesshoumaru for anything, especially what you are eluding to."

A sound between a growl and a laugh floated between them, venomous eyes ringed in rage alighting upon the younger brother of the youkai he was fast learning to despise.

"You weren't there, puppy! I saw her! I saw her walk in, barely glance my way and go right to your damn brother to embrace him!" He fisted his pants in his hands, small slits from his nails tearing the delicate cloth with ease. "That bastard seduced her from me!"

Glancing to the enraged demon sharply, Inu Yasha bit back, "Last time I checked, Kagome wasn't even your official mate. That makes her free to choose to be with whoever she wishes."

A brittle laugh left his throat, the sound painful to the sensitive hanyou's ears. Never would he have envisioned the ookami taking the miko being with someone else this badly. He had left her with him for years and never behaved this way, even though he must have known how Kagome felt for him and how she would have willingly, at one time, stayed by his side while declining the wolf's offer.

Waving a hand to dismiss the words that held too much truth to them, Kouga stood up on the branch, clasping the trunk with one hand to hold himself steady on the uneven platform.

"You wouldn't understand, Inu Yasha. You don't know what unrequited love feels like, but Kami knows you should someday."

His ponytail blowing about erratically in the breeze, he shook his head, sparing the surprised hanyou a brief pitying glare before jumping to the graveyard of broken things once alive and new. Wrapping his tail tighter about his lean waist, the prince at last felt how very cold it was, the frigid air seeping into his very bones till it went deep enough to creep around his heart.

Tonight, he would see what the Taisho land had to offer as far as hunting went. It was the least solace the Taiyoukai could offer after taking away his entire future.

Inu Yasha watched the whirlwind of the wolf youkai kick up the crumbled pieces of leaves and dirt as he headed towards the meadow where Ah Un usually resided for the night, which would eventually lead into the denser part of the forest that surrounded the castle.

There was a twang of pity for the other male that he knew was well placed. Maybe Kouga was right, and he should one day know how it feels to be the person who feels when another dashed his hopes and dreams away to pursue their own desires. In a way, he felt part responsible for everything considering he had been the one to push the miko back into her own time era, but that was countered by the fact that Sesshoumaru should not have been able to travel the Well in the first place. How had he accomplished that anyway? It was a disturbing and unsettling question he wished fervently to get an answer to.

Standing, he cast a final rebuking look to the moon in its haven, cursing the bearer of its symbol silently before departing from the tree himself.

With the two youkai gone, none were there to witness the sad free fall of the final sakura blossom of the season desperately hanging on to a twig which grew close to the trunk's center. It caressed the bark fleetingly with its faded slightly worn pink petals before breaking loose and spiraling sedately to the ground.

A pale cold light shown down upon its battered surface, the unforgiving illumination letting all see the last moments of life ebbing away.

Not a single soul mourned its passing.

A steady knocking woke Kagome up from the first decent night's sleep she'd had in over a week. Blinking rapidly to clear her blurry vision, she rolled over to check the other side of the bed, noticing that somehow she had gotten herself over to where Sesshoumaru had lain. It was apparent the Taiyoukai was no where to be seen, something she wasn't sure if she was happy with or not.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she rubbed the heels of her palms into her ocular sockets, trying to get the last vestiges of sleep to leave them. Calling out in a groggy voice, she bade whoever it was to come in.

The door opening and a pair of feet walking calmly across the wooden floor let her know who it was simply by the tread. Smiling tiredly, she let her hands fall away from her face to gaze up at her guard.

"Good morning, Akito-kun."

"Lady," his voice was devoid of the concern that flecked his iceberg hues as they swept over her from disheveled hair to the legs twisted about the comforter that covered them. Catching her inquiring look, he went on to explain his reason for rousing her. "You have visitors, Lady. They were most insistent I wake you up so they might see for themselves how you are doing."

Nodding, she yawned behind the back of one hand, leaning bonelessly back into the fluffy pillows. "It's okay, Kito-kun. I should probably be getting up soon anyway."

Arching one navy brow, he said with placid authority, "There is no need to worry about that, Lady, since Lord Sesshoumaru left strict orders that you were to remain abed for the rest of the day save when you wish to bathe."

Remembering that tidbit from her 'discussion' with the Taiyoukai last night, she rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh.

She had promised him she would do so, hadn't she?

"I forgot about that for a moment. Go ahead and send them in, Kito-kun."

Bowing, the kitsune was gone for a moment to retrieve her visitors, already hearing the inquisitive pipe of Shippo's voice accompanied with the cultured tones of Miroku. Smiling in happiness that today she would get the chance to spend time with people she may not get to again, she took a sip from the water bottle which sat on the night stand.

A smirk tilted her rosy lips when she recalled having threatened the dog demon with spilling it on his bed. She was half tempted to do so anyway just to spite him after making her stay in bed all day.

"Kagome!" came the baby fox's excited cry seconds before a red ball of energy plowed into her middle, making her glad she had already replaced the cap on the clear liquid.

Putting it back down, she hugged his small form to her, ruffling his bangs good-naturedly, casting a friendly smile to the taijiya and houshi filing into the spacious chamber.

"Hey guys!"

Making themselves at home on Sesshoumaru's large bed, Miroku placing his staff against the wall with a jingle of rings so it wouldn't get in the way, they returned her grin.

Sango was the first to speak, worry sprinkled in her chocolate eyes. "We've been worried about you, Kagome. After not hearing from you all night we figured it was time to look you up." Giving the smiling monk a look, she added, "We would have come around yesterday if a certain disreputable monk hadn't got us lost."

Waving away the accusation, the monk in question put a hand to his chest, violet eyes wounded. "Sango, my dear, how could you blame that on me? How was I to know that we should have taken a left in the beginning instead of a right?"

Dodging the hand creeping her way deftly, the demon exterminator rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Yeah right. As usual, your sense of direction sucks."

Pouting, he gave up any efforts to get a free feel, instead focusing his attention to his friend that was cradling the baby kit to her stomach.

"How are you feeling today, Kagome?"

Patting Shippo on the head, she answered blithely, "Fine! Even better than yesterday. I bet I'll be ready to go any day now."

She completely ignored the speculative stare from opalescent eyes owned by a certain arctic kitsune who was stationed just inside the open door.

Taking in her pale complexion, the dark circles under her eyes, Sango made a noncommital noise, not believing the girl for a second.

"Perhaps you should take it easy today, Kagome-chan. Why don't you just stay in bed?"

Laughing a bit, the miko nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea."

Of course, she wasn't about to admit she wouldn't have been 'allowed' to get up anyway. Some things were best left unsaid.

Snapping his fingers, Miroku nodded in agreement with a grin. "An excellent idea! We can just entertain you while you are bedridden with another game of 'Go Fish'."

"Sounds great!" she piped, comforted with having her friends all around her. There was still the little 'tea party' with Daija which needed to also be done today, but from the looks of the light coming through the open window which the dog demon had pushed the covering from before he left, it was early yet.

Then why did it feel as though she was running short on time?

Propping herself up with the multitude of pillows, she smirked at her friends, cracking her knuckles expressively.

"Alright guys, get ready to get smashed again."

Seeing the happiness alighting their countenances, Kagome's resolve to go to the meeting alone solidified more. Yes, it was for them, her friends and loved ones that she was going to lie to them all with sunny smiles and empty words.

And maybe, just maybe, they would some day be able to forgive her.

Akito didn't know what irked him more. The fact that he had to watch Lord Daija as he made Kagome laugh, sipping with pleasure of the tea the firebird had provided, or that he was lounging so indolently in a chair directly next to the Lord of the castle's bed.

The miko's friends had stayed with her till but a half hour ago, partaking in a light lunch with her before heading off for the evening to allow her some rest. A brief sad gleam entered her eyes as she hugged each one goodbye in turn, a sniffle which he didn't believe could be entirely blamed on her illness sneaking out when embracing the baby youkai. However, when she had raised her head to wave with a smile and watch them depart, no trace of said emotion had been present.

Maybe she had just been feeling weary.

But shortly after she had asked if he could send word to Lord Daija that she hadn't forgotten about their appointment with tea and wished to see him.

Grudgingly, he did as she wished, the delivery of the message giving him a sour aftertaste in his mouth.

He could hardly stomach the fiery youkai on a good day, let alone endure his over bright personality for hours on end. The kitsune prayed fervently that Kami would decide to be merciful today and drag the phoenix away on urgent business.

Now Akito knew why he never partook in gambling. Luck never was with him...

The musical tinkling of the miko's laughter entered his ears, made his glacier eyes turn soft, his body relaxing by being in the same room with her. He supposed he could put up with the firebird as long as she enjoyed herself.

Kagome took a gulp from her teacup, smiling in bliss at the soothing way it went down her esophagus to settle warmly in her tummy. Giving the genial fire youkai a genuine look of gratitude, she told him, "Thank you so much for bringing this with you today, Lord Daija. I don't know what you put into this, but it's fantastic," after the last part, she finished off the hot liquid.

Chuckling at the human's joy from a simple cup of tea, he refilled it for her, writhing irises alight with pleasure at her praise. "Not at all, Kagome. It's my pleasure and privilege to share it with you."

Blushing, as always, under the phoenix's compliments, she sipped more sedately this time, savoring how nice it felt to drink without her throat protesting.

"So what have you been up to?" She tried steering the conversation into neutral territory, divert him from giving her too many ego boosts. She didn't feel worthy of them.

Holding his own cup with two hands upon his flat torso, his body semi-slouched on the wooden chair with its ornately carved back, long legs in their scarlet cloth crossed at the knee, he proceeded to fill her in on his duties for the castle.

Listening avidly to his speech, Kagome was still amazed at how his voice alone could make you feel warm and fuzzy, make you want to curl up next to the youkai and doze away like a well fed cat. If she hadn't seen him in action yesterday she would have seriously considered the possibility that he could fell enemies with the sound of his voice alone.

While the list of tasks he accomplished each day were not precisely fascinating, the way his eyes undulated with emotion with each word spoken was. Mostly she just enjoyed hearing him speak, watching how the sunlight danced over his silvery markings that reflected a million different colors in all directions like crystals. His spiky hair and blood red eyebrows she still thought brought together his features nicely till the demon could be classified as perfect. It was eerie how well put together he was, definitely inhuman.

But then, that is exactly what he was. Inhuman.

Curious nature getting the best of her, she couldn't help asking, "What brought you to Sesshoumaru's palace, Daija? I would tend to think someone of your prestige would have their own castle to run."

Smiling indulgently at the girl, he took a brief sip of his tepid beverage before offering a reply.

"I'm actually here on a sort of ambassador mission. You see, relations between the Southern Region and the West are not what you would call friendly, so after years of tenuous peace I was sent over to strengthen the bond between the two provinces."

Frowning in thought, the miko chewed her bottom lip, blue-grey eyes troubled as what he said brought something to mind.

"Isn't Sesshoumaru's uncle over in that area?"

For the first time in being in his presence she saw the fires in his eyes bank a bit, the orange and yellow not swirling nearly so exuberantly with the vermillion. His smile dimmed, as though the mere mention of the other dog demon incited bad memories.

"Yes, Kagome, that's true. However, just because Aion owns properties in that region does not mean we are allies. In fact, the reigning Taiyoukai of the Southern Lands refuses to do any personal business at all with the dog youkai, letting the vassals and other small lordlings on his land decide to associate with him or not."

Now even more intrigued, she leaned forward a bit, tea forgotten in her quest for insight into Sesshoumaru's family.

"Have you ever met him before? What is he like?"

Eyes looking blankly towards the ceiling, the firebird ran the edge of one thumb along the warm rim of his cup. "Once, Kagome, and I can't say I would ever wish to repeat the introduction." Grimacing slightly, he trained her with his mesmerizing gaze once more, his serious tone new to her. "From that singular meeting I would say that Lord Aion is a cold demon, not in the same sense of Lord Sesshoumaru of course. More sadistic I suppose. Cunning and easy to deal out reprimands with punishment rather than use patience to solve a problem."

Shivering at the foreboding picture he painted, she gripped her glass tighter as though to shield herself from the youkai which seemed so scary. No wonder Sora had left.

"What does he look like?"

Releasing his cup to tap his chin in contemplation, he mulled over her query for a moment, trying to drag up a mental image of the youkai he had only met once.

"Hmmm, I would tend to say the only things I clearly remember about our brief encounter was the tell-tale silver hair all the dog demons have and his amber eyes. Other than that nothing else really comes to mind." Pinning her with an arched brow and quirk of lips, he put his own question to her. "Why do you ask, Kagome?"

Waving a hand with an airy smile, she cheerfully pushed the tension away from the conversation about the unknown dog demon. "No reason! Just curious about Sesshoumaru's family is all. So if all dog demon's have the silver hair and amber eyes, how did Sora come about with his coloring?"

Understanding danced in bright arcs through his eyes, the yellow more prominent than the orange or red. "Ah, that would be because Sora's mother was from one of the smaller noble houses of the Western Lands. There are other dog youkai out there, Kagome, but it is only the closer royal members of the breed which are completely white. That is how you tell them apart from their other brethren."

"Oh, I see. No wonder his hair and fur are black then, he gets that from his mother." Propping her chin on one hand, her elbow supporting her new stance where it rested on one knee, the miko thought for a moment. "Do you know if Sesshoumaru looks more like his mother, or his father?"

Shrugging helplessly, the firebird smiled gently, "That I cannot rightly say, Kagome. Not having much contact with the Taisho house before the death of the previous Taiyoukai there was never any cause for me to beg audience with Inu Taisho or his mate."

A bit disappointed, she resolved to just ask Akito later if she didn't forget about it. She would have turned to the quiet kitsune right then, but had the sneaking suspicion he didn't mind being left out of any conversation she actively participated in with the phoenix. It was like oil and water with these two. She guessed it was because they were such elemental opposites that of course they wouldn't get along all that harmoniously. One did not ask the snow to love the sun after all.

Changing the subject, she inquired with interested eyes, raven eyebrows raised near her hairline, "How long will you be living here?"

"That all depends on Lord Sesshoumaru himself. If he deems my presence here a continued necessity then I imagine I will be here for quite a while yet. Really, I haven't had a chance to speak with him alone since he arrived home."

Guilt made her blush, avert her eyes to stare with interest into the murky depths of her now cold tea. "I'm sure that after today he will have plenty of time to see you, Daija."

Tilting his head to the side, the action causing the light to dance playfully over his perfect facade, he straightened in his seat. "What makes you say that, Kagome?"

Realizing her mistake, she set aside her half drunken tea, waving both hands this time with a sheepish grin used to disarm him.

"Oh nothing!" Yawning falsely behind one hand, she lowered her lids halfway, trying to look as tired as possible. "I hate to say it, but I am getting tired, Daija. Would you mind terribly if I ended our visit and picked it up at a later date?"

The contrition easily visible in his amazing irises made her feel horrible, even more so when the firebird got to his feet with grace, bowing deeply towards her. "Of course! You should have said something, Kagome. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you not recuperating from your illness just to entertain me."

Great, now the guilt was back.

"No, it's no trouble Daija. It just hits me suddenly sometimes, you know?" She added another fake yawn for good measure.

Gathering up the teapot with the two cups, he placed them carefully on a dark bamboo tray, hefting it easily. "Just send word whenever you wish to have tea again, Kagome. I'll be sure to make time for you."

Grinning gratefully, she waved to him as he began to leave the room, Akito's icy eyes following his lithe form with barely leashed desire to see him gone.

"Thanks, I appreciate it!" she called as he disappeared with a final inclination of his head, turning to head off down the hall.

Exhaling heavily, she slouched against the headboard, for once the wood not bothering her since she'd buffered it with the thick goose-down pillows. Sniffling, she rearranged the blanket to settle beneath her armpits, leaving her arms free. Seeing Akito still by the inside of the doorframe she patted the side of the bed with a smile of invitation.

"Come see me, Kito-kun. I feel like I haven't talked to you all day."

A tiny grin molded his lips for a second, gone so quickly she would have missed it altogether if she hadn't been watching him at the time. The bed dipped at bearing the kitsune's weight, his spear placed to lay across the chair previously occupied by the fire youkai.

"How are you feeling, Lady?" Iceberg eyes searched her features closely, seeking out any outward sign that his charge was waning health-wise from all her visiting.

Lifting her lips in an affectionate grin, she patted one of the clawed hands resting on his thigh. "I'm fine, Aki-chan. Just restless! I can't wait to get better so I can sound normal and actually do things for a change."

Smirking, he let her hand remain covering his own, relaxing under the influence of the aura synch she initiated without even being aware of it.

"If it is rest you need in order to be healthy again, then that is exactly what you are going to get, Lady."

Pouting up at him, she nodded with a dejected air. "You're right. But I still hate laying in bed all day!"

She sounded so much like an overeager pup who was forced to stay in bed when they would rather be out conquering the world, even when they were blatantly not equipped for it, that it made him chuckle dryly. How she reminded him of his younger siblings at times.

Delighted that she had made the usual cold youkai show amusement, Kagome smiled brightly, snuggling further down on her pillows. Now that she was slowing down a bit she realized that fatigue was making its way to her brain. Perhaps she should take a quick nap before inwardly preparing for tonight's excursion. It would make the torturous hours before pass quicker that was for sure.

"It won't last much longer, Lady, Then you can be up and about again."

How true his words may well be...

Firmly casting aside those depressing musings, she took comfort from the arctic fox's presence, the same one which had been with her this entire time at Sesshoumaru's castle. The one which reminded her so much of her brother and home.

The waves of sadness he was intercepting from her made Akito wish he had been her match with the aura synchronization. As it was he felt helpless by sitting here doing nothing.

A flash of silver from a ray of sunlight glancing over his tail stirred in his memory that the girl loved youkai tails. There was something about their fluffy lengths she absolutely adored. Debating on if he should perhaps distract her into talking about why she was so fond of those appendages, he was brought back to the present by her tapping a finger on the back of his hand.

Looking at her in query, he waited for whatever it was she wanted.

As the kitsune had sat next to her, his silence making her contemplative, she tried to figure out a way to ask something of her friend.

Finally tossing away all reticence, she gave him her best pleading look, large blue-grey eyes and all.

"Kito-kun, would you do me a favor? It would help me go to sleep if you did..."

Amused at her continued antics where none were needed, he nodded, ivory bangs swaying. "Certainly Lady. What is it you desire?"

"Do you think you could perhaps change for me so I can see you in your demon form again?" the rush in which she said the request was nearly unintelligible, but he caught the gist of it.

A puzzled frown marred his marked brow. "If you want, Lady."

Nodding emphatically, she waited in excitement to see him alter from a human-like youkai to that of a fox's body. Thank Kami Sesshoumaru's living quarters were so large, otherwise she wouldn't have asked.

"Oh thank you, Kito-chan!"

The smile he got for his answer was well worth the transformation.

Moving from the bed, he took his weapon to lay it on the low table, its ends hanging well over each side of the polished furniture. Next, he put the chair out of the way, leaving nothing but empty floor in all directions, ascertaining that nothing would be damaged in the transformation.

Concentrating, he repeated his actions of before, the same wild whirlwind of colors engulfing his figure till he was obscured, the air about him crackling with energy.

This time goose bumps rose up on her arms as she sensed his jaki levels heightening. Not to the painful extent of yesterday, but enough to let her know she was now sensitive to Akito's change.

When the breeze died down to leave the large blue and silver kitsune in its wake, Kagome immediately stretched over the side of the bed to hug his great head to her, laying her cheek against his furry silver-streaked one.

"You're so beautiful, Kito-kun!"

An appreciative lick to the arm laying over his muzzle was her response, the velvety wetness of it making her giggle a bit as she retreated back to the bed. Sitting down, he was still tall enough that his ears towered above her head, his large canine body dwarfing the night stand beside him.

Happy to have at least seen a youkai in their true form without the blood and gore one last time, Kagome lay back in her cocoon of white blankets, smiling sleepily when Akito laid his own great head on the bed, large intelligent icy eyes staring at her fondly. Reaching over, she scratched him behind one silky ear, kissing the tip of his ebony wet nose.

A mur of pleasure shook his frame, the noise causing her to chuckle again and scoot forward till she could lay her own head next to his. She knew it wouldn't be permitted to have him sleep on his master's bed, especially with a female guest of the Lord's choosing already in it. But she could still hug on him and feel him next to her in a reassuring way that let her know no harm would come to her while she slept.

Not that she was very worried on that point anyway, but the whole secret note scenario made her insecure.

Draping an arm around his neck, Kagome leaned the crown of her head near his cheek, feeling the subtle movement of him tilting his head towards her till his cheek rested on her ebony tresses. Running nimble fingers through the strands of his fur, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off towards slumber.

Tonight, when sleep would be far away and moments of serenity were well out of her reach, Kagome would draw comfort from knowing that she had spent her time with someone who cared for her.

Someone who was a friend.


	45. Fortitude

A lone figure stood shivering in the inky darkness, the shadows cast by the large trees at the end of the meadow they waited upon making things seem more sinister than as if it were day. The pale countenance of a sickle moon shone down sparingly, barely managing to penetrate the depths of the forbidding forest and its lone occupant.

Kagome wrapped her grey, sweater-clad arms tighter about her middle, trying in vane to coax more heat into her freezing body. She had forewent bringing any sort of jacket since it would have caused Akito's suspicions to rise that his charge would need something that heavy to garb herself in if she was just going to the hot spring to bathe. With surprising ease, she had duped her guard with a carefree smile shielding a pensive visage. A mirth-filled laugh and joking manner seemed to have fooled the kitsune into believing that the miko was fine, and there was nothing odd about her requesting her nightly cleansing ritual.

Shivering particularly violently as a frigid breeze snaked across her damp hair and the open pores of her freshly washed form, Kagome grit her teeth to keep them from chattering, praying fervently that whoever it was who wished to meet with her would hurry up and arrive. If there wasn't an arrogant Taiyoukai's life hanging in the balance, she would have said to hell with the entire thing and gone back to the comforting embrace of snuggling in Sesshoumaru's sheets, misleading her psych into the satiation of slumber. As it was, weariness was causing her shoulders to hunch, the nap she had taken earlier not having refreshed her at all. Nightmares and inherent unease made it nearly impossible to rest, the result being unsatisfying snatches of sleep in between restless tossing and turning.

If she looked more haggard than usual, her guard had more tact than to mention it. Besides, for once her illness might prove useful and he no doubt put it down to that being the cause of her appearance.

Shifting from one shoe encased foot to another in impatience, the scrape of the legs of her jeans rubbing together at the motion filling the silence, she scowled at her surroundings, blue-grey eyes searching for any movement to denote that her visitor had shown. The longer she waited, the more she figured it wasn't an assassin that had sent the note to her. After all, they would at least have been more punctual if they were going to kill her, not leave their prey out in the elements where her absence might be noticed.

Grumbling to herself, the miko spat out a few choice curses she had learned from a certain white-haired hanyou. Seriously, if she had known it was going to take this long, she would have chosen to spend more time bathing than the quick frantic washing she had done instead. When not being able to relax fully into the healing ministrations of allowing warm water to ease away stressed muscle, it left her with a decidedly uneasy feeling. That same one you get if someone rushes you out the door before you are certain everything you need for the day is with you, which subsequently, there is always something you did indeed forget.

Coughing behind one half-numbed hand, Kagome cursed her sensitive heart for the thousandth time since trekking out towards the forest. If it wasn't for the damn sentimental thing she wouldn't be in this mess right now.

Of course, that could be said for all of her recent mishaps...

So busy was she on inwardly ranting upon the indignity of being made to squander her night with watching a bunch of scary looking shrubbery, she failed to notice someone else had joined her out there until they spoke, startling her so badly that she automatically placed a hand over her careening heart, eyes wide in alarm and surprise.

"I see that you came," a figure shadowed just inside the perimeter of the trees said in a whispered voice that could not be identified.

Swallowing the lump that had jumped into her throat, Kagome massaged the smooth column lightly, moving the hand from her chest to wrap it securely about her waist, as though gaining comfort from it.

Squinting, she could barely make out the rough outline of someone in a large cloak that easily hid the wearer's form and identity. Not even the wind that blew every so often did more than toss the edges of the dark material about lightly, remaining uncooperative in disclosing who it shrouded.

Frowning, Kagome called out tautly, "I presume you are the one who sent the note?"

It wasn't really a question, and they both knew it.

What could have been an inclination of their head, or just as easily the breeze tossing the hood of the cloak about, was her answer, followed by the same soft wisp of sound this person utilized to converse in.

"You presume correctly, miko."

Becoming a tad frustrated at the lack of tendency to divulge anything but cryptic responses, she crossed her arms defensively over her chest and tilted her chin at a defiant angle. Now that they were together, she was going to get answers, and she was going to acquire them now.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

The muffled crunch of dead leaves disintegrating under a shifting stance, a short step forward was followed by a subtle hint of tension floating in the air. "Who I am is not important, miko. Likewise, what I want is not in question either. It is what others desire with you which calls us here tonight."

Confused by the odd answer, Kagome let her head slide to the side inquisitively, one raven brow raised. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Another step was taken, even more fissures of malcontent scattering with the movement to synchronize with the decaying foliage trampled upon, the miko shivering involuntarily as it flit across her senses.

"Tell me, miko, do you wish to help the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands? Would you aid Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho, even if doing so forfeited your own life?"

This line of questioning was proving very frightening to Kagome, foreshadowing of something far darker than what she had hoped to wander into. True, she had acknowledged the possibility that she might die tonight, but that didn't mean she hadn't held the optimistic view that she was wrong.

Damn, but she seemed to only be right when it was most inconvenient...

Throwing caution, and whatever dregs of sanity she had left, to the proverbial wind, she stated resolutely, "Yes."

This appeared to satisfy the figure, who once again seemed to nod before taking the last step that kept them just even with the line of imposing woodlands, maybe twelve paces from the human female.

It was unsettling that even though whoever it was had come this close to her, Kagome still could not make out any defining features at all. Everything was a blank impenetrable wall of black and shadow, darkness and foreboding that the longer she gazed into, the more she wished she was somewhere else.

"Then I offer you the chance to do so."

Gasping, Kagome tightened her hold upon her middle, blue-grey orbs wide and searching, despite doing so was pointless. Her whispered, "Explain," was caught easily by the other being, making the miko begin to wonder if it was actually a demon she was talking to.

A pregnant pause filled the space between them before the mysterious being replied, "I can explain, but first you must come with me."

A screaming negative resounded in Kagome's brain immediately at the order, some sixth sense telling her she wouldn't be safe venturing out with this person. She wracked her brain for something to say that would allow her to stall to think of a plausible excuse, the effort wasted, and she knew it.

However, just as she opened her mouth to say something she was sure would sound unconvincing and weak, the white prickle of a demon's aura spiking snaked through her system in a roiling wave that left her breathless and unsteady on her feet. The person in front of her stiffened and retreated a few steps, body taut with a malice reflected in their stance and the dark energy wafting off them.

Coughing from the abrupt lack of oxygen, Kagome half twisted to look behind her, already knowing who would be there. How could she not recognize him when she had spent so much time around him for so many days.

Azure opalescent orbs flashed eerily in the watery darkness on the meadow as the arctic kitsune came to a calm stop a foot or so behind his charge, his gaze going first over her to make sure she was well before narrowing on the subject hidden from clear sight.

"My Lady, I would ask that you return to the castle immediately." There was the razored edge of icicles in his voice, a frigid cold reflected in his usually emotionless eyes that bespoke of the surety of death delivered by the tip of the now ice encrusted blade of his spear.

Despair blossomed within Kagome, panic making her move to stand in front of the fox demon as she subconsciously attempted to shield him from direct view of the other occupant to the palace grounds near the woods. It was futile since his larger lithe frame created a crude outline to the shivering human that was easily discernable. Standing awkwardly, her eyes pleading desperately for him to cooperate, she clenched the hand lying along her middle deeply into the fabric of her shirt.

"Akito." Floundering for a moment, she looked back towards the bristling form of whoever was in the trees, the jaki level now rising between the two, who she was now certain, demons. It was assaulting her senses again, the same nausea and headache taking residence with a ferocity that made her queasy and unsteady on her feet.

"Lady Kagome, as your personal guard, I am ordering you to return to the palace now." There was no room for argument in that frozen tone, no softening to the hard visage that gazed impassively beyond her own to fix with deadly intent upon the other demon. Any reasoning had long since abandoned the kit's indulgence, leaving naught but the skilled predator in its place.

A growing spark of anger was set aflame inside Kagome, the light of it reaching her eyes till they blazed with emotion, her once shaky body now erect and tall with the force of her ire. Damn it, but she had risked too much, gone too far in this little game of mortality to ensure Sesshoumaru's well-being to simply scamper off back to safety at the first sign of opposition. She had set out to finally end this matter, and by Kami it was going to get done one way or another, and even the good intentions of her newest dear friend would not sway her.

"I refuse."

For a moment, his icy eyes trained back on her, not in disbelief she saw, no emotion what so ever reflecting upon the cool surface of his facade. It was unnerving and painful to be the recipient of such a look when she had known the kitsune to never gaze at her with anything save calm lenience accompanied with flashes of tepid warmth.

There was none of those comforting definitions there now.

"This is not a request, Lady." The hand about the pole of his spear tightened in white-knuckled tension, the growing layer of frozen water lining the metal head of the weapon the only indication that he was reacting to her defiance.

Sighing wearily, shoulders slumping a bit as though carrying a heavy burden, she pushed down the butterflies in her stomach so that she could think clearly. The other figure had yet to move from their position, staying perfectly still as though to not draw attention to itself. Not that it did any good, since both she and her guard knew they were present.

"You weren't supposed to be here, Akito." Sighing in resignation, regretful orbs searching his stony face. Sorrow entered her eyes as she realized that she was now pressed into the predicament that she would have to choose between leaving with this unknown youkai or dutifully traipsing back to the Taisho Holding. Dejected, the miko already knew the answer, and it brought her no joy.

A mirthless smirk lifted one side of his chiseled mouth, a fang flashing pearl in the moonlight. "That you would think I would not catch your scent on the wind and decipher its meaning as it moved further away from the hot spring shows how innocent you are, Lady."

Unaccustomed to the biting edge in his tone, she couldn't prevent the flinch as though struck. Keeping her back to the stranger, she stepped towards him to clasp his upper arms in a tight hold, begging him silently to understand.

At the close proximity and contact, Akito was now completely focused on his charge, his peripheral vision remaining on the stoic figure, whose identity was still unknown to him because of the overload the acidic swabs she had used on her skin still filled his nostrils even though it had been disposed of long ago.

However, the aura synchronization could not sway him from his purpose, no matter what enticing means it employed while it tangled about his nerves, twisting through his heart in a stranglehold of devotion and sorrow. He had no desire to decipher what emotions the miko was transferring to him, nor their meaning. When the girl had so foolishly devised a plan to creep away from the safety of his vigil she had forfeited a piece of the trust he had given her within the last few days. Not something irreparable, but painful none-the-less.

Guilt even assaulted him on some level. If he hadn't been so lenient, if he had harkened to his master's words more closely instead of allowing her free reign to do as she pleased in the palace, perhaps then the miko would not assume that this type of indiscretion would be allowed.

Now, reading the earnest expression clearly sprawled upon her pretty features, he knew he had done her no favors.

Pushing away the tantalizing call of the aura synch, Akito straightened to his considerable height till he fairly towered over the diminutive human, pulling away gently till they were no longer in contact with one another.

The hurt that sparked in her jeweled eyes cut at him, making him almost wish to reach out and let her keep touching him. Almost being the key word.

"There is no room for discussion in this, Lady." Glaring towards the intruder still clothed in darkness, he bit out, the cadences in his voice matching that of the frigid wind blowing through the meadow," Step aside, Lady Kagome."

Tears stung her eyes, a lump taking residence deep in her throat that no amount of swallowing dispelled. It broke her already fractured heart that Akito would treat her thus, even if it was warranted and a possibility when taking up this venture. But no amount of inner planning could prepare her for how it would feel to have him freeze himself off from her.

The nausea got worse, but the strength of her will overcame its sickening roil, just as she tamped down on her pain so that she could go through with her decision. This was the path she had chosen, qualms had no place here during the final hour.

Voice croaking and gravelly, she eyed her guard sadly, an unhappy frown pulling down her rosy lips. "I'm sorry, Kito-kun, but I can't do as you say." With that she turned to face the other youkai till her back was to the kitsune's, straight and determined, rigid with purpose.

Suppressing a growl, the arctic demon grit his teeth till his fangs penetrated the inside of his bottom lip, the coppery spiced flavor of his own blood filling his mouth and coating his tongue. Her obstinacy would prove her downfall.

The familiar sound of the 'twang' from an arrow being let loose to fly filtered into his senses, his jaki spinning out of control as he picked up the surprised gasp that left his charge's lips. Stupid! He had been so stupid to become distracted by her enough that he would actually take his eyes off the enemy, foolishly figuring his youkai abilities would prove enough to detect any sinister motions.

Kagome, eyes wide and body still as though a deer caught in headlights, saw the lightning black streak of the projectile coming towards her, the posed elegance of the archer in robes still standing in a firing stance, one of their hands half curled where the feathered end had once sat between nimble fingers, the bow held erect to their body.

Mind racing, she acted on some base instinct, finally able to move so that she could put out a hand straight before her as though to ward off the deadly weapon. Vaguely, she was aware of Akito swiftly leaping forward to attempt to get in front of her, protect her with his body.

Desperately, Kagome felt fear course throughout her system, the jaki throwing off her equilibrium till the hand she proffered was shaking and unsteady. A bright flare of her miko powers came to life inside her, and the miko knew this was the worst possible time for it to make an appearance.

Frantic, she tried to call it back in, but to no avail. The piercing slice of a metal tip entering her flesh, tearing through muscle and tendon, made her cry out sharply as delicate skin gave under the force of the arrow. It threw her back into her guard, the tip sticking into the top right hand corner of his shiny breastplate with a grotesque thud, her hair swinging about wildly, her body following the course till she was facing the kitsune, her other hand reaching out and clasping his left shoulder for support. And it was at that precise moment that she felt her miko powers go out of control.

The jaki Akito was giving off coupled with the pain made her nearly black out, a white hot flare of purifying energy deciding the snow fox was the threat and thus, began burning along his nerve endings.

A scream like that of a tortured animal filled the night as the kit's eyes turned a swirling white, his fangs an outline of pearly sharpness as he tilted his head back, dropping the spear from a numb grip to land useless on the ground.

Kami, she was killing him! Kagome felt tears leak out of her eyes as she realized that what she had meant to protect was being destroyed even as it leant against her. Forgetting about her hand pinned to his front, the arrow shaft protruding morbidly out of the center of her palm and his armor, she used her free hand to push, knowing that any contact was breaking the demon's cell structure down from the inside out.

Heart beating as though it would leave her chest, she slowly garnered the strength to pull her hand up the stick of wood, damaging the wound further as the dull wood became shiny with the thick sheen of her blood. Once reaching the end where three brown feathers sat, she took her shaking hand that had moments before been at his shoulder and placed it around the base. Gritting her teeth as her ministrations made her body break out into a cold sweat from shock, she gave one final twist of her wrist and just managed to break the feathered projectile. Wasting no time, she immediately wrenched her hand cleanly from the shaft, crying out again as a wave of agony tore through her arm.

Upon freeing herself, she promptly collapsed to the ground, her guard following suit as his eyes closed and his lifeless body slumped to the side in a messy heap beside his spear.

Panting, crying, and trying not to throw up, Kagome blinked away tears while cradling her injured hand to her chest, using the other to crawl as best she could away from the kitsune. The miko power was no longer harming him since it had burned itself out almost as quickly as it had sprung to life, but she couldn't bare to see him. She was scared to think that she had actually maybe killed the proud creature.

She managed a paltry few inches before her battered frame gave out so that she lay half on her side upon the freezing grass, her breath labored and wheezing, vision swimming incoherently.

Inside, she was crying, wailing, completely trapped in the despair that her own stupidity may have brought about the demise of someone she loved. It was more than she could stand.

As darkness steadily encroached about her sight till there was not but pinpricks left, she felt the impersonal hold of someone lifting her from the ground, her head falling listlessly over their arm to lay at a painful angle, long hair dragging the leaf spotted floor. The girl's last sight before succumbing to the dark void was that of Akito's non-moving form laying in misshapen abandon, no sign of life present.

"...too much damage..."

"Remove the armor, quickly!"

"Kami, what happened?!"

A variety of voices floated in and out of Akito's sharp ears, his conscious swimming in a murky void of pain and confusion. The instances in which he almost had the strength to open his eyes, perhaps move an appendage to check why he would be incapacitated never held long enough. Just as he would flicker his eyelids, the movement would prove too exhausting and he would once more be plunged into the darkness he so wished to be rid of.

"...is there nothing that can be done for him?"

It was then, when he felt as though he could so easily give up the fight, slip beneath the calming shadows which beckoned so enticingly, that the icy cadences of his master's voice filtered through, demanding an instant response.

Sesshoumaru stared down at his personal guard's injured form, amber chips of ice replacing his irises to reflect and conceal his true emotions. Inwardly, he was raging, snarling with bloodlust since the hour which had gone by since Musashi had come running into the palace, the unconscious kitsune in his arms. Just before the arctic fox had been brought, the Taiyoukai had felt the hair along his arms stand on end, an unknown slither of unease scraping across his nerves that left him feeling uncharacteristically anxious.

The hand lying placidly at his side twitched as he deliberately kept it from fisting, his teeth from grating against one another to keep the growl residing in his throat at bay.

Kagome had been taken. Stolen from his very own castle but a few hundred yards away from him while he sat in his study, sedately sipping tea. Worse still, whoever had done the abduction was so adept that none could catch the perpetrator, not even the wolf prince who had responded instantly and sped after them.

Of course, the apparent course of the assailant was obvious, all but showing a clear path to that of where his uncle's camp was currently set up. True, he had suspected Aion of organizing the assassination attempt, even going so far as to figure that his half brother as well as himself would be targeted in the immediate future.

Never had he envisioned that the sadistic dog demon would set his nefarious sights on a human miko that, to all intents and purposes, posed no threat to him.

How horribly wrong he had been. Sesshoumaru had thought the added security of giving his own personal bodyguard at her disposal would insure her safety, but in the end the ice youkai had not stood a chance.

A flickering of Akito's eyelids drew the Taiyoukai's attention, easily picking up the sound of his breathing increasing as a clear signal that the kitsune was approaching consciousness.

Waving his hand in a command for Inu Yasha, who had till this moment been standing over the half-clad warrior, alternating between pacing quietly to yelling obscenities at the ice fox, to cease, he leaned a bit closer. With a muttered oaf, his sibling stepped back, crossing his arms angerly over his chest while keeping the other demon in view, his white ears twisting every which way in his agitation. Behind him stood the blood covered form of Musashi, a dark frown his only expression, the usual cheerful cougar demon uncommonly somber since first arriving. He was no fool, and knew things as they stood now couldn't get much worse than they were.

After barging into the castle proper, creating chaos in his wake, he had informed Sesshoumaru of what he had come upon in the meadow outside the hot springs, having gone to investigate promptly following the guard's blood-curdling scream. The guard was placed in his quarters on his bed, the crimson liquid lining his shiny black armor transferring to the beige coverlet as it slid in rivulets down the slick surface of the scales. The healer was sent for, Inu Yasha stomping in seconds later, taking one look at the damaged youkai, a dangerous glint coming into his gold eyes as demands for the miko's whereabouts spouted forth.

Kouga's whirlwind appearance had forestalled anything Sesshoumaru might have said, the prince hardly sparing a glance to Akito before silently departing in a gust of wind and azure silk, off to find the missing woman.

Minutes passed as the Taiyoukai himself divested the ice fox of his haori and armor, a grimace flashing over his chiseled lips once when blood had coated his hand when he had removed the breastplate. He had at first assumed it to be the demon's, but the exotic scent of it let him know instantly that it belonged to the human, too pure to hold any semblance of evil in it.

When Akito lay, motionless save for his shallow breathing, bare from the waist up with not a mark on him, the veins in his arms standing out in taught spiderwebs beneath his ivory skin, his multi-colored hair framing his tense features, Sesshoumaru knew things were very bad indeed.

Minutes passed, Inu Yasha continued to rave in bouts of swinging arms and fluctuating tones of his voice, Sesshoumaru's patience grew thinner and thinner, the blood on his fingertips drying unnoticed on his hand, the wind blew frigidly through the window causing the candles to dance chaotically as they tried in vane to stay lit, and the healer did not come.

More minutes went by, Kouga returned, breathing heavily and slick with perspiration, eyes swirling in aquamarine splendor, with the distressing news that he was unable to retrieve the miko or the culprit, their trail having been lost shortly after reaching the border where Aion lay, Inu Yasha had progressed to yelling in the kit's unresponsive face...

And Cheiro did not come.

The wolf prince's words quickly told why that would be, the truth of which cutting Sesshoumaru deeply in anger and disbelief.

Cheiro could not come, because it was her scent which had blanketed the area where Kagome had been taken.

Sesshoumaru did not know which angered him more, his own blindness to the traitor in his midst, or the fact that the cat had managed to accomplish that which no one else could have because she had the one thing that not many others in the castle possessed.

She had possessed a piece of the Taiyoukai's trust.

Since his unsuccessful return, Kouga had taken residence in the darkest corner of the sparsely furnished room, as though the shadows themselves could grant the wolf the cover he needed to contain his emotions, his jaki level rising and falling as they waited for Akito to awaken, to tell them what he knew so a course of action could be set into play.

A flash of swirling blue, a rustle of silk would be the only movement from him, a striking contradiction to the hanyou's continuous flurry of movement.

A groan flitted out of bloodless lips, the dark lashes of the ice fox finally lifting to reveal opalescent blue eyes, a frown wrinkling the snowflake upon his forehead as he squinted in the poor lighting of his room.

The first thing he could make out with some clarity was the imposing figure of his master standing over him, a heavy aura of malice cloaking the other youkai till it made a shiver snake up his spine, goose bumps appearing on his half-clad form.

Sucking in a breath, Akito tried to move more than his eyes, and found instantly that every inch of his body was in agony, his muscles contracting violently till he feared they would break the bones they coated, a muffled cry leaving his throat.

Screwing his eyes shut, he tried to calm down, panting heavily as he pushed as much of the pain out of his mind as possible before he ended up passing out again. That was not an option right now, not when his master was in this state.

Gulping convulsively, he squinted enough to see the rough blurry outline of his master, a throbbing headache negating the idea of opening the orbs fully. Taking in a shuddering breath, he froze with inhuman stillness upon smelling the scent of his charge's blood, despair making his emotions spiral erratically. It gave him the strength and fortitude to fight through the discomfort, to do something he normally wouldn't do in his right mind.

Sesshoumaru felt the unfamiliar clasp of a clawed hand twine about his striped wrist, the hold much weaker than its possessor would have usually administered. Sparing a fleeting glance to Akito's hand grasping his person, he asked icily, "What happened, Akito?"

Swallowing around the semi-lump in his throat, the kitsune spoke, his voice gravely and coarse after his previous screaming, his throat tingling with the effort.

"My Lord," at this he paused to pant a moment, close his eyes and regain himself before continuing. "Lady Kagome has been taken. We were in the meadow behind the hot spring, the Lady having gone there on her own to meet with someone."

At the mention of the other person, the Taiyoukai's amber eyes narrowed, the only sign on a reaction to what he already knew.

Coughing slightly, Akito grit his teeth and bit out the rest, eyes clouding in a mixture of sorrow, self loathing, and anger.

"I had no idea she wasn't inside bathing. She assured me you had given her specific orders to leave her bed only for certain occasions, visiting the hot spring being one of them. I never thought she would sneak out the back door, or how she would even know when and where to meet with someone." A short pause, a few pants, and he continued his story, the hand clasping his master's wrist growing frailer. "Her scent. I caught her scent on the wind leading away from the building, so I immediately followed to find her standing at the edge of the meadow where the forest starts. Upon arrival I saw another in a cloak, shadowed in the thick dark foliage in a cloak, their scent unrecognizable because of the substance Lady Kagome had used earlier to cover your scent."

Sesshoumaru felt both his brother and the wolf prince tense at the last sentence, both their glares training on his silk clad back with enough ferocity to burn him alive. Un-phased, Kagome's safety, or lack thereof reigning more important in his mind, he urged the arctic fox on, nodding slightly. "Go on. What next, Akito?"

A tortured expression spread across the guard's countenance, his features twisting in uncharacteristic emotion and pain. "I tried, My Lord, I tried to order her back to the castle, to confront whoever this was, but the Lady would not be swayed. When she came to stand before me, plead her case as to why she should be allowed to remain, the assailant took their chance and fired an arrow at us. I tried to step in front of her, take the blow myself, but she somehow managed to evade me and take the mark instead."

A strangled cry left his mouth, his head thrashing back and forth as his hand fell away from his master's wrist to clench in the sheets, his breathing labored and harsh to the ears. "When she was thrown back from the impact I don't what happened. Everything went white, it felt like I was being burned alive slowly from the inside out, and Lady Kagome...she was crying and bleeding and there was nothing I could about it!"

Body shuddering, Akito clenched his eyes shut, for the first time not able to contain anything he was feeling, to hide it behind an indifferent mask as he was wont to do. He had failed. He had failed miserably in the one purpose of his life! His existence was the protection and service to his master, to the Taiyoukai who was so quiet and still next to his bed, gazing at his injured form with nothing but calm acceptance.

For the first time, he understood how Kiro must have felt when his own ward perished, the helplessness, frustration and altogether self disgust in not accomplishing his duty.

Sesshoumaru watched his personal guard fall apart in a way he had never seen the youkai do before. Not even his older brother, the Taisho's top assassin had reacted this badly upon the loss of his own charge. It was understandable considering Kagome happened to be the younger kit's responsibility. One couldn't stay detached when with her, not with her easy going smiles, caring touch and trusting eyes.

The sound of heavy fast footsteps drew the Taiyoukai's attention, a gleam of red announcing Inu Yasha's bristling form seconds before the hanyou leaned down to yell at the fox, gold eyes blazing in rage, hand white-knuckled about the hilt of his sword.

"Where did the arrow hit, ya damn fox?! Where is she hurt at?"

Half growling, Akito bit out between gnashing fangs, "I don't know."

Growling himself, Inu Yasha leaned in closer, the red rough sleeves of his haori draping over the ice fox's sensitive forearm, making it twitch in irritation, Akito bearing his fangs a bit at the aggressive stance of his master's brother.

"How the fuck can you not know?!"

As Akito prepared to all but claw at the hanyou, Inu Yasha was suddenly removed from is view, the rough cadences of the once silent wolf prince slicing through the thick air.

"Back the fuck off him, puppy!" A flutter of red and white was shoved towards Musashi by the door, the hanyou regaining his balance quickly to stand tense and square-shouldered, silhouetted by the light coming through from the hallway.

"Fuck you, wolf!" One clawed finger was jabbed in the direction of the youkai laying prostrate in the tarnished bed. "If the bastard had done his job correctly then Kagome wouldn't be missing and hurt right now!"

An eerie serenity settled like a cloak over the demon prince, his sharp features smoothing out to an icy facade never before witnessed by the half-youkai. His swirling blue-green irises were sharp and icy, like icebergs clashing in razored edges upon one another, slicing with deadly precision upon the hapless. Walking forward calmly till he was but a foot away from the enraged hanyou, his hands and arms limp and relaxed at his sides, he said in a flat terrifying voice, "I am going to tell you this one time puppy, so listen well. Akito did the best he could for what the situation called for. Having never been purified at close range from a miko, I doubt you can securely stand there and say the kitsune didn't do all in his power to protect her. Kagome is missing now, yes, but taking your anger and frustration out on him isn't going to get her back any sooner." Narrowing his eyes dangerously, he arched one raven brow, for the first time looking like what he truly was, the next ruler for the entire Northern region of Japan, a youkai who could and would hold power over a large portion of the deadliest beings alive. "So, Inu Yasha, you are going to calm down, shut your fucking mouth, and lay off Akito or Kami help me, I will silence you once and for all."

A rare fissure of unease slid down the hanyou's spine. He had never seen Kouga act this way, not this controlled anger that was more difficult to deal with than his usual loud spouts of temper. This new wolf standing before him resembled his older brother in a lot ways, none of them nice or good.

"Keh, whatever!" he spat before leaving the room with an angry stride, not even glancing towards his brother or Musashi as he departed. To hell with them! Besides, he now had to think of a way to break the news to everyone else, not particularly relishing the reaction he was going to get from Shippou. He could feel the damn kit's tiny fangs chewing his ears already.

Kouga watched the empty doorway a few moments after the hanyou's departure, the tense line of his shoulders finally relaxing to a weary slope, a defeated sigh leaving his lips as he turned to come up next to Sesshoumaru, who had watched everything in silence.

Staring down at Akito, who had now managed to pass back out, his random movements showing that whatever the kitsune was seeing in his dreams were nothing he desired to take part in, he questioned softly, as though afraid of waking the damaged youkai, "What do we do, Sesshoumaru? I'm out of options myself," a self-depreciating smile graced his lips as he added, "Hell, I couldn't even catch them, whoever it was, so now I'm turning to you."

They locked eyes, both rulers solemn as they regarded one another over the sick guard, taking stock of how much the abduction of one human female affected them.

"First, we find someone who can stabilize Akito, and then..." He looked away as he pulled the sullied comforter up to the arctic kitsune's shoulders from where it had fallen in his thrashing to lay about his hips. "Then we get her back."

Nodding once decisively, Kouga folded his arms across his chest, feet slightly apart. "Whatever it takes."

Mouth thinning to a fine line, his eyes flashing briefly crimson, pupils robin's egg blue for a second before returning back to their usual ebony slits, the bloodied breastplate on the floor beside the bed catching his notice, he whispered, "Whatever it takes."

Kagome came awake with a start, half-sitting up in bed, breathing loudly with a slight wheeze, eyes dancing around her unfamiliar surroundings wildly. As she went to put her hands out to give her the support it would take to leave the bed, a sudden pain lanced through her arms, causing her to cry out before collapsing back into the thick bedding.

Coughing as the sudden sound leaving her parched throat irritated it, she shakily turned over onto her back from where she had fallen to her side, bringing her bandaged quivering appendage into view. There were several candles lit about the room on various dressers, tables and night stands. The off-white ragged picture of a piece of cloth wrapped about her hand met her gaze, the dark red spots on either side letting her know that it was probably still bleeding sluggishly.

Releasing a shuddering breath, she kept her injured hand as still as possible, not wishing to jar it again. Cradling it towards her body, she wriggled into a sitting position on the large bed, for the first time actually looking about the room to notice what was in it.

The bed she was currently in was more opulent than Sesshoumaru's, with a large red silk canopy hanging overhead to drape elegantly down the dark cherrywood posts at each corner. Tucking her mussed hair behind her ear, she slowly took in the sight of intricately hand-carved pieces of furniture, their obvious expense letting her know that whoever's place this was, they were not destitute. Nor did they cater to the Asian trend of spartan is better than flaunting useless wealth. No, this person had money and liked to show it.

It was huge, this bedroom she was in. Two armoires, a low table towards the center with many overly stuffed red pillows that held silvery tassels at their ends. There was a mirror hung directly above the dresser in the opposite wall facing the bed, a luxury that confirmed her belief that whoever she was 'visiting' right now was very well off financially. Not to mention the amount of candles burning in the room.

There were two large windows on one wall to her left, but both were high up enough that she couldn't reach them even if she put furniture beneath them and stretched to her full extent. Besides, with her injured hand she knew she wouldn't have been able to pull herself up anyway.

The grey haze of smoke in the corner caught her attention, for the first time letting her know that their was a large cast iron brazier, its reddish orange hot coals barely visible through the grates in its front. A pot was sitting atop it, much like the one she had used in her own and Sesshoumaru's room that Cheiro had placed there to aid her breathing at night.

Frowning, Kagome carefully slid her legs from beneath the blood red coverlet, happy on some level to see that the only apparel of hers missing was her shoes, which she saw under the night stand next to her bed once she gained her feet.

Walking on slightly unsteady legs across the ornate floor rugs spotting the floor, she kept looking towards the single heavy looking door that sat in its stately frame. She wasn't sure who's place this was, or why she was here, but she was very certain that she didn't wish to meet them just yet. Not until she was more secure with knowing her surroundings that is.

Muscles aching, and joints feeling old and decrepit, she ignored the steady throb from her hand and back. Cramps were nothing compared to having your hand impaled by ancient weaponry without any medical attention of modern medicine getting to it. At this point, she wasn't even sure she would ever be able to use it again.

If she lived long enough for it to heal that is...

A stab of pain arced through her heart as she replayed Akito's scream in her ears, his torturous crying echoing throughout her mind. Swallowing the tears it incited, the painful prick behind her eyelids, she finished her trek to the pot with its bubbling contents, peering inside, frowning when she saw that it was the same herbs the healer put in the usual mixture. Since her nose was stuffed, she couldn't smell anything, but she did recognize by sight the various leaves, twigs and wisping smoke it always contained. Keeping her hurt hand to her chest, her other hand holding the elbow in a cradle, she moved away to look into the room adjoining the one she was in, affirming her assumption that it was indeed a bathroom.

Coughing, she wished she had some water, though she wasn't positive anything from this foreign place she consumed wouldn't be poisoned, she made her staggering way to the mirror, staring into its wavering depths at her semi-distorted image.

A pale wraithlike creature stared back at her, its ebony hair in disarrayed waves about her shoulders, clothing wrinkled and dirty. Leaning closer, she traced the pinched lines of her features with her eyes, using the meager illumination of the candle beneath it to discern the unrecognizable girl staring back at her.

So consumed was she with analyzing her appearance, she failed to notice the silent slide of the door opening and closing, the approach of the demon coming closer to her.

It wasn't until they spoke that the miko swung around in fright, her blue-grey eyes widening and she stepped backwards to put some space between her and who she assumed to be her new 'host'.

"I'm surprised to see you up so soon, miko."

Kagome tried to control the thrashing of her pulse, clutching her injured hand closer to her body as though to keep it well away from the new youkai. Looking him up and down quickly, she was struck by the resemblance to Sesshoumaru.

This demon had the same silvery white long hair, though his was put into a high ponytail atop his head, an ornate clasp made of gold with the designs of what almost looked like Celtic waves upon its shiny surface. His hair was longer than the Taiyoukai's, reaching in a straight swath down to almost his knees in a pristine river, but his build was the same. Tall and lithe with striped hands tapering into refined fingers with deadly claws at their tips. He was garbed in a dark shade of scarlet, the same color that was so very prevalent in the room she had awoken in, the same black design on his hairpiece displayed again upon his collar and again at the edge of his haori sleeve.

Instead of giving him a washed out appearance, it seemed to make him glow, the amber eyes staring at her with level intelligence and calm resembling melted Italian gold with its transparent reddish tone to it. He wore no armor, no weapons, but with the controlled aura about this youkai she seriously doubted he needed any added implements save himself to vanquish a foe. Especially a sick human woman who had one usable hand as it was.

His arms lay limp and at ease at his sides, the slope of his shoulders relaxed to express how he saw her as no threat, nothing to be on guard about. His silvery bangs moved slightly against his forehead as he turned to glance towards the mirror she had been so engrossed in, the movement causing her to notice the marking on his forehead for the first time.

She noticed that it was the same crescent moon that adorned Sesshoumaru, the one she had wanted to trace so often when with him in repose, watching him sleep quietly beside her in his huge bed. This youkai, however, did not make her want to do any caressing any time soon.

Stepping back again till she could feel the heat of the brazier upon her spine, she asked as forcefully as she could, the quaver in her voice failing miserably to portray a confident young woman, "Who are you? What am I doing here?"

Turning back to regard her steadily, he arched one silvery eyebrow, an action so reminiscent of Sesshoumaru that she felt a pang of longing, wishing it was he she was with right now and not this person.

His voice was nothing like the Taiyoukai's, however. When he spoke next she heard the different nuances, as though each word he spoke was meant to make one tremble in fear with its soft quality. She was disappointed to find that it had the desired response in her.

"I'm surprised my nephews haven't mentioned me." A dark smirk lifted one side of his chiseled lips, a fang barely perceptible with the motion. "I am Lord Aion, brother to the late Queen of the Western Provinces to Lord Inu Taisho." A flash of quicksilver hatred sped through his irises at the mention of Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru's father.

So this was Aion, the relative Sora's father and the youkai Daija said even the reigning Lord of the Southern Provinces refused to deal with. My, but she was fortunate to get an audience with such a ...prestigious youkai. The sarcasm in her thoughts nearly made her want to smirk herself. Almost.

"Why am I here?"

Losing the smirk, he took a step closer to her, knowing she couldn't move now that she had effectively blocked herself in with the cast iron heating instrument. Still, when he stopped he was still a distance enough away from her not to be invading her personal space, but still too close for her comfort.

"That, miko, is a very good question." His amber eyes stared into her own intensely, as though the very force of his will could filter through her mind, take over her senses and bend her to his whims. "It would appear that my loving nephew makes it his hobby to interfere in every aspect of my life, whether it be influencing my traitorous son or any business venture I partake in."

"Sora," a picture of the dark dog demon flashed into her mind, the name falling from her lips causing his eyes to narrow.

" I see you've met him. Pity he hasn't conveniently fallen beneath the blade of an enemy yet."

Appalled, she couldn't prevent her indignant gasp. "He's your son, how could you say such a thing?"

"I assure, the day that whelp left to join the Taisho palace he ceased being any child of mine."

Unused to such blatant hatred for one's own offspring, Kagome could do not but stare at him incredulously. How one could disown their own child was beyond her comprehension, having come from a loving home as she had. But, gazing into the harsh set of Aion's face let her know it was indeed so, the possibility of this demon having ever expressed love and affection not likely.

Waving one hand negligently between them, he relaxed once more, dismissing his son from his mind.

"However, that is not the answer to your question and a subject not open to discussion. Since Sesshoumaru deems fit to thwart me at every turn, I thought it only fair to counter with my own means."

Frowning in confusion, she shifted where she stood, the heat against her back gaining intensity till it was a little past comfortable.

"How could taking me benefit you in any way?" A self derisive smile painted her lips, her eyes slightly sad if she but knew it. "I can tell you right now that Sesshoumaru won't be angry that I am gone. He's probably thanking you right now for doing him a favor."

Thoughtful amber eyes contemplated her a moment before he said in a soft voice, "You underestimate your importance to my nephew, miko."

Inwardly, she doubted what he said. Sure, she had become attached to the youkai, even going so far as to say she cared for him deeply on a different level than she did anyone else in her acquaintance, but that did not mean he felt the same. There were those instances when they were alone that he would show almost caring, treating her with a gentleness she was sure he didn't even realize, but that handful of moments did not a lasting relationship make.

"Then what is it you want to do with me, exactly?"

Again, that same elegant brow arched to be lost partway in his long bangs.

"That has yet to be decided. You are nothing more than a piece on a vast playing field, Kagome."

She started at the use of her name, surprised that he would even know it. "You know my name."

"Of course," came the prompt reply. A condescending smirk tilted his lips once more. "I have my own sources within the Taisho household that keeps me well informed of its master's actions. The abrupt arrival of a miko who dressed in odd clothing speaking with a weird dialect was not hard to gain information on."

Anger darkened her eyes to a stormy blue-grey as it was confirmed what she had begun to suspect.

"It was you, wasn't it? You who set the assassins on Sesshoumaru, tried to kill your own nephew."

"Very good, miko. Yes, it was me. Unfortunately, as seems the trend, my nephew has proven very hard to kill."

Hatred shadowed her features as she stepped forward to demand heatedly, "Why?! Why would you try and kill Sesshoumaru?"

Taking in her show of defiant anger, he took the one step that brought them within a handsbreadth of each other, staring down at her with forked eyebrows and glaring eyes, his body no longer lax.

"Why? Because he doesn't deserve to bare the title of Taiyoukai of the Western Lands! Because any youkai who would harbor affection for a human is not worthy of ruling over other youkai."

Shock rode through her system, making her notice how close they were causing her to retreat a few steps, though this time she noted with alarm that Aion followed her till she almost hit up against the burning hot metal of the brazier.

A shaky exhale left her as trepidation slowly began taking over her senses at their proximity to one another. "You're wrong. Sesshoumaru is a fine sovereign to his people."

Disgust swam in his irises, the dark black pupils of his eyes thinning out to very fine slits. "The opinion of Sesshoumaru's human bitch means nothing to me, miko."

Gulping, she bit out quietly, matching him glare for glare, "Get away from, Lord Aion."

An unpleasant smile flit onto his face as he reached up with one clawed hand towards her face.

Shutting her eyes, Kagome leant back as far as she could, barely avoiding the dangerous metal behind her as she turned her face away. She knew that she couldn't really defend herself right now, and prayed that whatever he was going to do wouldn't be too damaging. Now that she knew who was behind the attempts on Sesshoumaru's life, she wanted to stay around long enough to at least exact revenge for the Taiyoukai. Effectively put a stop to any future machinations on his demise.

Her breathe caught in her throat when she felt the cool touch of his clawed fingers tracing a gentle line down the side of her neck, dipping lightly beneath the soft fabric of her sweater to scrape her collarbone. Alarmed, she made to pull away, the sudden feel of hid hand tightly grabbing her waist through her shirt preventing her from moving. Trapped, she jumped at the warm breath that swept across her ear, the insidious whisper of his voice filtering through her panicked mind.

"Careful, we wouldn't want you to accidentally burn yourself, now would we?"

Trembling, she opened her eyes enough to regard him at the corner of one orb, a cough shaking her frame at having held her breath for a second. The scrape of his nails near her neck was felt again, her heart beating frantically as she wondered what it was he was doing.

The gust of his dark chuckle flit over her face and ear as he began to pull away from her, his fingers near her neck taking something with him. When he was far enough away for her to turn her head, she did so, her eyes widening as she saw in his hand the delicate gold chain with its round disc attached to it dangling between his fingers.

"I believe we should send my dear nephew a little memento. Just to let him know his miko is safe and sound with his cherished uncle." Dark amusement colored his voice, his grin malicious as with one vicious tug he broke the chain from her neck, curling his hand completely around the piece of jewelry till naught but the fractured links of gold showed.

Putting her good hand to her throat, she watched him clutch the container of her family's picture in a white-knuckled grip, the same pressure seeming to have distributed itself to her aching heart. It was the only thing she had to remind herself of her family while she was in this era, and now it would appear that even that was to be taken from her.

Noting her distressed expression, he let go of her waist to take up her injured hand with a speed that left no room for evasion on her part. He cradled the fragile appendage within his tapered fingers, her hand trembled as she tried to pull away. Grinning, he clasped tighter, the pain causing her to still her struggle instantly, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out.

"Don't worry, Kagome. You'll see your trinket again perhaps. Who knows, maybe even Sesshoumaru will be the one to return it to you. But until then," a malicious light entered his amber orbs as he suddenly turned her hand to the palm facing upwards and harshly slapped the locket right in the center of her stab wound.

Crying out, Kagome reflexively struck out with her free hand, giving him a glancing blow on his shoulder, eyes stinging with tears. "You bastard, let go!"

In answer he raised a brow and slowly, watching her the entire time, took her hand and forced it into a fist, stretching the injury even more to gape wide open beneath its cloth covering till it ran freely with blood.

Screaming, Kagome hit him again and again at the one spot she could reach, frantically tugging at her trapped hand, agony skating up her arm as she cried freely now. Gasping, all she could do was repeat the same thing over and over again.

"Stop! Stop it, please! Stop!"

Paying no heed to either her weak blows or her pleading, Aion held her in a punishing grip a few seconds more before releasing her suddenly, the abrupt action causing her to start falling back into the brazier.

With another quick movement, he grabbed her waist to keep her from injuring herself further, watching the sobbing woman dispassionately as he held her in one hand, the blood covered locket in the other.

"Careful miko. I don't think you need any more injuries right now." A significant pause passed between them before he added, "Yet."

Glaring at him with tear-drenched eyes, she wrenched out of his grasp, the youkai stepping back to allow her enough room to step around him towards the bed, keeping him in her line of sight the entire time.

"You bastard, what the hell was that for?!" She was shaking and couldn't seem to stop, the throbbing of her hand almost unbearable.

"Simply insurance, Kagome. I wouldn't want Sesshoumaru to think I was lying and didn't really have you in my possession. With your blood scenting this piece of jewelry, he can't refute that fact."

A choked sob was his answer as he gestured with the hand not holding the necklace towards one of the armoires. "You will find suitable clothing in there. I suggest you change since your apparel is disgustingly in need of cleaning. If you wish to bathe there is a large basin located through that door," again he indicated with his hand the open door adjoining the room. "Food and water will be brought to you twice a day, but your injury is not to be treated in any way until I deem it necessary. However, since I am not completely insensitive, I shall have a sedative given to you every few hours to help you deal with the pain." A mocking smile curved his lips as he began to walk towards the door, his amber eyes training on her once he reached it. "Do try to rest, Kagome. I assure you, you're going to have plenty of time to 'recuperate' here until my nephew arrives."

Anger pushed through her pain enough to make her yell at him harshly, cheeks red and eyes streaming with outraged tears. "He won't come for me! You can torture me all you want, even kill me, but Sesshoumaru won't let you bring him here to slaughter simply because I am here!"

An icy calm overcame his countenance as he replied quietly, one hand on the door, "Oh he will come, miko. He'll come, because I have captured his queen."

So saying, he left as quietly as he had come, the solid slide of a bar being placed to lock the entrance echoing throughout the silent room.

Sniffling, she tottered to the bed, falling onto its soft surface, not caring that her bleeding hand was probably staining the already crimson linen as she cried into her pillow.

She was caught in the possession of a crazed demon. One that was as sadistic as the whispers about the castle spoke. And not only was he hell-bent on killing his own nephew, but he was also delusional enough to think Kagome held enough worth to said Taiyoukai to warrant his own sacrifice.

Queen indeed, she thought in angry exhaustion. All she wanted was to leave this place, say goodbye to feudal Japan and be welcomed into the warm embrace of her mother. But as her mind began to descend towards sleep, the tears slowly stopping to leave salty tracks in their wake, it was a stoic dog demon's facade that filled her mind's eye, cold and unattainable.

And with sinking despair, Kagome felt what small piece of her heart that had been whole fracture and break.


	46. Eastern Province

Breaking the news to the Inu Yasha Tachi went exactly as the hanyou had figured it would. Sango had gone pale and quiet, looking as though nausea was overtaking her innards and tossing them about negligently. Mirokou had draped one robed arm about the taijiya's sloping figure, his own eggplant eyes grave and serious, the hand about his staff digging deeply into the metal. And, of course, Shippo was currently alternating between sobbing and biting from his position in Inu Yasha's hand, where he had irritatingly pulled the young fox from his ears seconds before.

Gritting fangs in anger, white ears flat against his skull, the hanyou searched the room for the one person who had taken the disappearance of Kagome with a seeming indifferent boredom. Kikyou sat calmly at the low polished table in the room, staring blankly at Inu Yasha, her hands calmly laying in her lap. A flash of disappointment streaked through his breast as he glanced away quickly so the dead miko wouldn't see the emotions lingering there.

His disbelieving gaze was brought back to rest on her serene countenance, however, when the smooth nuances of her voice effectively silenced the distraught kitsune as nothing else could.

"Bring me to your brother, Inu Yasha."

Eyebrows reaching high into his white bangs, he let the lax form of Shippo go, shock making his lips part slightly. "Kikyou..."

Standing gracefully, she approached the startled half demon, waiting patiently for him to move aside to allow her to exit the room. "I know Sesshoumaru has much on his mind at the moment, but I assure you, I do have a valid reason for seeking his council."

"Are you sure that is wise, Kikyo," Miroku asked cautiously, Sango's face raising to regard the other woman closely. The dead priestess was not know for offering her help all too willingly. It seemed odd that she would do so now, especially in light of who her proposed patient would be.

Kikyo's opaque gaze remained on Inu Yasha, looking to the hanyou for an answer while forgoing giving any of her own. Inu Yasha stared back in puzzlement, confused as to why his mate would suddenly demand now, of all times, to be taken so his half-brother. No matter how deeply he delved, he could come up with no reason as to why the miko would wish to see Sesshoumaru.

Reluctantly, he handed the now quiet Shippo to Sango, the little demon kit clutching at the taijiya as tears ran in a torrent down his cheeks, soaking into the woman's kimono front and his own collar.

Nodding towards the monk whose arm was still about the Sango's shoulders, he said gruffly, "Keep an eye on the brat, you two. This shouldn't take long, and when I get back we'll decide what to do."

"We're going to go after her, of course!" came the taijiya's impassioned cry as she cradled the fox's sobbing body to her own. There was a hardness about her chocolate eyes that they had only ever seen in battle. The same leveling of a cold stare at a demon she looked to before taking him down with her hiraikotsu.

Scowling, Inu Yasha laced his arms about his chest. "Just wait, alright? I don't know what my brother has planned and I need to see what that damn wolf is going to do before we do anything."

Disgruntled, Sango settled against Miroku in frustration. She hated not going into action immediately to help Kagome. The miko was like a sister to her, damn it, and she had already lost one sibling to an evil youkai.

Assured that the others wouldn't be trying something foolhardy in his absence, he uncrossed his arms to stalk to the door, Kikyo trailing behind him. He didn't want to tell them that he doubted Sesshoumaru would be allowing them to leave on the journey to rescue Kagome. Even the hanyou had noticed how close his bastard half-brother and the miko had grown, even sharing the same bed more than once. Discreet the Taiyoukai may be, but not enough to where Inu Yasha didn't know what Kouga's behavior from earlier under the sakura tree had meant. Unfortunately, if the dog demon did decide to order them to remain at the castle, the hanyou was going to have his hands full keeping them all in place. The least the bastard could do is lend him some of his soldiers to help him keep the group inside and not running about trying to escape.

Sighing wearily, he traipsed the halls that led to his brother's quarters, inwardly hoping that whatever Kikyo wanted to talk over with the Taiyoukai that it didn't cause more trouble. The place was in an uproar as it was.

In face of the current debacle of what used to be his well run palace, Sesshoumaru ordered Musashi to locate Daija as well as Sora, Shurin and Kaizon as quickly as possible. Once having located said youkai, the cougar was then to escort them, forcefully if need be, to the dog demon's study where he and Kouga would already be waiting. Inu Yasha, he had no doubt, had left to discuss the current events with Kagome's friends, breaking the distressing news to her comrades and decide a course of action for them to follow.

Sesshoumaru debated on whether or not he should set an armed guard outside the humans' rooms in order to keep them from leaving the castle. Really, even with the few skills they held they would just get in the way of any rescue attempt he, and any others he thought worthy to participate, could concoct. The notion that if any of them perished or subsequently became injured from this little outing, thus causing Kagome even more heartache, just solidified the idea even more. However, he was nothing if not thorough in his planning, and thus he would wait until he and the other Lords devised something before giving the orders to restrain the humans. Inu Yasha he wasn't even certain would join them, or remain behind where his own mate could be looked after along with the remaining shard hunting party.

Precious hours had already went by as it was since the miko's abduction, and though he was well aware that she was currently in residence of one of Aion's keeps bordering his own territory, the serpent of unease continued to writhe in his gut. Having felt the deadly caress of that particular demon's claws more than once in his youth, suffered the sadistic dog youkai's ideas on 'training,' he had to forcefully push these memories from his mind. If he allowed himself to dwell on what could be happening to Kagome right now while he sat in composed splendor behind his large desk within his study, Sesshoumaru was certain his inner demonic aura would immediately take control.

With his uncle, one could not rush into any situation without analyzing every single angle first. To do so would result in mortal folly for all involved, whether they be victim or aggressor. Having utilized the same methods himself, the Taiyoukai could easily fall into a role he had been taught from his relative a long time ago. In a sick way, he was almost thankful to Aion for such tutelage, since it was probably going to be that first-hand knowledge which ended up saving Kagome.

Which he would save her. That wasn't a question, but a firm resolution in his mind. His uncle had made the mistake of attacking the one aspect of his nephew's life that was off-limits to everyone. That being the potential lady to the Western Lands, the future mate to Lord Sesshoumaru. Because when all was said and done, at the end of the day when he had safely rescued her from the sadistic claws of his uncle, Sesshoumaru had every plan to make certain she would never be in such a position as to fall into harm's way again.

The depth of his feelings for this human was not really a surprise. For days now he had known that she was becoming to mean more and more to him, winding her warmth and life indelibly into his heart. So much so that he found he couldn't and didn't want to ever be apart from her more than necessary.

Perhaps it was his heritage. A trait passed on through the blood which flowed with such potency in his veins, a subtle legacy the previous Taiyoukai had passed on to both his sons without their knowledge until they met their own mates. Either way, Sesshoumaru was more than prepared to accept Kagome into his life, keep her safe and bind her to him so that never again would something of this caliber transpire.

He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of Inu Yasha and the undead miko. The latter making the dog demon's nostrils flare in irritation at the odor she emitted of earth and death. How his half sibling could stand that, he had no idea.

Raising a cup of sake to chiseled lips, he arched one silvery brow at the hanyou and priestess, sipping delicately at the sharp liquid, amber eyes sweeping over the two new occupants to his study. They had left the door open behind them, allowing the Taiyoukai to be able to easily watch the half-lit hallways illuminated by their torches. He knew that the cougar and his entourage would be joining him soon, and didn't relish the thought that his half-brother and mate would be there to offer their own tidbits of advice on whatever plan they devised.

Leveling them with a calm icy stare, he took in how the various candles in their black cast-iron holders in the shapes of half moons danced across Inu Yasha's features, bathing the undead miko in flickering shadows.

"What is it you want, Inu Yasha?" He studiously ignored addressing Kikyou. She held no importance for him so there was no need to give her any of his attention.

Hands clenched into fists at his sides, his body a line of tense muscle, the hanyou's gold eyes glared in anger at his sibling. "Don't give me shit right now, Sesshoumaru! I wouldn't even be here if Kikyou hadn't demanded an audience with you."

At the mention of the woman's name, his eyes trailed over to the silent female standing with poise next to his brother. Again, his silvery brow arched in mild inquiry as he once more partook of the fiery beverage before lowering it to the gleaming tabletop which was uncharacteristically bare. "You wished to see me, miko?"

Cold, brown eyes settled upon him, the face they peered out of so similar to the woman he had come to care for, yet so drastically different at the same time. Never would he imagine to ever see such an expression on Kagome's face, nor would he want to. The human woman portrayed emotion vividly and without restraint, and before when he would have sneered at such behavior, now he craved it.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. I have come to offer my assistance in the healing of your personal guard." Her eyes remained lifeless, features bland as they stared straight into the dog demon's. As though his answer was not one she was interested in hearing.

Narrowing his eyes upon her in consideration, he pondered what she had said, mulling over the ramifications of it in his mind. "You believe you can heal Akito, miko?"

Kikyou nodded, not a hair from her head moving with the motion, the hands clasped together at her waist relaxed where they lay against her red and white silk-clad body. The kimono she wore decorated in chrysanthemums in various stages of life, the geta upon her feet as new as her attire. Her voice was low and solemn as it always was whenever she was talking.

"I know I can, Lord Sesshoumaru. Though I may be a miko, I am well aware of the healing arts used to help youkai."

Inu Yasha had turned incredulous eyes to her when she had stated why she had demanded to see his older brother. Of the million different reasons why he had wondered at her request, never would he have figured it was to ask to heal Akito. Quickly, he glanced back over to his silent sibling, wondering what Sesshoumaru thought of the words falling so flatly from the priestess' lips.

For his part, the Taiyoukai was in full agreement to allow the miko to work on the kitsune if it meant a faster recovery for the fox. Akito was too valuable an asset to the palace to lose simply because they were lacking a healer in residence.

Nodding in acquiesce, the undulating light from the numerous candles dancing playfully upon his hair in shimmering oranges and yellows, the dog demon settled an intense gaze upon the unmoved female. "Very well. If you can heal Akito then I grant you full permission to do what you can for him. If there are certain herbs or other medicinal things you need then one of the palace guards will act as your assistant and fetch them for you from Cheiro's stock."

Inu Yasha didn't miss the ice incasing the previous healer's name as it fell from his brother's frowning lips. As he watched his older sibling, he noticed for the first time how stressed the youkai actually looked. Usually, Sesshoumaru was known for keeping an indifferent facade no matter what scenario cropped up. Now, it would seem that when it involved Kagome and their bastard uncle, even the Taiyoukai was finding his superb battle control fraying at the edges. If the tightness to his lips and hardening of his amber eyes was anything to go by.

Bowing respectfully to the reclining ruler, Kikyou straightened, making her way towards the door to leave and begin administering to her new patient. Pausing at the threshold, she caught the dog youkai's eyes with her own. "Do not worry, Lord Sesshoumaru. All will turn out precisely as it is meant to in the end."

Not waiting for a reply to her cryptic statement, the priestess silently departed, leaving the two brothers to gaze at the empty spot she had previously vacated. Inu Yasha frowned in puzzlement, ears flattening a bit, arms crossing over his chest as he turned to regard the other male.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

Glancing up to the hanyou, Sesshoumaru finished the last of the sake in the cup before setting it next to the carafe of a matching black with sakura blossom design. "I wouldn't begin to try and understand what your mate meant by what she said."

Rolling his eyes, Inu Yasha waved an irritated hand through the air, clearly annoyed. "Oi, can't you ever just answer a damn question without something that doesn't make any damn sense?"

"No." The dog demon smirked inwardly at how easy it was to irritate Inu Yasha. Even with the sobering turn of events recently, he still derived a fair amount of dark amusement at driving the hanyou crazy. It passed the time anyway.

Fed up with trying to talk to Sesshoumaru, Inu Yasha threw his hands up in defeat before turning to stalk towards the exit, white hair trailing behind his tense form. " What the hell ever. Just get Kagome back, you bastard."

"Of that, you can be assured," he replied confidently, noticing his sibling's troubled visage as he quit the room, leaving him to his sake and solitude once more as he awaited the arrivals to his summons.

The fact that the hanyou hadn't demanded to be included was more telling than Inu Yasha knew. It showed that he was relinquishing all previous hold upon the woman to his brother, stepping aside to allow the Taiyoukai to retrieve Kagome by whatever means he deemed appropriate.

'Perhaps his little brother was finally growing up', he mused to himself as the sound of multiple pairs of feet approaching reached his sensitive ears.

Fixing his face into cool indifferent lines, Sesshoumaru sat straight and calm, presenting for all intents and purposes the formidable sovereign of the Western Provinces, an immovable force of nature who took everything in stride.

Amber eyes trained in a blank expression to the doorway, he took in the sight of Daija entering, a worried look upon the firebird's face, his cousin, Sora, who was followed by the General and lastly, Musashi who still remained in his bloodied armor. The minute narrowing of amber eyes was the only reaction he showed at the glaring absence of the rain youkai.

He would have to tell the cougar to change out of those sullied clothes soon. There was enough chaos throughout the keep right now without adding the panic of a blood covered demon to the mix. Blood that smelled of the miko their master had brought to the castle not long ago.

Musashi, taking note of his master's gaze, replied stiffly through bloodless lips, the hand about his weapon strained and tense, "My Lord, Shurin cannot be located on the premises." A pregnant pause followed, where all in the chamber watched the exchange with varying expressions before the cougar added, "His scent ended not far from where we lost Lady Kagome's."

Everyone knew what those foreboding words translated into. Though Sesshoumaru may have harbored a certain amount of suspicion towards his personal aide, it didn't stop the quicksilver stab of regret and momentary betrayal the news brought. Outwardly, he remained unmoved, refusing to give in to emotions that had been locked away for years, ever the stoic commander in complete control. Later, he would deal with what this meant and act accordingly. For now, he had the immediate situation to deal with.

"I am not surprised, Musashi. It will be dealt with." The ice underlying the nuances of his voice sent a shiver down every yourkais' spine, none in doubt of what 'dealing with' what happened in question in any of their minds.

Gesturing elegantly with his hand, he kept silent as each male took a place upon the multitude of decorative pillows dotting the floor on the other side of his desk, waiting till each was situated before speaking.

"I am certain that every one of you knows why I asked you here." His amber gaze fixed upon each person's in turn, settling with cooler intent upon Kaizon before moving on. "Since there is nothing that can be done about events that have already happened, we are going to focus on rectifying this problem."

Sesshoumaru paused in his diatribe as Kouga came into the room, all but slamming the door closed upon crossing the threshold, the prince forgoing taking a seat to stand in a corner, arms crossed over his chest. He didn't offer an excuse for his tardiness, but then, the dog youkai hadn't really expected one. Rulers were not accountable to anyone save themselves, not even fellow sovereigns of neighboring provinces.

The ookami inclined his head slightly, ebony bangs swaying with the motion as a silent go ahead for the other youkai to continue with whatever he had been saying before he arrived.

Not showing any reaction to the wolf's movement, he drew the assembled youkais' attention back to himself. "It is obvious that Cheiro has been working for my uncle, Aion," at the mention of his father's name, Sora's nails dug deeply into the soft fabric of his pants, his teeth sitting on edge. "And during her defection, she has managed to take the miko with her."

Daija's incredulous writhing gaze fixed upon Sesshoumaru's, his mouth hanging agape a moment before he demanded, "Cheiro was a spy?"

A single nod from the Taiyoukai was his answer, the phoenix flashing his own fangs in growing anger as the circumstances of the situation grew more and more dire as each new piece of information was divulged.

The dog demon's next words caused everyone in the room to turn their attention to the dragon, who stiffened as his amethyst eyes narrowed at what his master was almost blatantly accusing him of.

"Though, I do not believe she has acted all these years on her own." Sesshoumaru's frosty eyes trained steadily on the aggravated general. "In fact, I know she hasn't. Isn't that so, Ryosuke?"

"What precisely are you accusing me of, my lord?" Came Kaizon's even tone, no stray emotion showing upon his flawless features as he deigned from glancing at anyone else in the chamber. His form was tense, yet his hands still lay in a relaxed splay upon his thighs, staying well away from the swords laced in the sash at his waist.

Kouga, at this point, moved forward to stop a few paces behind the dragon, his azure eyes boring holes into the back of the kneeling demon's skull, clawed hands clenched at his sides and tail swishing back and forth in anger. "Are you fucking telling me, Sesshoumaru, that this bastard had something to do with Kagome's abduction?"

The others watched the proceedings in varying stages of disbelief, Daija going so far as to turn completely to the accused demon at his side, his own hand settling tightly upon the eelskin pummel of his katana as though to draw it at a moment's notice to cut down the ryu.

"The General's exact place in this sordid play isn't clear, as of yet. However, I am sure that will change shortly." Another stray chill went down each of their backs at the cruel intent behind their master's words, even the Northern Prince's tail bristled like a bottle brush at the hidden nuances in his words.

"You wish to place a blame upon me that isn't mine to bear," Kaizon said harshly, his expression fierce as he faced his leader. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you cannot possibly believe I would betray you in any way."

A silvery brow arched at his subordinate's impassioned plea, sweeping the general in an impassive stare as he replied, "Can I not? Even Shurin was a better actor than this paltry display, General Kaizon."

A dull growl akin to a subtle roar flitted from the dragon's throat, his skin taking on a translucent sheen as though shimmering scales were slowly overtaking his visage, amethyst eyes dilating till the slitted pupil nearly consumed the iris. "I refuse to be accused of being some petty criminal! Though I may serve you, Lord Sesshoumaru, the dragon clan has enough power in their own rite to deserve respect. Even from the son of the Great Dog General himself!"

Musashi and Sora clamored to their feet, brandishing their glaives at the insolent words coming from their superior's mouth, Daija having drawn his sword to lay it with deadly accuracy upon the pulse point on Ryosuke's throat.

"You forget yourself, General," the surprisingly threatening words coming from the firebird's dulcet voice inwardly shocked Sesshoumaru, to see the phoenix youkai displaying genuine rage at the other demon's words. The glimmering length of his sword pressed against the ivory column of Kaizon's throat where but a flick of his wrist would slash it open, spilling his blood upon the pristine floorboards. "The ruler of the Southern Lands your father may be, however, you are naught but a soldier in this army. One of many nameless faces who serve the Taiyoukai sitting across from us. Lord Sesshoumaru owes you nothing, save if he wishes to grace your meaningless existence with an order."

Sesshoumaru could easily understand why so many of his own warriors idolized the bird youkai. This being the first time he bore witness to the other demon's formidable power of speech as well as fighting prowess caused the dog demon to gain a new respect for the other Lord.

The dog demon noticed how the dragon's eyes flit to Daija from their corners, the side of his mouth closest to the firebird lifting in a snarl, flashing one elongated fang which had lengthened with the changing of his skin color. "A Lord you may be, Daija, but I do not bow to your wishes, ambassador." The title was said with sarcasm and disdain, displaying what Ryosuke thought of the other youkai.

When it looked as though Daija would exert the pressure needed to end the defiant demon's life, Sesshoumaru spoke up in a bland tone. "Stay your hand, Lord Daija."

With great reluctance, the other demon hesitated a moment more before withdrawing his weapon, sliding it back into his scabbard with a sharp snap, settling for glaring in crimson fury at the male sitting beside him.

Assured that the situation had been handled, the Taiyoukai addressed his General. "General Kaizon, under suspicion of conspiracy against the crown you serve, I am placing you under confinement." He ignored the outraged look growing on the dragon's face, the dangerous slitting of his nearly black eyes. "You will be taken, questioned, and held until I deem it otherwise. Musashi," the cougar straightened to attention at his name, holding his weapon in a tight-knuckled fist beside his stiff form.

"My Lord?"

Waving his striped hand, he indicated the seething General. "You will escort General Kaizon to the detention quarters. Inform Kiro that I have use of his services. Let the kitsune know he can use...corporal persuasion if he deems it necessary." The delicate pause he used in adding the last part was done purposely, giving the satisfying result of seeing the dragon youkai falter a moment, features flashing with real fear before being replaced by outrage once more. It was well known that when Kiro was not being called upon to instruct the troops, or given an assignment for an assassination, the ice fox also was their lead interrogator. A profession that most others could not stomach, including the kitsune's brother.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." The cougar went to Kaizon, laying a heavy clawed hand upon his silk-clad shoulder, urging him to rise. "Come with me, General."

Kouga stepped to the side, eyes following the slowly rising ryu intently, a growl slipping from his lips as the purple-haired male stood stiffly before the dog demon. The prince was glad that Sesshoumaru had such a ruthless youkai in his arsenal, as Kiro seemed to be. Though it was often a messy business, it was also very necessary for any ruler to have a specific branch which gained information from those who showed ill intent towards the ruler of the region. This did not always mean that torture was utilized since such methods weren't exactly accurate at what information you obtained, but in the General's case, Kouga was all for whatever the bastard suffered.

Daija watched silently, keeping his sitting position with a careful eye on the apprehended General's hand, tense shoulders relaxing subtly as Sora moved to divest the dragon of his weapons, placing them upon the lacquered surface of Sesshoumaru's desk.

"You think to subject me to this barbarism, but I assure you, Lord Sesshoumaru, that if I come to any harm then my father, Lord Tachikaze of the Southern Provinces will not go leniently upon what you have done to his heir." Ryosuke smoothed his face out into blank indifference, the glistening cast to his skin fading to that of the previous flat shades, his voice once more cultured and precise without the growl interspersed within it. The dragon was assured that his parent's formidable influence would keep him safe, no matter how good the standing of the house of Taisho was.

"That is a risk I am well prepared to take, Ryosuke," Sesshoumaru replied flatly, amber eyes following the retreating pair of demons until the door closed behind them with stark finality and their footsteps faded beyond his hearing. Alone with the others once more, he regarded all three before stopping on Kouga. "Lord Kouga, I would suggest you sit," nodding to his cousin, he added, "You as well, Sora. We have much planning to do and I am positive this discussion will take us well into the evening."

Kicking the pillow that the previous demon had sat upon to the other side of the room, the ookami sat Indian-style upon the cold surface of the bare floor, refusing to even rest anywhere that the dragon had before. Sora gracefully lowered his lithe frame to his own spot, the length of hair which was stubbornly falling over his eye fluttering briefly with the movement.

"Let's get this going, already," the wolf bit out impatiently, his arms once more crossing over his torso.

"Patience is a virtue, Lord Kouga," quipped Daija from his left, earning the firebird an irritated scowl in response. The bird youkai studiously ignored the irrate ruler, staying focused upon Sesshoumaru's icy facade instead.

"Gentlemen, please. We don't have time for this." The Taiyoukai cut in before their behavior could incite another delay that he couldn't afford. Turning his attention to his cousin, he asked, "Sora, I've asked you here so you could give us useful insight into your father's home. Its layout, the fortifications he generally uses and such."

Nodding, the dark inu youkai began listing the various aspects to the castle Aion held on the border of the Western Lands. A piece of yellowed parchment was produced along with a bamboo stemmed brush and cast-iron ink holder so he could begin sketching out the blueprint, marking identifying slashes that depicted soldiers and where they were stationed.

As the three Lords listened attentively, asking a question here and there for extra clarification on the domicile, the night wore on sluggishly, and yet, with way too fast a gait than they would have preferred. The candles in their ornate resting places continued to melt down, the flickering flames dancing upon jeweled eyes and alabaster flesh, painting all the youkais' faces with sinister shadows. Yet, none were as somber as that of the Taiyoukai of the West, whose face showed nothing, and whose emotions have never been in such a tangle as they were now.

Kagome sat amongst the crimson sea of the grand bed, her injured hand cradled within its partner as the deeper color of her blood seeped sluggishly through its new slack bandage. She had no idea how much time had gone by before she had awoken once more. Somehow, by how dark it was outside her windows, she didn't think it had been that long. After awakening, the miko had searched with blurry blue-grey eyes through the various drawers and cabinets for something to stem the flow of the blood dripping from her fingers and wrist, Aion having sullied the previous one beyond redemption. There was a lovely trail of the red liquid which tracked her movements around the chamber until she had found something suitable. Or, as suitable as had been available considering most of what she had seen had to do with traditional Japanese clothing of the time period. Ultimately, an intricate snowy doily emblazoned with the rolling waves she was coming to associate with the owner of her prison was the lucky winner.

She had wrapped the immaculate material about her wound as best she could, burning the old one before retreating to the bed afterwards while ignoring how there were now little dots of the sanguine nature marring Aion's clean floors and expensive carpets, the damage giving Kagome a jab of petty satisfaction that she had managed to ruin something of the dog demon's.

She knew that the shaky, exhausted feeling spreading through her body was from the encounter with the terrifying youkai, having been faced with such purposeful hate from a veritable stranger not something she was used to. After meeting Sesshoumaru's uncle, she could understand why Sora would abandon his home in favor of his cousin's keep. Aion gave new definition to a being gifted in the arts of torture and torment.

Sniffling, she gazed with despondent eyes as the cloth about her palm continued to grow redder, the stain branching out like a sickly ink stain. Though most who knew her would describe the girl as one given to hope, the first person to usually see the brighter side in any situation, there was nothing of that young woman recognizable in Kagome now.

No matter what angle she attempted to analyze the how and why of where she was, not a single ray of inspiration could penetrate the dark miasma of her thoughts.

Honestly, how worse could it possibly get?

Through her own foolishness, Akito was probably dead, Sesshoumaru was no doubt having to deal with, to put it mildly, an irrate Kouga and Inu Yasha over her disappearance, and best of all, she had consummatly failed at what she had tried so hard to preempt. She had all but handed his most hated enemy the best bargaining chip Aion could have dreamed of. Sighing, the image of what had happened out on that dark lonely field danced through her head over and over. Even though the arrow had not penetrated the fox's armor, the purifying energy which had coursed throughout his body would have surely done the trick.

Til the end of her days, Kagome would never forget the sound of the Arctic fox's blood-chilling scream of pain. The blazing white void of his glowing eyes, the lengthening of his fangs from his gaping mouth where the horrible noise kept spilling from his straining throat.

A tear made its way slowly down her salt reddened cheek, the only sign of life from the tragic doll she presented.

She was a failure, a complete and utter disgrace to everyone around her. Because of her lack of control, the inability to wield her power correctly, a close friend of hers had reaped the less than savory benefits. Had such a noble and skilled demon died as befits him? Beneath an enemy's sword or the mortal wound suffered in the defense of his family and station?

No. Instead, the glorious warrior had met his probable end by the frail hands of a human female who had professed to be his comrade. The same woman who he had spent many days and countless hours at her disposal, protecting her, offering his own friendship in return.

Why was it that anyone who came close to her was destined to go through some heartache or other?

By trying to protect Sesshoumaru, a Taiyoukai of vaster power and battle knowledge than herself, she had fairly offered herself up to his uncle as the most useful arsenal he could have attained. Having personally experienced the sadistic dog demon's attentions, Kagome knew that whatever Aion had planned for the Lord of the Western Lands was not pretty.

Thanks to her folly, now, not only was his life in peril, but Kouga's as well. For the miko knew that no matter his faults, the wolf prince was exceedingly loyal to those he cared for, or claimed as part of his 'pack'.

Males seemed to inherit an appalling short life-span when associating with her. She knew they would come for her. No amount of fervent prayer from her would dissuade the demons residing at Sesshoumaru's castle to let her disappearance slide. Especially not after recovering Akito's body from the scene of where she was taken.

Someone would have felt the spike of her purifying power seconds before the kitsune's jaki rose to alarming proportions. Even those not blessed with such insight would have felt that fissure of unbridled power, the hair rising along their bodies in helpless reaction as it brushed against their skin.

Kagome scoffed, the bitter sound reverberating throughout the empty room, a wealth of self-loathing contained in the harsh noise. As noble as her intentions had been on the outset, it now appeared the old adage was true. The road to Hell was, indeed, paved with good intentions.

Hand throbbing in tandem with her pulse, the miko closed her eyes, shutting out the grotesque grandeur of her holding cell. A firm resolution was beginning to take root deep within her. The determination that she would not allow herself to be anymore of a helpless victim than she already had been. Really, it was entirely up to her just how well Aion could use her as a weapon against Sesshoumaru. When all was said and done, it fell completely to her how much damage she would let her presence in this foreign place inflict upon the dog demon she had come to care for so deeply.

The bastard of a youkai holding her captive wanted to use her as an instrument to kill the ones Kagome loved. Gritting her teeth in rage at the thought, she fisted her good hand and let loose a growl which would have made any inu youkai proud.

If Aion honestly thought for one minute that she would timidly permit herself and others to be served up for slaughter, then he was horribly mistaken. Already, she could feel the burning hot loathing rising inside her, effectively replacing the despair and depression of before.

She would devise a plan, figure out a solution to this abominable mess she had managed to immerse herself in. Perhaps she could not bring Akito back, but she could do everything possible to prevent the deaths of anyone else.

Even if she had to forfeit her own meager life to do so.

One thing that continued to alarm the young woman was the glaring absence of the purifying power which had manifested itself so adroitly before with her guard. As though the amount which had poured from her body had been as a match soaked in gasoline, glaring white hot for seconds prior to turning to a cinder of nothingness in its place. In fact, Kagome realized that when the deadly light had coursed throughout her frail body, it had been at its most potent since she had become aware of its existence years ago. However, there was nothing of that power left now. Where the steady dull thrum of the energy had resided inside herself, slowly fluctuating in the past few days in a puzzling manner since her illness, now it was completely gone. As though a vacuum had been attached to where it lay and sucked it entirely from her without leaving a vestige behind, not a dreg to draw upon. If it had, she would have delivered a satisfying jolt to the tortuous youkai who had visited her earlier, taken her precious locket from about her neck.

Lips flattening into an irate line, she growled once more, eyes narrowing at some non-descript point towards the wall. That bastard had stolen the one thing that she had which directly linked her to her family back home in modern Japan. She felt close to naked with the lack of jewelry laying about her throat, the metal warming to her skin and laying flat between her breasts where her heart could beat beneath it. Anger continuing to build at her thoughts, the miko resolved to pay Aion back tenfold for taking something she held dearly, attempting to use it to incite the Taiyoukai into a rage over the scent of her blood tarnishing its shiny surface.

Confidence bolstered by her ire, Kagome was able to push away the fear and sadness, gladly accepting anger in its place. She knew anger could keep a person going, let them survive, even numb the pain of injuries for the person inflicted with it if they allowed it to consume them enough. She would gladly embrace the negative emotion wholeheartedly if it meant she could devise a plan of action to rectify her captivity.

Shoulders straightening, she arose from the bed to stalk on steadier legs towards the armoire where Aion had indicated her new 'wardrobe' was contained. Though she hated the idea of wearing anything the dog demon provided, even she wouldn't wear her bloodied filthy clothing just to spite him. The red liquid had managed to dry on the material, leaving it stiff and half plastered to parts of the skin it lay against beneath. Grimacing in distaste as she took her shirt and pulled it away from her body, the cloth coming loose in increments as it released its hold from her flesh, she managed with some difficulty to pull it over her head without jarring her injury too much. Tossing it carelessly on the floor near the low table, she then opened the door to the heavy piece of furniture. The traces left behind on her abdomen she would take care of later, the faint red swirls from the blood staying in contact and drying on her flesh revolting but bearable.

A raven brow arched at the extravagant array of silk kimonos, yukatas and obis neatly lined upon the polished shelves. Even the Sengoku Jedai's version of undergarments was available, though Kagome absolutely refused to change into something as personal as underwear, especially with her being on her cycle. The miko thanked Kami she had put an extra pad in her jeans pocket like she always did as a failsafe, just in case she accidentally left her house without remembering to bring one in her bag or purse. She had no wish to ask a random servant in the keep what they used in this day and age for a woman on her period, if in fact, a house full of demons had any idea what a human would use.

Reaching out with her good hand, standing in her jeans and black bra, she rummaged without particular care through the expensive clothing, finally settling on a ebony silk kimono that had amber waves the color of Sesshoumaru's eyes in the design of his uncle's insignia. Though she hated putting on something that pointed to her belonging to the evil youkai's household, there was nothing for it since every piece of clothing in the damn armoire had it emblazoned on the left sleeve as well as the hem.

Sighing heavily, she put her arms through the draping sleeves, ignoring the luxurious feel of fabric that in her own time she would never have been able to afford to wear. The edges naturally falling with a slight gap down her front, her creamy skin showing a thin line down her center, she muttered a curse as she undid her jeans and wriggled out of them. Who knew working with only one hand to do something as simple as changing your clothes could be so difficult? It made her have new respect and understanding for the Taiyoukai who only possessed one arm.

Bending down to retrieve the slim square in its yellow plastic from the back pocket of the pants now laying in a heap at her bare feet, she placed it on a random shelf next to a seafoam shaded yukata. Next, the young woman withdrew the long amber obi with its contrasting black waves, a beautiful counterpart to the long robe she had on. Since Kagome had never worn formal wear of this sort, she had no idea if there were under-kimonos or liners that went with it. There must be, she mused to herself as she rubbed the frail tie to her outfit between her fingers, since one layer of silk offered little protection from elements or for one's modesty.

Frowning, she shifted her feet, the diaphanous confection fluttering slightly at her movements as she pondered on how the hell she was exactly going to tie the kimono closed one handed. As it was, she wasn't even certain she knew how to knot it correctly so it didn't decide to slip open at the worst possible moment. Shivering slightly as the chill temperature in the room brushed upon the exposed skin of her legs and torso, she bit her lip in indecision before a hard gleam settled in her blue-grey eyes.

Fisting the delicate obi, she tossed it negligently onto the bare tabletop before wrapping the edges of her new outfit about her, holding it closed with her injured arm across her stomach till only a shallow V remained visible near her neck. Pulling her hair free from the material with her uninjured hand, she stomped to the door, her tread harsh enough to cause one of the ornate silk rugs to move and become askew. Reaching the heavy door, she eyed it narrowly before bringing one bare leg back and delivering a loud flat-footed kick towards its bottom. She was inwardly surprised when she saw the wood shake in its frame, eyebrows forking down into a scowl as she yelled, "Hey! Whoever's out there, tell your damn master I can't get his stupid clothing on by myself!"

Kagome tilted her head towards the silent entryway, focusing on the other side to see if she could hear anyone else acknowledging her outburst. As the silence stretched on, she growled loudly in frustration and administered two more swift blows, each one harder than the last, all but unbalancing herself as she made sure to keep the kimono tightly closed on the off chance someone suddenly opened the door. It wouldn't do to give some youkai a peep show because of her antics. Her modesty and pride had taken a harsh enough beating, thank you.

After what felt like ages, and a few more growled threats and hits to the door, she was happy to hear the steady approach of shoe-clad feet to her prison. Muttering an irritated, "Finally," the young woman backed away from the entrance to stand haughtily to the side where she would be able to instantly see whoever came in.

She kept the surprise and trepidation from her expression with difficulty as the door opened on well-oiled hinges to admit none other than the master of the castle himself.

'Wonderful! Fucking fantastic!' she thought to herself as Aion's tall form stopped just inside the room, the door having been opened enough to let him through before someone from in the hall closed it behind him. She hadn't even been able to get a glimpse of what lay beyond the damn thing since the youkai's imposing frame took up the spare space used to let him pass through. Disgruntled and keeping a tight hold on the anger which had let her have the courage to demand for someone to help her dress in the first place, the miko arched a single brow at his impassive expression, arms tightening about her middle so as not to lose the hold upon the slippery material.

His amber eyes swept the woman in front of him impassively, taking in her untamed mane of ebony hair in fluffy disarray, the deathgrip on one of the kimonos he had provided for her, down to the bare pale feet peeking out in stark contrast against the cloth. Looking back to her irritated blue-grey eyes, he arched his own brow at the look on her face, taking mild note of the lack of fear which had been so prevalent during his last visit.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he asked flatly, "I can't imagine what my nephew sees in a woman with such an appalling lack of decorum. One who can't even dress herself properly for that matter." His other brow joined its brethren to blend in with the bangs framing his forehead when he heard a deep growl issue from the girl's throat.

Interesting...

Making sure to clench her arm with the injured hand forcefully around her waist, she raised her other hand from its resting place along her torso to point at the stoic inu youkai, quailing the stab of unease that slithered along her nerves at the sound of his silky voice.

"Hey, I would have been able to dress myself just fine if a certain youkai who works for you hadn't decided to use me for a pin cushion!"

Brows relaxing back into a bland expression, a corner of his mouth hiked up in a smirk, a large bit of fang flashing with the motion. "Indeed." He tilted his head to the side, his long ponytail following the movement to hang slightly to the left, the amber eyes staring into her own narrowing minutely.

Refusing to become unnerved by his continued regard, Kagome shrouded herself in the bravado which had let her get this far and spoke in a calmer tone, irritation liberally shadowing the nuances of her voice as she let her free hand fall to her side.

"Look, I wouldn't have asked for someone to help me with this damn thing if I could have done it myself. Could you...please," bitterness nearly choked her at asking anything of the youkai, but she forged on anyway, "have someone come in here and help me?"

An expectant silence filled the scant space between them, the few feet separating the pair not nearly enough in her opinion as the male did naught but scan her body again. She did shiver then, unable to help the icy feeling his eyes left in their wake as they made a steady trek up and down her form, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. Gritting her teeth to keep from biting out at him and his suspicious behavior that was reminded her a tad too much of a lech, she did give in to tapping one foot as she continued to wait for his answer.

Aion watched the steady motion of her foot moving up and down to make contact with the bare floor over and over for a few moments, the sound of flesh meeting wood the only sound besides the low sizzle of water evaporating in flame from the brazier.

A thoughtful expression met her annoyed gaze when the youkai suddenly raised his face to look at her again, her body tensing as he moved forward till he was inches from her. She had to consciously keep herself from backing up at his approach, push the bubbling fear at his proximity down so she wouldn't turn tail and flee to the other side of the room.

Eyeing him warily, Kagome stood her ground, determined that the frightened human who Aion had first encountered would not be making an appearance again. The days of her cowering in terror like some whipped dog were over. Having tasted the dog demon's less savory methods before, she knew to be cautious, but also realized that no amount of evading would get her anywhere. If anything, the predator in him would no doubt surface, seeing her as prey.

She had no intention of becoming a scared rabbit hiding from a wolf. Not even for a formidable youkai of his caliber.

That smirk tilted his lips once more, arms unlacing from his chest to rest placidly along his sides as he said, "You hide your fear well, miko, but I can still see and smell it."

Tossing her head in disdain, she stood as proud as she could when wearing nothing but a thin layer of silk and her courage to protect her. "Only a fool wouldn't fear you, Lord Aion."

Her flat words caused a deep chuckle to issue forth from the ivory column of his throat, the youkai now watching her with blatant interest. "Not as ignorant as I first thought, Kagome."

She hated the sound of her name when he said it, the inflections and syllables taking on an almost sinister air. At this point she would have given nearly anything to hear it from anyone else's lips instead of this bastard.

Deigning from answering, Kagome let another silence fall between them before the youkai broke it by saying, "Since I will not allow any others in this castle to attend you I'm afraid you are going to have to make do with myself as a 'Lady's maid'."

Shock made her mouth part in astonishment, the emotion clearly reflected in her stilled form as her foot stopped tapping, her eyes wide in her pale face. "You can't be serious!"

A deadpan look was the answer to her exclamation, quickly followed by the male turning to retrieve the balled up obi in his hands, the owner of the appendages meticulously unraveling it and running striped clawed hands along its sides, smoothing out the creases. Turning back towards the woman, he came to a stop at his previous position before the ningen, the delicate fabric of the sash cradled softly in his grasp.

"Either you turn around so I can tie the obi, miko, or you can traipse around your chamber nearly naked." Shrugging in indifference, he kept his eyes trained on her darkening own. "It matters not to me if you haven't even the grace to cloth yourself properly, or the modesty to keep your body from prying eyes."

Biting her lower lip to hold back a scathing retort, Kagome flashed him a little snarl before spinning abruptly so her back faced him. She hated having him behind her where she couldn't keep an eye on him or what he was doing, but she also knew that he spoke the truth when he said it was either him or no one. Embarrassing the woman who had lived with Sesshoumaru would probably be an added bonus to the sadistic youkai who was currently stepping up close enough to where she could feel the heat emanating from his body onto her own.

She couldn't prevent the flinch of her shoulders when Aion reached up to run the clawed tips of his fingers through the dark strands of hair laying against the back of her neck, gathering the heavy mass with care before moving it to drape over her shoulder. Feeling more exposed than she ever had, Kagome held completely still, eyes flitting down to watch the movement of his arms closing in around her middle to wrap the obi along her stomach. Beginning to gnaw at her lip, tearing at the poor flesh until enough skin was removed to draw blood, she jumped slightly when the warm breath of his voice whispered along the naked shell of her ear.

"You need to remove your arm from about your waist, Kagome, if you want me to do this properly."

Nerves on high at how close he was to her, she hesitantly removed the only thing keeping the kimono closed, blushing in embarrassment as the silk immediately parted in a thin line at having nothing to hold it closed. Closing her eyes in mortification, she silently prayed for this to be over soon so she might be rid of his oppressive presence and forget all about having an evil youkai dress her like a doll and see more of her body than most others had.

A gasp left her throat as the soft scrape of sharp claws flit upon the exposed section of her stomach, the muscles tightening in reflex to the unwanted caress, her eyes scrunching tightly closed to stem the sudden flow of humiliated tears threatening to spill. Biting her lower lip with renewed force, she refused to open her eyes and see his hands on her body lest it remain with her to haunt her forever. All she could think of was if it had only been another dog youkai's hands which were currently tracing the parted edges of the black material from bottom to top, traveling softly between her breasts to stop at the lapels near her clavicle. A different male body embracing her from behind till their chest nearly lay against the curve of her back, the arms which lay in a loose band about her waist belonging to a certain Taiyoukai.

"You are trembling, miko," came his taunting remark in her ear, his breath dancing along the naked expanse of her throat and curve of her shoulder, his lips nearly touching the lobe at his words. Clamping down brutally on her lower lip, she didn't answer, not acknowledging how correct his statement had been.

She was trembling. Small shivers racing along her skin and shaking her body in helpless reaction at keeping herself near him when she wanted nothing more than to tear herself away from the youkai completely.

Again, that dark chuckle rumbled out his throat, the vibrations transmitting to her tense spine, his exhale fanning along the side of her face as he moved his head till his lips brushed against the sensitive shell of her ear as he spoke.

"Human bodies are so frail. A slight illness could end your pathetic lives. Even the tiniest wound which any youkai wouldn't pause at would be fatal to your feeble forms." One of his hands danced down the pale flesh of her exposed skin again, the other still gripping the lapel near her neck in a light hold. The obi was being held up simply by the way their bodies were connected at her back, preventing the material from sliding uselessly to the floor. Bringing his caressive fingers up, Aion stopped at the juncture where the thin material from her bra held itself together in front, his hand laying flat between the cups till she could feel the smooth texture of his skin in a rough line from where his hand lay to the arm laying in a diagonal across her torso. "I can feel your heart racing, Kagome. It beats as a caged bird, frantic and erratic." At the end of his sentence, he pressed down abruptly, causing the female to gasp as he forcefully brought the entire line of her body to his until her back was flush against his front, connecting them completely.

A startled cry left her mouth as she faltered back into the youkai, her arms coming up automatically to place her hands over the ones holding her, eyes flying open in reaction to the sudden change in positions. Her injured palm could do nothing save cover the one laying over her heart as the other clasped the one which had a lapel in its grasp. Shaking more noticeably, Kagome gazed down at the grotesque embrace she had found herself in, her bravery of before nearly abandoning her at this turn of events. She didn't know what the dog demon was doing and could only stand there anxiously as she waited to see what he would do next.

A lone tear made its way down the cheek closest to his face, his dark laughter making her stomach roil as though she would be sick. She nearly did lose it when the velvety wetness of his tongue darted out to follow the line of saline, gathering the drop which had settled near her chin and tracing it to its source near her eye. A violent shudder wracked her frame, a strangled cry of alarm issuing from her throat that she couldn't stop as she made to try and wrench herself away from him. The hard coils of his arms tightening stilled her frantic movements, a small whimper escaping her lips as the youkai tormenting her held her in what would have been a tender embrace if it had been given by anyone else. It sickened her that this youkai would hold her in fashion likened to how Sesshoumaru had cradled her body to his when they had lain in his bed. The fact that this dog demon resembled the other youkai so closely didn't help in the matter one iota, making it worse for her to bear.

"Your terror tastes lovely, miko," came his whispered comment, causing her to stiffen even more if that was possible. The hands that lay over Aion's tightened, the one with the bandage applying a light pressure as the other laced about his own, attempting to break contact with their owner. Growling in warning, the woman's frantic pulling stopping instantly at the aggressive sound, he nipped her neck in retribution where Sesshoumaru had once done, leaving a dark indentation of fangs on the pale surface. The bruise quickly rising to mar her skin caused him great satisfaction, his sharp gaze noting that the teeth marks weren't enough to puncture but would remain for days to come. A reminder to the female who was now silently crying in his arms that insolence was not to be tolerated. Drawing a slow drag of the tip of his tongue over the wound, he relished in the wince it incited despite its soothing nature. "Don't defy me, girl."

Swallowing audibly, Kagome let her tortured eyes slide closed again as she cried quietly, her body deflating suddenly in defeat till he was supporting all of her weight. At this point, she just wanted him to finish tormenting her and just leave her alone, let her attempt to salvage what shredded dignity she could.

A purr-growl of pleasure flit along her skin as he held her, eyes flashing in eerie triumph in the low lighting of the room.

"Good girl, Kagome." Nuzzling the brand he'd given her one more time, he abruptly released his tight hold on her enough to clasp her waist in both his hands, capturing the long forgotten obi between his fingers and her flesh. Waiting patiently till he was certain she would be able to stand on her own, if shakily, Aion deftly closed the kimono and tied the decorative sash with a flourish. Making sure to tighten it securely, the youkai took the unresisting girl's shoulders into his hands and turned her to face him, her head lowered so she wouldn't have to look into his eyes.

Lifting a hand to cradle her chin between clawed fingers, he raised her face to his, using the other to swipe softly at the drops of saltwater trailing from her closed eyes. "Look at me, miko."

With great reluctance, her lids opened to gaze sadly into the demon's, the amber in their irises glowing prominently in the shadows bathing his countenance. Regarding the watery blue-grey orbs quietly, continuing the action of removing her tears from her skin as they fell, he studied the ravaged beauty that stood with less pride than when he had first entered the room. Satisfied with the result of his ministrations, he told her quietly, "I trust that you are satisfied with the results of this little encounter. If in the future you have need of assistance again, do not hesitate to ask."

A sudden well of anger bloomed within her as she heard his scathing remarks. This bastard had humiliated her, hurt her emotionally and physically, and now he was trying to taunt her?! Renewed fury gave her the courage to tilt her head arrogantly, his hand remaining cupping her chin while the other fell to his side as the tears stopped from flowing.

"You bastard!" She whispered fiercely, ignoring the threatening scowl that immediately graced his handsome face. Snarling, Kagome leveled a deadly glare at the youkai who had given her nothing but abject misery since she had awoken in this over-done chamber. "Get your fucking hands off me!"

To reiterate her point she raised her good hand to grip his striped wrist, baring her own less substantial fangs at the demon in an open sign of defiance and aggression, daring him to react.

The grip on her skin became punishing, but she didn't show any sign of how his claws barely missed slicing her flawless complexion. She was finished with being man-handled by him! She would much rather he get his petty little tortures out of the way and end it if that was what he ultimately wanted to do. Kagome had reached her breaking point on this entire fiasco for one evening.

"Defiant to the end I see," came his reply, a growl mixing with the words, his own fangs baring to show their ivory sharp length as he leaned his face closer to hers, amber eyes narrow and ringing in crimson around the iris. His slitted pupils were constricted, even in the low lighting till the luminescent overtones nearly swallowed them completely.

Growling again, louder this time, she pushed her own head towards his in answering fervor. "An asshole from the beginning, I see."

For once, she was glad she had learned that lovely list of profanities from Inu Yasha. Coarse and common they may be, but they also got one's point across nicely while at the same time allowing some stress relief at uttering them.

An enraged hiss left his snarling lips, his canines becoming more pronounced as Aion felt his anger at this woman's show of disrespect rise. "You forget yourself, miko!"

A derisive laugh escaped the lips curling into a sneer upon her face, her eyes narrowing as she scoffed at his show of temper. "And you forget, Aion, that I am no one's obedient lapdog."

Mad beyond reason, he quickly took up her injured hand where it had previously been laying along her hip, crushing it between strong fingers while glaring into her eyes. Though she flinched, the woman steadied herself and dug her own nails further into his wrist in response, carving deep scratches into his pale skin.

"That trick only works once, you damn dog!"

A feral look overcame his features, transforming his handsome face into an ugly visage of anger and hatred as he tightened even further on her captured appendage, hearing the satisfying snap of fragile bones giving under the pressure. It irked the youkai further when she showed no outward sign of having even felt the pain of what that must have caused her.

"My patience grows thin with your disobedience, Kagome."

"My patience grew thin with your presence long ago, Aion," she quipped back, the range of her anger allowing her to become numb to what she knew would be an even worse injury now, thanks to his tender grip on her.

"I will break you, girl. I will tear you apart piece by piece and then remold you to do it all over again," he threatened back in a guttural growling voice. It infuriated him that she refused to be brought down by his attempts to shatter her. No one defied him. No one.

Another scoff left her lips, her breath fluttering his bangs with the force of it. "Neither you nor a hundred youkai like you could manage that, My Lord." His title fell off her lips with great sarcasm, letting him know precisely how much esteem she held him in.

With a small roar he released her chin to instead encircle her throat in a tight clasp, yanking to bring her face centimeters from his own till she almost lay against him again, her eyes widening fractionally at the way his fingers didn't cut off her airway, but were very close to doing so. "You insolent bitch!"

The slick feel of his blood now running beneath the pads of the fingers still wrapped around his wrist filtered into her mind as her own fingers had tightened even further at his new action. It was a small consolation to know that she had managed to draw his blood for once.

In a half crazed fury, Kagome suddenly lent forward and captured his bottom lip between her teeth, biting down harshly on the tender flesh. His cry of surprise was muffled by her mouth against his as she tasted the metallic tang of the youkai's blood pass her lips, her own growl reverberating upon the fangs laying close to the sides of her mouth. Releasing him almost as abruptly as she had bit him, she gathered the liquid in her mouth and spit it into his face, watching the rivulets of saliva mixed with red drip down his pale skin, trail slowly across the markings on his face.

She felt like retching when she swallowed, the thick coating of his blood going down her throat, filming the skin over her lips which were now bathed in the red color.

Her small victory was short-lived, however, when in the next instant he gave an inhuman snarl and launched the both of them backwards, causing her to falter and cry out in alarm. The next instant, she was on her back laying sideways upon the bed with her legs hanging freely, the youkai's body pushing her own down as he snapped his teeth in her face when she attempted to writhe and buck beneath him. All her attempts succeeded in doing was to place him between her thighs, the flimsy cover of her kimono riding up and falling away till she felt the smooth brush of his pants against her bare skin. The intimate position they were in made a new fear take root in her chest, her anger of before evaporating at the horror of what it might mean.

A frantic cough left her tight throat as the weight of the demon's frame settled completely atop her own, pinning her effortlessly to the bed, the hand around her neck nothing more than a staying presence that didn't harm, but prevented her from shifting. Panting heavily, she was aware of the perspiration now giving a soft sheen to her skin, her hair tossed in black abandon around her head, a dark splash of color upon the crimson bedding they lay upon.

She noticed Aion was breathing just as hard as she was, the rise and fall of his chest pressing into her as he released her injured palm and throat to capture her head between his clawed hands. The blood from the scratches she had given him dripped down onto the exposed V near her breasts where the dislodged kimono had gaped open in her struggle. The robe was nearly hanging open completely, the obi smashed and loosened beneath her as Kagome raised both hands to weakly press against his heaving chest. It was a vain attempt, and didn't work to dislodge him from his resting place one bit.

At the feel of her hands pushing him, Aion growled again with a snap of fangs, his fingers tightening painfully into her scalp before lessening as she froze. She felt the thrum of the sound through her fingertips, arcing in icy tendrils up her arms to rest with dread in her pounding heart. His silvery ponytail had slid over the shoulder where his tail did not lay to fall along her side, the afformentioned appendage having unwound itself from its spot on his body to trail behind his crouching frame, brushing in wavering agitation against her dangling feet.

Wheezing from the strain upon her lungs, she let loose another abrasive exhale as she stared into his piercing gaze with fright. This definitely had not been the desired result when she had let her emotions run away from her.

Gulping, she tried to make herself resemble a statue as much as possible since the simple act of breathing caused their chests to brush against one another over and over again in a most unpleasant way.

Amber orbs glaring down into the female he now held captive, Aion inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring at the spicy fragrance of their mixed blood blanketing the air, the sweat from the human's body heightening the odor till he could inhale nothing else. It made the beast inside him ravenous, nearly insatiable with the thought of tearing into the woman until there was nothing left. Reigning in the dark desire, he pulled himself back into a semblance of the control the miko had managed to arrest from him.

"Your idiocy is going to be your downfall one day, miko." He watched her swallow audibly, his eyes darting down momentarily to her larynx, following the motion easily as his ears honed in on her whispered words from a raspy voice.

"Trust me, Lord Aion, you aren't the first one to say so."

"But perhaps the last to do so, Kagome," he replied in a steadying tone that still had a trace of gruffness from a growl, but not near the wild quality it had held before.

A shaky laugh shook her slight frame, the terror in her eyes altering to a somber sad grey that overrode the natural blue. The youkai watched the interplay of emotions flit across her face closely, their breathing beginning to slow, though it still continued at a faster pace than normal.

"Of that, I have no real doubt."

Silence greeted her melancholy comment, her hands slipping from their place on his chest to lay limply near her head outside of his own still cradling her skull.

"You are a very odd creature, miko," Aion stated casually, a pondering look gracing the features that were but a hairbreadth from her own. Gentle claws sifted through the hair at her temples in a caricature of a caress, tangling in her damp mane as his tail continued its slow sway back and forth near her feet. "I think I begin to understand my loving nephew's infatuation with you. You are, indeed, a most peculiar specimen."

Annoyed at being made to sound as though she was some sort of bug being studied under a microscope, Kagome grumbled under her breath about something called a 'vet' and 'being neutered', to which he had no idea what any of it meant. Arching a snowy brow, the red began to slowly recede from his irises, the pupils relaxing to a fuller volume though still maintaining the sharpness about his eyes.

Another cough, a little stronger than the last shook her body, jarring his position atop her in an uneven keel, the feet firmly planted upon the floor shifting to compensate for the motion. Relaxing his hold on her head, the inu youkai paused to hone in on the woman's breathing, the choppy quality to every inhale and exhale from the over-stressed organs. He had been informed upon the ill female's status before she had ever become a 'guest' to his keep, but it was obvious that she still had a long way to go until she would be considered fully recovered. He would have to make certain the healer continued with the boiling herbs. He couldn't have her dying just yet, not when he still had need of her. The ningen's antics earlier had nearly made him forget all that. Totally disregard his plans on using her to harm his nephew in the face of her impudence and defiance. It had been a long time since Aion had felt the blind rage which had almost consumed him, causing him to maneuver them to the state they were currently in. Somewhere in between the time they had begun arguing and the extended personal contact with the woman, something inside of him had snapped easily, and Aion was inwardly puzzled at how easily the leash on his control had slipped.

He became acutely conscious of her nearly bare body lying beneath his in a provocative way, of the aroma of their mingled blood continued to perfume the air about them, thick and cloying. The spit she had spewed upon him he had swiped off in their dash to the bed, cleaning it from his features to smear across one sleeve, staining the silk. His lip had clotted and begun to heal almost immediately, her bite being nothing more than a nip really. He had to give her credit for audacity. Never before had anyone dared to attack him in such a way, not even the women he had taken unwillingly to his bed over the years. The scratches had taken longer for his youkai heritage to take care of, the deep divots the miko had managed to impart having bled sluggishly even as he held her down, spotting her pale flesh until it came to a stop and finally closed. When he had seen the fire ignite in her odd colored eyes, he knew that had she been in possession of a fraction of her purifying power he would have been the unlucky recipient of them.

Releasing his hold from within her hair, he balanced himself on his forearms near where her own hands now lay, raising himself slightly to let his eyes travel down from her eyes till he came to a stop where a small pool of his own blood lay in the center of her chest, right above where the odd undergarment she wore rested. Ignoring her confused stare, the subtle rub of her legs restlessly moving against his own, her dainty feet tangling in the furry length of his tail, capturing it between her arches, Aion began to move lower.

Nervously watching the way the demon shifted down her body, Kagome nearly jumped out of her own skin when she lost sight of his eyes as the tilt of his head made his bangs shadow them just seconds prior to the sinuous stroke of his tongue began lapping up the blood from her skin. Body drawing tight as a bowstring, she began to breath shallowly in renewed fear, disbelieving in what precisely was happening to her. She was beyond disgusted. This demon had put his mouth to her in more places than any other male dared to, and none of it requested or sought after.

Surely he couldn't plan to go any further with his torture than the dog demon had already partaken in. For her part, she was past finished with having him put his hands, body and anything else he deemed fit upon her person without permission. Seeing a male perform such an intimate act on her just made her want to curl up and die from mortification and shame. She felt tainted. Unclean and dirty from the visible mark left on her neck which had replaced Sesshoumaru's to the scandalous brush of a stranger's tongue laving her sternum.

Wriggling in discomfort, she grit her teeth and refused to be cowed if he tried by snapping his fangs in her face. She was miserable and didn't really have faith that she possessed the endurance to continue their little battle any more this evening. As it was, it must have been the early morning hours of the night, and exhaustion was quickly replacing what fleeting energy she had obtained from her emotional effusion. Kagome was positive these horrific episodes with Aion were going to give her nightmares, hang-ups and therapy sessions for life. If the sexual harassment wasn't enough then the pain infliction would be. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, this youkai was succeeding in giving her future relationship issues by molesting her, and deep down she knew the repercussions would take a long time to get over.

Despite her squirming, the dog youkai finished what he had started, his hands holding her shoulders down easily as his lower body did the same for her waist and legs. Accomplishing what he had set out to do, he gave her one last lingering stroke, levering up to stare coldly into the anguished girl he'd captured.

"I wouldn't be so crass as to leave a guest filthy." The bright flash of a smirking mouth shone down at her, and Kagome wished even more that she had managed to tear off his lower lip when she had bit him instead of just a glancing blow.

Desisting her movements, a defeated sigh shuddered through her as she whispered brokenly, "Just leave me. Please."

A long silence overtook them, each regarding the other in varying shades of dispassion and angst. He must have been satisfied with what he read in her eyes because the sudden chill of the room flowed over her as Aion pushed himself into a standing position. She wasted no time in gaining her own feet, pulling the rumpled edges of her attire closed instantly, clutching it in her good hand near her throat. When he reached out towards her, Kagome went to step back, forgetting that it would have made her fall onto the soft bedding, her fall preempted by his clawed hands grabbing her waist in what was becoming a disturbingly familiar gesture. The miko was even more surprised when he simply turned her about, pushing her wild hair over her shoulder as before, the tightening of the sash about her middle pointing to the demon retying the slack material. Once the silk was secure, he pulled her mane to lie down her back in a messy river, gripping the elbow of her uninjured arm to turn her towards him. Facing him, she silently watched the dog demon, waiting to see what else he was going to do.

Releasing his hold, he stepped back a few feet, no longer invading her personal space. Kagome felt her stomach churn nauseatingly as her eyes were drawn to the faint darkened stains along his haori front, realizing with horror that it had been the dried blood that had mixed with sweat from her abdomen where her soiled clothing had lain. It looked as though he had killed someone and been dirtied for his efforts.

Swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat, she kept the tight hold on her clothing, her injured hand now making itself known with its non-stop throbbing. She knew that his last 'handshake' had broken a number of the bones, fractured them into many pieces. With a sinking feeling, she was well aware that if she didn't manage to get it treated by one of the surgeons in her own time era soon, then once she did return there would be no way they could hope to repair the damage enough for her to use it ever again.

'Add it to the list', she thought despondently.

"In the future, for your own welfare, I would strongly advise resisting any displays of impudence as you did earlier. It has...adverse effects upon me, Kagome." His amber eyes, so like the dog demon's she had come to love gazing into, stared at her blandly, his expression once more clear of anything but mild boredom. "Also, I think I will forgo giving you the sedative I mentioned earlier. Perhaps the pain will be a beneficial reminder for you not to behave as you did again."

Shivering, she nodded, unable to find her voice to offer a verbal response.

Casting one final sweep over her, he turned and left on his silent tread, the door closing behind him with as much discretion as it had when he had walked through it.

Nibbling her over-abused lip, she sniffled while moving to the adjoining bathroom in a jog, slamming the door behind her. Crying and shaking, she took the cloth laying beside the basin of water with its matching pitcher in muted browns and started scrubbing it over every inch of skin she could reach. When she came to the edge of the kimono, she pushed her hand beneath it, taking care not to dislodge the robe so it wouldn't become undone again.

Kami, how she wanted to be under the scalding hot spray of a shower right now! Wash away the feel of that demon from her skin as she wanted to rinse the memory of him in her mind.

Skin turning red with the force of the cloth being rubbed so harshly against it, Kagome let her tears fall without check, confident that no one would come to bother her tonight. The bandage on her hand was hopelessly drenched in blood again, so it looked like one of the silk obis was going to have to replace it. She'd deal with that once she had finished scraping her flesh from their bones, maybe then she wouldn't still feel the stroke of a hand, the flit of a tongue, the caress of nails on her.

Shaking so badly that she couldn't keep the coarse wet fabric in contact with her skin any longer, she finally let it drop to the stone floor with a sopping 'plop', covering her face with her hands and sinking to the small square of carpet near the doorway. Huddling into a tight ball, she let out all her despair and hopelessness of the past few events in wracking sobs and shuddering coughs.

Kagome wanted to go home. Wanted to see her mother's smiling face, hear her grandpa's inane chatter on youkai, listen as her brother told her about his newest crush in school. Yet, most of all, she wanted to feel the reassuring strength of a certain Taiyoukai's arm holding her close to a solid body that she was familiar with. One which would completely wipe away any traces of another dog demon with the same coloring until he helped her bury every horrible memory she had garnered since Aion had taken her.

Clenching her hair in fisted hands, she pushed her mouth into her up drawn knees and said one name softly.

"Sesshouarmu..."


	47. Chance Meetings

At the same time Kagome was having her second encounter with Aion, a certain Taiyoukai was still ensconced inside his study. Except, this time it wasn't a group of male youkai he was meeting with. That particular party had already departed to begin gathering the provisions needed for the rescue mission they would be under-going soon. When the dog demon would have quit the room to check on both Akito and Rin, who was in her quarters with a host of guards surrounding the child, he'd been way-laid by his ward's instructor.

Sesshoumaru eyed the owl closely, taking notice of an aged roll of parchment with a large dot of red wax towards its middle clasped in her hands. It smelled old, as though it had been left to gather dust on some long forgotten shelf in the library. However, underlying the odor of decay and stagnation lay the subtle fragrance of his father's scent. Having never before seen the document Seiryn carried, he felt a spark of unease begin to grow within him.

"What is it, scholar?" He took care to keep any sign of curiosity from the question as he waited tensely for an answer.

The owl youkai sat proudly across from her master, a somber glint held in her sharp brown eyes. Her multi-colored flowing hair of varying shades of sienna lay in a flat river down her back, the widow's peak upon her forehead drawing notice to the design of what resembled ebony leopard spots dotting her hairline.

"The time has now presented itself, My Lord, to impart to you what Lord Inutaisho intended for you long ago."

He quirked a brow at her ominous words, the spark of unease slowly kindling into a full flame.

"What my father intended? I am afraid you shall have to elaborate, Seiryn."

"It is an explanation you were meant to hear when the time was right, My Lord." Carefully, she placed the scroll between them on the top of his desk, removing her hands to clasp them serenely in her lap. "The path you have walked these many years has led you to this point."

"Your continuous use of riddles grows wearisome. Speak plainly, for the hour is late and there are matters more urgent that need my attention." For once, Sesshoumaru let impatience darken his voice, his amber eyes speculative and harsh in the dim lighting.

A great sense of foreboding filled his heart. The same tight squeeze of apprehension inside his rib-cage that he had experienced when asked to participate in the aura synchronization. Whenever his father was mentioned in regard to any dealings with the present Taiyoukai, the inexplicable bitterness rose up to nearly choke him. The anger and pain from past hurts and regrets about a parent who had abandoned both his sons too soon in their lives.

His inner contemplation was broken by his servant's voice flowing delicately in the space separating them.

"Long ago, when your father was new in his rule of the Western Lands, he sought out an ancient seer deep in the high mountain ranges of the North. I suppose you could say it was desperation more than glory-seeking which fueled his thirst for light to be shed on his future. You see, My Lord, his youkai mate had come to be with child, but shortly after learning of her pregnancy a strange illness had befallen her."

Seiryn paused in her story to regard her master in grave sobriety. She knew that the relating of this tale would not be looked upon favorably. Especially in dark hours as this eve entertained, with betrayal rampant in hand with sorrow. Yet, the days of hesitation had past, and no more could this subject be avoided.

"As your sire brought healer after healer to your mother with no success of a diagnosis or a cure, he finally turned to a clairvoyant who was said to see the fates of all. During the late stage of her pregnancy, when your Lady Mother was so weak that she was confined to her bed, Lord Inutaisho set out to find the seer. For days he and Kiro toiled through the countryside, the kitsune's father staying behind to guard the Lady of the castle. They were forced to travel by menial means since your father, whose rule was so young that not all alliances or treaties had been solidified yet, could not dare risk doing otherwise. By journeying through foreign soil, Lord Inutaisho was bound to pay a visit to the reigning ruler of the Wolf Tribes, Lord Kouga's father, Taogaro Sarumara. Tedious though this task may have been, it was a necessary one if they were to be allowed admittance to the road they sought."

Compassion painted the features looking into her master's weary eyes, as though what the Taiyoukai was learning about his deceased parents wore heavily upon him. Though her own heart was aching for the little demon she had once schooled, Seiryn knew no amount of pity could prevent her from continuing. The best she could offer was to treat it like an abscessed wound, pierce it quickly to lance the poison so it might heal.

"For his part, Lord Sarumara had proceedings expediated in deference to your father's great need. Coarse and brash ookami youkai may be, but ever have their breed been compassionate in matters of the heart. So, after a few risings and falling of the sun, a new treaty was signed between the North and the West. Lord Inutaisho and Kiro then moved on, the weight of their quest heavy on their minds, the unknown threat of the dog demon's mate driving them forward. Through treacherous roads fraught with lesser youkai and inclimate weather, for it was now late into the winter season and snow had heavily blanketed the granite spires of the high mountains, the two demons rallied on. Lord Inutaisho, having realized this before beginning his mission, had made certain Kiro was the only soldier to accompany him. With the Arctic fox's knowledge of frozen terrain, his presence was invaluable. Thus, after even more days swept by they arrived at their destination. A small temple crafted of wood and stone sat upon a distant ledge near the tallest peak. It was said that the view from such a vantage point was spectacular. That a keen-eyed youkai could see all of Japan on a clear afternoon. For your father and his guard, it was not for the scenery they had trekked so far."

A stray wind wafted into the room, the tang of winter carried in its scent, as though speaking of the season was enough to call it forth. Despite the chill in the air, the room was quite warm from the fire lit inside the metal brazier in the corner.

Letting her master soak in the information she had told him thus far, she collected her thoughts before carrying on.

"Upon entering the main structure of the shrine, they met the aged youkai they were seeking. It was an elemental youkai of the earth, a creature in tune with its power as the very foundations of the land itself. Several centuries had she, Kiore, watched the world mold itself into what it was then, and in this energy she drew from she was gifted with the ability of foresight. Many hours did your father spend in her company, asking for answers to all his questions."

Sadness entered her eyes as she said, "Unfortunately, not all were answers Lord Inutaisho wished to hear. Kiore told him that your mother's illness was fatal, too far gone to be reversed. That the Lady's life would be forfeit a few scant years after giving birth to a great son. A natural warrior endowed with perfection in killing, growing to become a Taiyoukai of notoriety whose long life would take him into new eras. Your mother, during the last few years of her life, would undergo random bouts of more favorable health, but in the long run she would ultimately succumb to it. Despair grew in your father at the seer's revelations. Even though the union to his mate had been pre-arranged, they had fallen in love with one another and the prospect of losing this newfound happiness nearly undid him. Yet, even as melancholy encroached inside his heart, he was given a ray of hope when her next prophecies were spoken. It was only as Kiore elaborated on the future of his offspring that he found the will to push down the depression he had almost sunken into. For you see, both his sons were destined for great things. It was also that day that Lord Inutaisho learned he would one day have another male child. A hanyou, who would struggle all his life with the potent lineage in his body he had inherited from his sire. When asked for clarification on the subject, the seer explained that both children would one day play key roles in the shaping of Japan's future. However, neither would achieve their full potential without aide."

As another gust of wind flit about the room, she reached up to push stray strands of hair out of her face, placing them back behind one pointed ear, continuing with her tale without a pause. "She then described a vision of what terrible events would transpire if Lord Inutaisho did not set up certain provisions to ensure the success of his children. This scroll," the owl youkai indicated the innocent roll of paper with a clawed hand, "is a crucial part in what was said in the shrine."

His gaze was unerringly drawn to where she pointed, narrow and wary as it traced the crimson wax engraved with the Taisho House's official seal. An insignia of three interlocking sakura blossoms that only the sovereign of the lands would possess. Veritable proof that it was, indeed, a genuine court document of great importance.

It gave him no pleasure to look upon something his father had signed which apparently concerned his future. Predestination had never been something he advocated, so hearing his family's history recited like one of Seiryn's lessons was maddening. Though, he knew with surety equal to his annoyance that it was something which had to be brought out into the open.

As the silence lengthened between them, the scholar obviously waiting for permission to go on, Sesshoumaru said flatly, "Go on, Seiryn. I would have this ordeal finished so I might attend to other things."

She was not insulted at his tone or his behavior. Seiryn knew that the conversation was a painful one whether he admitted it or not. Knowing Lord Sesshoumaru as well as she did, the owl had no illusions that she'd be seeing any emotional insight from him in the near future. However, getting her king to express emotion was not the reason for this meeting. Imparting the vital particulars to the bargain Lord Inutaisho had made, was.

"Of the many things that were divulged that day to your father, two factors stuck out in starker clarity. The first being the way to shield both his sons from their Taiyoukai heritage by the forging of the twin swords, Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga. Within these blades crafted from his own fangs, he hoped to preempt the conflict he knew would arise between the son from his first marriage and the hanyou from the second. Your father knew when and where he would die after speaking with Kiore in the Northern Mountains, and deep down, I think he almost saw it as a relief after gaining the knowledge of your mother's imminent demise."

Frowning, Seiryn added gently, "You should know, My Lord, that Lord Inutaisho had made Kiro remain outside the chamber during this discussion. The day your father perished, the kitsune bore no awareness it would come to pass."

Sesshoumaru pondered on how such information would ease his assassin's troubled mind from these many long decades. It was no great secret the fox heavily blamed himself over the previous Taiyoukai's death. Guilt had nearly consumed the youkai, until Sesshoumaru had decided to focus Kiro's negative energy to an outside field. The anger and self-loathing his father's personal guard dwelled in had presented the perfect setting for honing him into an assassin and the palace interrogator. Two occupations which were vital to any substantial kingdom in this age, but damnably difficult to fill.

However, he would debate on whether or not to tell Kiro of the truth behind his charge's passing later. Right now, he needed to hear the second occurrence Inutaisho had found out that rated higher than the knowledge of his own death.

"And the second?" he prompted, watching the other youkai closely, hoping to gauge a semblance of a clue in her expression.

None was forthcoming.

"The second, Lord Sesshoumaru, was that one day his sons' fates would be tied indelibly with that of a miko. A miko of great compassion, higher learning, and who did not belong in this era of feudal wars and youkai. But, for the glory of his sons' lives to flourish, a way had to be constructed for her to get here."

He couldn't prevent both his eyebrows from rising in shock at this confession. That his father would know of Kagome, bear knowledge of the woman before Sesshoumaru was even born, astounded him. The repercussions from this turn of events was as a rock cast into a still pool; rippling from the center of a singular object to countless widening rings whose reach finally touched the shore. Now, more than ever, discontent in his breast festered and amplified as each new piece of the puzzle sounded, like a hammer fall, in his head.

"What did such knowledge set into motion, scholar?" he asked quietly, his hand curling to a fist on his thigh.

"Armed with this prospect, your father devised a plan to make the meeting amongst his offspring and the miko from the future possible. Lord Inutaisho ordered a magic Well to be built, the wood provided by the enchanted forests in the East, where the youkai of the trees resided. Youkai such as Bokunesou, who I believe you have met before. Spell casters of the highest caliber were requisitioned to imbue the very boards and soil of the structure into a portal that could cross time, but only for those who held the Taisho line in their blood and the miko herself. Before you were ever born, Lord Sesshoumaru, that Well was made. To guard it for the years which would pass till it could be used, a large tree of youkai descent was planted close by. So it might watch all, and if ever there was trouble, pass a message on the whisper of winds through the leaves of other trees of the same ilk; thereby giving your father warning. The next step he took was the insurance of establishing a priestess in the small village neighboring the Well. He felt she would be more at ease being near to humans of her own kind, who possessed purifying power akin to her own. Lord Inutaisho did not know that the woman from the future would not be as priestesses are in this era. That, and Kiore never gave him exact dates for her arrival, just that arrive she would.

As time passed and generations of humans near the Well died, the purpose of the enchanted portal became forgotten. The facts blurred with fables until the ningens had convinced themselves it was naught but myths told at firesides on cold nights. The one true thing which held was a miko continuously residing in the area, though at this point the real reason for doing so wasn't known. Even when your father made sure to create the Well, he never offered up the truth behind its construction. A rumor was, instead, spread that it was gifted by a benevolent daimyo who claimed that the disposal of youkai carcasses was possible if thrown down its opening."

Incredible! So that was why he and his half-brother could go through the Well when no others could. It didn't stem from an illness, but rather, the blood flowing in their veins.

"That land doesn't fall under the Western Provinces' jurisdiction. It must have at one time in order for this to happen." If what he was hearing held true, then by rites the Well and its outlaying property should belong to the Lord of the West. Adversely, boundary lines separating his kingdom and Lord Tachikaze's realm put the Well deep inside the dragon's borders.

Seiryn inclined her head in agreement, multi-shaded hair swaying with the motion as she answered, "This is true, My Lord. In order to keep the magic and purpose of the Well secret, your father created a plan to offer a pact with the reigning ryu youkai of the South. The ruse would serve the dual purpose of hiding the real nature of the Well and smooth over the discontent the tournament had caused when the dragons had lost to the kitsunes. To show good faith, Lord Inutaisho assured Lord Tachikaze that his son and heir would be afforded every luxury the title of General to the Taisho keep's armies would bring. I believe you are already familiar with the demon of who I speak."

"General Kaizon." His voice dripped in ice as he spoke the demon's name who was presently being held prisoner and questioned by Kiro.

"Just so, My Lord." She nodded her head again, pleased with how calmly the Taiyoukai was taking the news. Deep down, she had worried that the serious content of her story might prove stressful enough for her master to become angered.

Really, after all this time, she should know him better than that. He had never been the same less reserved youkai after returning from his uncle's tutelage when he was younger.

This new information made a tangled web even more of a troublesome coil to unwind oneself from. If his father had improvised stipulations and regulations on the General's place within the palace in deference to the construction of the Well, then Sesshoumaru would have to pay special attention to how he treated Ryosuke. As it was, he would need to send word to postpone the dragon's 'inquisition' so the heir of the South remained unharmed. Diplomatic immunity was a veritable bitch sometimes...

Raising his hand to forestall the owl's next words when it looked as though she might speak, he called loudly, "Jaken."

A thud as though someone had fallen over in surprise to the floor sounded, before the door was opened to admit the groveling little youkai, his hat askew and staff of heads knocking with each bow he made.

"Yes My Lord?" he squeaked, his bulging yellow eyes wary and a little frightened at being caught eavesdropping. Of course, it had been a futile gesture since the dog youkai had an advanced sense of smell and would have noticed his presence as soon as he had stood outside the door. Or leaned on it, actually.

"If you can find the time to spy on your master's meetings, then I am sure you can manage to go inform Kiro to delay the questioning." Amber eyes narrowed at the other youkai, a fang flashing a warning at his servant's audacity.

Gulping loudly, Jaken clutched webbed hands about the rough wood of his staff, forgetting his mussed appearance at the sight of the Taiyoukai's displeasure. "Yes My Lord! Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama! You can count on this Jaken to carry out your orders, My Lord!"

Frowning, Sesshoumaru said in warning, "Jaken, just go. You waste my time with your posturing."

Nodding vigorously, he backed out the door, bowing over and over as he went, accidentally bumping into the half-open door with an 'oomph' before darting out, closing the door loudly behind him.

Assured that they wouldn't be interrupted for the moment, and that the possible error with General Kaizon had been avoided, he nodded towards Seiryn. "Proceed."

The owl searched her thoughts in order to find where she had left off, finding her place before starting again.

"Lord Inutaisho had finished making the negotiations by this time and the Western Lands was given peace by all outlying domiciles. Your father was an extraordinary Taiyoukai, My Lord. He had a knack for organizing and unifying in situations that seemed otherwise hopeless, accomplishing both with haste and efficiency. In fact, I was enlisted as palace scholar during the finalization of the Well, right before you mother gave birth. I was to serve as history recorder and academic tutor to the Taisho heirs. Roles I have performed, and by your will, shall continue to do so for a long time yet."

Yes, he well remembered the owl youkai spending countless hours teaching him every aspect of academia available. Something still needed clarification, however.

"Did my father ever tell anyone else the true nature of the Well?"

"No, My Lord." Seiryn shook her head in the negative. "The arrangement with the General's father was the cover and nothing more. The only one's to know all is myself and your deceased parents. Lord Tachikaze easily accepted the idea that your father was trying to rectify the tension that had been felt after the defeat in the tourney. Therefor, the stipulation on the building of a Well and the neighboring village holding a human of miko nature was not questioned."

Respect for his father took root inside Sesshoumaru. Even after all this time it continued to amaze him, how the previous Taiyoukai had ruled his kingdom in the brief spat allotted him. He could but hope he would be able to live up to his predecessors reputation.

"I would assume, then, that the reason you asked an audience is because this scroll ties into all this somehow." He had a suspicion that whatever had yet to be said from the inked parchment wasn't going to be good news. Too many seemingly unrelated instances were connecting, and in the middle, as always, Kagome could be found.

That the woman had managed to rule even some of his sire's formidable decisions, without even being born yet, shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"You would be correct, My Lord." With one hand she pushed the object in question to lay right in front of him near the edge of the desk. "Your father left strict instructions that this be given to you upon the miko's arrival to the castle. I am sorry to admit it took me longer to find than I had hoped. Since it was to be concealed completely until now, and so many years having passed, Lord Inutaisho's hiding place remained elusive to my searching until recently."

Waving aside the apology, Sesshoumaru clasped his hand about the paper and put his thumbnail at the center of the waxen seal. Without a moment's hesitation, he pressed down sharply, breaking the closure, allowing the parchment to loosen and roll part-way open, the destroyed chips of wax forgotten as he smoothed out curling edges to lay flat. He noticed that it was, in fact, two pieces of parchment and not just the one he had assumed. Silence filled the chamber as his amber eyes began tracing over the elaborate kanji in his dead father's hand, the precise eloquent brush-strokes sloping and sharp.

A scowl took place on his face as he read through the long letter, for that is what it appeared to be. He could hardly believe what he was garnering from the dead Taiyoukai's own script. It didn't seem possible and even probable.

Sesshoumaru,

If you are receiving this then the time has come for you to learn exactly what fate has in store for you. It also means that I am gone, as is your mother, and that you are ruling the Western Lands in my stead. I know you have become a fine ruler to your people, a great warrior whose exploits will be recorded in the annuls of history as all preceding youkai have been. I am grieved, my son, that I was not able to be present to see what kind of Taiyoukai you have grown into. Had there been any other way, I would have taken it so that I might have gazed upon my children with the respect and pride any father would feel at having such sons. Though it may be late in the telling, I want you to know I am proud of you, Sesshoumaru. That I know I leave my kingdom in capable hands at my passing. Remember, my son, to find compassion in your heart and tolerance for your brother. I have been to the seer, I have been shown what will happen between the two of you, and it wounds my heart that two of my children would come to detest one another so. The Tensugai was no doubt a gift bitterly received by you. For what would such a youkai as yourself need with a useless blade that did not but bring life instead of end it? Search inside yourself, my son, and find the wisdom to understand precisely why I had the Tensugai forged exclusively for you. I fear you lack the deeper expression of emotions, and I would have that fixed so that you might know happiness in your life. You cannot close yourself off completely from everyone and everything, Sesshoumaru, and still call that existence living. Perhaps, by now, you have finally found something worth protecting. If that is so, then I am joyful in the knowledge that you are at last experiencing a semblance of what I had with your mother and my children. You were all my greatest joy. The driving force behind every action I made, every decision finalized. By now, Seiryn has related to you the truth behind the Well in Lord Tachikaze's realm. I hope this information brings you peace and closure to some things I know you hold bitterness over. For that, I ask for your forgiveness, son. It was never my intention to make the road of your life a harder one to travel than what the seer had prophesied. Yet, not even the wisest youkai can be assured that all will go well, and I fear that I have failed you in the more vital aspects of life. If you search your heart and find that you cannot forgive me, I understand. Just know that the apology is there and genuine. What you decide to do with it is at your will, though I trust you to come to the correct conclusion on your own. You always were a very bright little demon. The miko from the future is an integral part of the life Fate has planned for you. I know your disdain of humans, Sesshoumaru, and I can but hope that you treat her with kindness and respect. The seer showed me her image within the wavering depths of the mirror she viewed the future in, and she appeared a very tender creature. There was a softness in her blue-grey eyes, a frailty about the trembling curve of her mouth that spoke of deep sorrow, but also the capability of great forgiveness. If ever there would be a female to understand both my sons' turmoil, I am confident it would be her. I never learned her name, Kiore could not tell it to me for even she could not say. However, what she did say was that this girl from the future, this human with the gentle ways about her, would be able to bring serenity to the troubled hearts of my children. For that alone, I was willing to do anything to ensure her arrival to you and your brother's side. It is even possible she may turn out to be either your or Inu Yasha's mate, and that is a very heartening thought. I do not know precisely the role she is to play, the full extent of her purpose for her embroilment into the house of Taisho. Yet, I am confident that whatever her place, it is of the greatest importance and should be treated as such. I have a feeling she will be good for the both of you. You, probably more so, than your brother, Sesshoumaru. Inu Yasha was born with the ability to understand humans and their mannerisms. Give this woman a chance to teach you what I could not. Kiore also informed me that both of my sons' lives would be long, lasting well into the coming eras of Japan where you would prosper even as the future drew closer and all about you changed. Maybe that is another consideration you should ponder when dealing with the miko. There has to be a reason, a thread, that connects all this knowledge together, and if you are hearing all this now, then I can but assume that whatever has transpired weighs heavily upon it. There is not much more that I can tell you, Sesshoumaru, that has not been spoken of already by either Seiryn or this letter. Trust the scholar, for out of all in the castle, she is the most steadfast seconded only, perhaps, to Kiro's family. In regards to my personal guard, I know the kitsune well and would ask a boon of you. Please explain the true nature of my passing to him, for I know he will not understand and as a result let the darkness of self-hatred and frustration darken his heart. A youkai who succumbs to a void of that quality is a step closer to madness and allowing the fiercer nature that inhabits all youkai to consume him. If the thought of affording your deceased sire a favor does not sit well, then consider it from the kitsune family who has ever served our House so well. They deserve better than to dwell in despondency over the death of a ruler, or the loss of their son, even if Kiro never fell under the blade of an enemy. I would not have my passing the reason such an admirable youkai became something not even his own kin recognized. The hour grows late, and time is something I can ill afford at present. Events foretold long ago are coming to be, and I cannot fight what Fate has in store for me. I leave you with the request to attempt to understand your brother, to learn patience with humanity, and lastly, to be true to yourself, if no one else. I would have both my sons become the great youkai they were meant to be.

Your Loving Father,

Inutaisho

He wasn't aware that the hand splayed across the top corner of the letter was crushing it between his fingers, his claws tearing through the fragile paper. His emotions which had awoken since meeting Kagome were writhing about inside him. There were so many queries that had been answered this night, the eve of the miko's abduction, that even he was finding it difficult to reconcile all of them. All this time, most of the assumptions he had held regarding his father were wrong. Even the realization that his fate had been meant to follow this path didn't ease the pain he felt at having so misunderstood his father for this long. The fact that Kagome had been the miko Inutaisho had seen in the mirror and had held high hopes in aiding his sons, made it all the harder to bear.

Sesshoumaru didn't know how much longer he would have sat there in the silence of his study with Seiryn perched across from him if there hadn't been the sudden rush of feet heading towards the door. Reigning in his inner turmoil, the dog demon schooled his features into their customary indifference with greater difficulty than should have been necessary. Rolling the parchment quickly, he placed it inside a drawer in the side of the desk, straightening just as there came a knock on the threshold.

"Enter." He was pleased to note that his voice held nothing out of character, the same frigid nuances gracing each syllable.

Lord Daija came into the chamber, his features grim as he came to a stop beside the scholar's seated figure. Seiryn arose, bowing before her master before excusing herself. If the Taiyoukai wanted to know anymore of the subject they discussed he would seek her out, but now there appeared to be more urgent business to take care of. Closing the door silently behind her, she made her way towards Akito's quarters where she knew Lord Inu Yasha's mate was located, the owl figuring she could offer her assistance in healing the injured youkai. Perhaps there was help she could give to the kitsune until she was needed again. Lady Rin was safely ensconced in her own chambers, a heavy guard of trusted warriors surrounding the child's quarters so that no harm might befall her. One tragedy was all the House of Taisho could suffer in a single evening.

Inside Sesshoumaru's study, the Taiyoukai had stilled all movement when he caught a scent about the firebird that stole the warmth from his blood, made his heart falter before resuming at a rapid pace. Gaining his feet, the inu youkai rounded the table to stand before the tense phoenix whose eyes were undulating in scarlet and dandelion shades of anger and sadness.

"What has happened?" Though his voice may have continued to hold its normal tone, Sesshoumaru knew that if one looked into his eyes they would see the amber irises ringed in a vermillion shades darker than the youkai's he stared at.

Daija swallowed before holding out his clenched fist, waiting for his master to reach out before opening his fingers to let something drop into the dog demon's hand. He watched the Taiyoukai stare blankly at what draped in tarnished beauty over his palm, the shorter demon's frame frozen as though made from alabaster marble.

"This arrived by a hawk that was shot down by the Southern parapet, My Lord," Lord Daija said softly.

Over and over Sesshoumaru traced the outline of the trinket in his hand, gazing at the dried rusty splotches of blood smearing its once shiny surface. Slowly, he took his thumb and followed the outline of the locket, the light links of the fragile chain to where it had been broken in half. On a pass over the small piece of metal the edge of his claw caught on something a second before some inner mechanism released and the locket opened to display the now blood-stained portraits of Kagome's family.

The scent of the miko's blood coated his senses, the sharpness of his uncle's own personal smell easily detectable from the piece of jewelry he cradled. The liquid had long dried, staining the surfaces of the tiny disc and intermittent sections of the broken chain. Rage, hot and thick began to build inside him, his inner beast rampaging ravenously to tear asunder whatever had put their hands on the woman and drawn blood. As always, his uncle enjoyed mind games above all else. He had sent Kagome's locket bathed in her blood as a message, taunting his nephew with what receiving such a 'gift' would mean.

"Was there nothing else? A note, perhaps?" Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on the smiling faces of Kagome's household dotted in grotesque scarlet. If the woman could see this, her heart would have been broken, he knew. She cared for her family more than most other things, and that was saying a lot since the female seemed to harbor some type of affection for everyone she came in contact with.

A folded square of pristine parchment came into his view, causing him to halt his caressing of the locket to open the missive. It appeared tonight would be one for letters from his relatives.

My loving nephew,

I believe I have something that belongs to you. A most unusual possession of yours that I cannot guaranty the safety of while I watch over it. If you wish to reclaim what you have lost then please do so. I would not dare to guess how much longer I can offer my hospitality to such a rambunctious and...loud acquisition. Even my patience grows thin with their antics, so if you wish no harm to come to your little trinket, I suggest you retrieve it with all haste.

Aion

He hated how his uncle referred to Kagome as if she was a thing. A non-living entity with as much importance as a piece of furniture which was shortly about to be disposed of for outliving its use.

Growling deep in his throat, he went and tossed the offending message into the flames of the brazier, slamming the metal door closed in an uncharacteristic show of temper. He knew his eyes would have bled completely red, his pupils holding a robin's egg hue that pointed to the imminence of his turning at any moment. Fisting the bloody necklace, he turned to the other Lord, who showed no reaction at either the news he had brought or his master's response to it.

"Gather Lord Kouga, and Sora, Lord Daija. We leave for the Southern Provinces at once."

Bowing deeply, the phoenix let a brief smirk of satisfaction cross his lips, the order one he was happy to carry out. The miko had come to mean a lot to the firebird in her brief stay in the Taisho castle, her sunny nature captivating most all youkai she had met. Though Shurin's whereabouts were still unknown, with the arrival of Kagome's jewelry bathed in her blood it took precedence over the rain-child's defection.

"As you say, My Lord. Lord Kouga, Sora, and I shall be ready to depart near the main gate in less than five minutes."

Inclining his silvery head, the long swath of his hair trailing the motion, Sesshoumaru replied, "Make sure it is done. Bring what weaponry you might need, Daija. Aion is known for indulging in gratuitous shows of force around his keeps."

"Yes, My Lord." With that, Daija departed, the Taiyoukai not far behind his retreating form as the dog demon turned down the hallway to make his way to his own room. He needed to put on his armor, don his swords in preparation for traveling to his uncle's Southern home. Kagome's locket he put inside the inner lining of his haori near his heart, the small metal object warming at its new home. When he got her back, he would give it to her. For it was not a matter of if, it was when. No one stole from Sesshoumaru and got away with it. No one.

'You know, I really am going to miss you the most...'

Her sad words rang inside his head, a low rumbling growl escaping his throat as he entered his room. He knew now why she had been so sad the last night they had spent together. Why tears had flowed, why her puzzling words and the link they shared had tugged at her heart. The woman had known that she meeting the enemy alone on a deserted hill late in the evening and had been saying her last goodbyes in a way.

When he got her back, Sesshoumaru was determined to tie her down and explain to her in continuous repetition why she wouldn't be indulging in such foolish endeavors ever again. If he hadn't come to care for Kagome so much, he would have entertained the idea of killing her himself with all the turmoil she was putting him through.

Lucky for her, this Taiyoukai held more than simple affection for her.

Inu Yasha prayed for patience, a virtue he never professed to possessing in the first place, as the angry faces of the shard hunting party glared at him. When he had returned sans Kikyo to break the news to them that they wouldn't be participating in retrieving Kagome, the hanyou had been met with instant objections.

Sango had begun pacing the length of the room in agitation, the demon exterminator pausing in her trek every once in a while to throw more angry words at the half-demon. Miroku had interjected many times during her tirades in an attempt to be the calm voice of reason he usually was in moments of turmoil, but even his smooth nuances couldn't tame her temper. The baby kitsune's eyes had immediately filled with tears, his tiny body launching itself in a bee-line for Inu Yasha's sensitive ears. The hanyou would have been feeling the sharp prick of incisors digging into fur and cartilage right now if it hadn't been for the monk's quick reflexes in catching the fox to restrain him to sit in his lap. The diminutive fire-cat was currently perched on one of the monk's shoulders, her slanted eyes trailing her mistress' angry frame.

This was going exactly as he had feared. Not only were they going to not understand the reasoning behind the order, and it was an order any way Inu Yasha looked at it, to stay behind, but he had no doubt they would be trying to sneak off any moment.

How was he supposed to explain to them that it wasn't because he didn't want to go, but because Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow it? That his brother had become extremely attached to the woman from the future, and because of it, would permit no interference when it came to bringing her back? Even he wasn't sure just how deep Sesshoumaru's feelings for Kagome went. The dog demon had ever remained a mystery to the hanyou, and years of being acquainted with the other male had done nothing to help him understand the way his mind worked.

"You can't keep us from going after her, Inu Yasha!"

The sound of Sango's voice brought him back to the present, his golden eyes narrowing as he kept his arms laced over his chest in his customary position. Her chocolate eyes glared menacingly into his own, and he had no doubt that if she had her boomerang with her it would have been brought down over his skull a while ago. As though she could beat the response she wanted to hear if she kept hitting him enough.

Thank Kami-sama for small favors...

"I already told you, Sango, we aren't going. This decision is final, and even if you don't like it, that's too bad!" His temper was threatening to ignite over the continued obstinance from them. Already, he was physically keeping himself from letting loose a frustrated growl, or even a satisfying stomping circuit of the room of his own. Yet, he couldn't indulge in such actions right now. He was their leader, whether they wanted to admit it or not. It fell to the hanyou's shoulders continuously to run the 'pack' he and Kagome had fashioned together over the years of traveling Japan's countryside.

"Final?!" She stalked over to him, gritting her teeth as fire flashed in the eyes trained upon his own. Halting a foot away, she gestured sharply between them as she argued with him. "You can't tell us to stay here! If Miroku, Shippo and I wish to go after her, we will!"

Straightening his spine, he glowered down at her, his lip curling a bit in his ire. "Listen to me! You guys aren't goin out there running across the damn wilderness to a place you don't have any idea how to get to in the first fucking place and get either lost or killed. I told you, Sesshoumaru is taking care of it!"

Scoffing, Sango copied his stance, folding her own arms across her torso, fairly shaking with rage as the monk, Kirara, and kit looked on with wide eyes. They'd never seen the woman so upset before, or Inu Yasha that adamant either.

"Sesshoumaru...you can't be serious?!" Her voice was impatient when she said, "Look, I know Kagome seems to get along with your brother and all, and yes, he even allowed us to come here to see her, but I still don't believe he is going to drop everything to go and get her back."

"You don't know my brother, Sango," the hanyou shot back instantly. "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the bastard hasn't already stationed his guards around all our rooms to make sure we don't go anywhere. And if you DO manage to get out of your chambers, you will be 'escorted' back right away."

The connotation on the word 'escorted' let them know exactly what that would entail. Meaning they would be forcefully drug back to their room and locked in if necessary.

Throwing her hands up, she turned and began pacing again, her fingers clenching at her sides. "This is ridiculous! I mean, I would think out of all of us, you would be the one protesting being stuck here the most, Inu Yasha."

Miroku noticed the quick flash of pain go over the hanyou's face before it was concealed behind irritation once more. Hoping to bring some serenity to his comrades, he gently patted the quietly crying kit in his arms and directed his words to the youkai.

"Even if we are forced to stay here, why aren't you going, Inu Yasha?"

Waving a clawed hand impatiently, the half-demon turned away from the others to face one of the many windows lining the wall, staring out into the inky darkness of the late night. "This isn't up to me this time, Miroku. We are in Sesshoumaru's castle operating under youkai court law, which means we stay our asses here if that is where he wants us. You can't oppose a Taiyoukai in his own keep, even if he and I are related."

"So he wouldn't let you go either?" he questioned back with a frown as he tried to understand everything that was going on.

A heavy sigh left the figure with his back to them, the shoulders under his red haori sloping down a bit as though carrying a heavy burden.

"It isn't my place to go after Kagome anymore. I...gave that up a while ago." A brief pause after his reply, and his frame tensed and became what it was previously. Stiff and unmalleable to their demands or their entreaties that he reconsider. "Besides, my brother may be many things, an asshole among them, but one thing holds true for him. If he considers something his, he hunts it down through hell and back again just to get it. Hell, look at what he did over the Tetsusaiga, and that was just an heirloom."

"Kagome isn't an object you and your brother can just pass between you when one gets bored, damn it!" Sango yelled furiously at his back, color high on her cheekbones in red flags of temper.

Turning sharply to the taijiya, Inu Yasha felt the last of his patience wane and break as the frustration roiling inside him returned full force. "If you think that Sesshoumaru or I look at her like that, then you have no idea what the hell you are talking about, Sango."

At this point, Miroku figured things were escalating past the safety point, and stood to settle beside the woman, keeping Shippo in the crook of one arm while encircling her tense shoulders with the other, her pet hopping from his body over to hers, rubbing her furry cheek with a mew against her mistress.

"Please, both of you calm down. This isn't getting us anywhere but mad at each. We aren't going to get anything figured out or done by snipping at one another in anger."

Slowly, he felt her body relax a bit to lean more of her weight against his side. Since his hands were currently occupied, he knew she realized it was a good time to partake of the comfort he was offering without fear of being accosted. Of course, he had more tact than to even think of something like that in a moment such as this anyway. Even he had his boundaries in that area.

Inu Yasha, for his part, watched the two humans and the heart-broken kit for the space of a few heartbeats before heaving a sigh and moving to sit near the low table. Sitting in a messy sprawl on one of the decorative pillows, he propped an elbow on top of the piece of furniture, cradling the side of his head in one clawed hand. His ears perked to the side, one golden orb glancing in the same direction when he heard them take their own seats across from him.

He knew they didn't want to sit near him, that they were all mad with him right now. Which was fine. They could be angry, upset, frustrated, whatever! As long as they stayed here and didn't try escaping then he would take their somber moods easily. Kikyo he didn't expect back for some time. Healing a youkai of an attempted purifying was something that took extreme care and time for both patient and healer. Deep down, he just hoped she would be able to save the kitsune. Though he might never have said or shown it, the hanyou had always liked the arctic fox family. They had been one of the few demons in the keep who had never sneered at him behind his father's back when the Taiyoukai had not been looking. More than once, in fact, Kiro or Akito had intervened when they had come across him being teased in some deserted corner where his half-human form was too weak to fight against other youkai.

"I hate you."

The heartfelt broken whisper from the baby kitsune made Inu Yasha wince as though struck, the others falling silent in shocked surprise at his harshly delivered words. Looking into Shippo's turbulent gaze, the hanyou slouched where he sat while muttering, "That's fine, brat. Hate me all you want, but you still aren't goin anywhere."

The kitsune continued glaring with wet emerald eyes at the half-demon, sniffling and rubbing his nose with Miroku's robe sleeve absently as a somber quiet encased the group. Even Kirara was uncharacteristically silent from the heavy atmosphere in the room, the fire-cat nuzzling her mistress' cheek every so often.

Running a hand through the length of his hair, claws clenching in the strands convulsively, Inu Yasha sent up another silent prayer as Sango began arguing again, despite Miroku's staying hand on her arm to quiet her.

'Kagome...Sesshoumaru, you better get her back, you bastard.'

The young woman who seemed to be on everyone's thoughts lately was currently wiping her tear-stained face with the damp cloth from earlier. Making a final swipe, she blew her nose noisily before chucking the soiled linen into a random corner, not caring where it landed. Inhaling deeply to calm herself, she put a hand behind her against the frigid wall, pushing herself into a standing position on stiff legs. Her whole body hurt from sitting on the icy floor for who knew how long in one spot, her injured hand throbbing in protest just from the simple act of her breathing.

Grunting with the effort, the miko shuffled tiredly into the main room, pushing her mussed hair away from one side of her face to tuck the errant strands behind her ear. Coughing a bit, she swallowed thickly and frowned at the metallic taste that still sat in her mouth, even though she had rinsed it over and over with water. She couldn't seem to get the flavor of Aion's blood off her tongue. The thought disgusted and disturbed her on a number of levels. For one, she had never drunken anything's blood before, so that grossed her out. Second, it was a youkai's blood she had managed to ingest, a youkai she personally hated more than anything else in the world, including Naraku. The only satisfaction out of the whole ordeal had been tearing the dog demon's lip open, the shocked surprise that painted his features when she had managed to wound him.

If she had possessed any of her miko powers, she would have fried him to a crisp within an instant and happily danced on his ashes afterwards. However, none of the purifying energy was present in her system right now, and she lamented that fact more so than she ever had.

Going over to the open armoire, she let her eyes trail listlessly over the numerous pieces of thin silk that were the decorative obi to each kimono. Rubbing her sore eyes with her good hand, she sighed while covering the orbs before dropping the appendage to reach out and take the first one that fell into her grasp. A blue and gold sash with the signature waves rolling across its length was her prize, the color scheme reminding her of Sesshoumaru's imperial lacing, her heart aching over the similarity.

Hugging the delicate cloth to herself, she went and clambered onto the bed with its misplaced coverlet and rumpled sheets from her struggles with the youkai before. It was difficult going considering she only had the one working hand and the tight confines of her attire prevented her from moving too quickly in fear of accidentally loosening it. After what happened earlier, if she'd found a stapler she would have closed the front with a million of the little pieces of metal to ensure it never even gaped again.

Settling in a sitting stance near the top so she could rest her tired back upon the headboard, Kagome let her injured hand lay in her lap. Biting the inside of her cheek since her bottom lip was abused enough, the miko began the painstaking task of unwinding the second ruined bandage, wincing and cringing with each rotation of the cloth freeing itself. Panting, her brow slick with sweat from the pain arcing up her arm, she pulled the last of the crimson coated doily free, tossing it negligently over the side of the bed.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back while inhaling and exhaling in measured depressions of her lungs, bringing her body back under control. Stomach settling and the perspiration cooling along her skin, she swallowed with a grimace and looked back down to assess the damage. In the dim light offered by the now low burning candles, she squinted her eyes and brought her injured palm closer to her face. Gently, she used the edge of the new obi to dab at the excess red liquid covering her flesh, the wound becoming clearer as she went.

A puzzled scowl forked her brows as she gazed with growing incomprehension at what she saw. Though the fingers, wrist and all surrounding skin was an ugly bruise, the hole in the center looked as though it was smaller than she remembered. Tilting it towards the candle on the night-stand, she let the silken sash fall bonelessly from her grip as her mouth fell open in shock, a gasp flying from her lips.

It couldn't be...

But it was. Even before her very eyes, she could see the sluggish movement of the bones trying to right themselves back into their former alignment, the nauseating sight of tendons, muscle and cartilage putting itself back together. It was a slow agonizing process, but she couldn't refute what was staring her in the face. Somehow...the wound was healing on its own.

Heartbeat quickening in panic, Kagome tried to figure out why this would be. She had no inherent ability which allowed her to regenerate as a youkai did. There was no hidden trait in her bloodstream that would come to her aide if ever she got injured or sick. It wasn't possible!

The low 'snap' and extreme pain of a tiny bone working its way back into place told her otherwise.

Horrified, she began going over everything that had happened since she had woken up at Aion's keep. When first meeting the dog demon her wound had not been behaving as it was now. When applying the second bandage there had been none of this bizarre self-healing going on. She would have seen it if it had!

Frantically analyzing each memory, she gulped in trepidation, the motion causing her to falter then freeze in growing disbelief.

Eyes widening impossibly in her white face, Kagome turned to look back down at her hand as the answer worked itself out in her head.

It was only after she had bitten Aion, swallowed some of his blood and ingested it that this had begun to happen. Calculating in her head, her stomach heaving at the implications, she estimated the time it took a human's digestive system to absorb anything. She felt even worse when the time frame matched up with that elapsed after biting the inu youkai.

Oh Kami-sama! It was the dog demon's blood which her body had taken in that was responsible for this new medical cure!

Feeling sick, she wrapped the obi about her hand hastily, shutting away the truth of her findings so she wouldn't have to look at the proof of what her first venture as a 'vampire' had gotten her.

Why would her body do that? How was her body able to use what little she had swallowed? It wasn't as if she had drunk a cup of his blood for crying out loud!

Groaning, she hung her head, the heavy curtain of her hair swaying forth to drape either side of her face, hiding her expression from the room and giving her a dark place to dwell in.

The only conclusion she could come up with was that because her miko powers had become alarmingly absent, her body was able to take something from a full youkai without rejecting it outright and neutralizing the foreign substance. From what she had learned about priestesses who wielded purifying abilities, they were not able to tolerate objects of the demon nature in their bodies. There were even records she had looked over at Kaede's that told the tale of a miko who had been impregnated by a youkai, who had lost the child shortly after. Her body had rejected it, killed the baby as though it was a threat of evil being expunged from her being. The union between a full miko and a youkai to create a life usually wasn't physically possible, which she suspected, was one of the reasons Kikyo had wanted Inu Yasha to take the jewel to make himself into a full human. Even being a half youkai was pushing it when it came to conceiving a child between the two. The mating of regular humans and demons did not result in such dire consequences, but miko were not so fortunate at bearing children.

Whatever the case, she now found her body healing itself. Even the cold she had been getting over was less severe than it had been earlier in the night. She had giving the loss of her antibiotics a woeful goodbye in her mind when she had realized that the medicine she had been using at Sesshoumaru's was going to be glaringly missing in her prison. One had to take the dosage for the total prescribed period of time in order for it to work correctly. Now, it seemed as though that wasn't going to present the problem she had feared it would. Aion's...blood was taking care of that.

Her hand twitched, a pained moan escaping her throat as she felt the aching pulse of the injury righting itself. Setting her teeth on edge, she wondered how youkai dealt with going through something this horrible, many having sustained much worse than she. Kagome could recall quite a few times Inu Yasha had gone through the same thing and his had been from holes in his chest, claw marks, and everything else under the sun. Sesshoumaru had lost an arm for Kami's sakes! An invent she continued to feel torn over. Yes, Inu Yasha had been defending them, and the Taiyoukai had tried to kill them...but still...now that she knew him better she couldn't help but feel remorse over the fact. A demon of Sesshoumaru's strength shouldn't be ruling his lands in anything less than whole, and thanks to her and the hanyou, he was destined to do so for who knew how long. She didn't know if it would grow back over a long period of time; if a Taiyoukai's healing capabilities ran to creating brand new limbs if you gave them long enough. Now, a large part of the miko fervently hoped that this was true. That one day, the dog demon would be complete and back to his formidable self without any hindrance from lacking an arm.

Thinking about the dog demon caused her mind to drift to how long it had been since she was taken from the Taisho palace. She knew it was still the same night, that even though time seemed to be ticking by in days and not hours, that not much of it had passed following her abduction. A flash of lightning seconds before a deafening crash of thunder overhead made her jump, her eyes flying to the windows high atop the wall. A torrent of rain began falling outside, the weather violent and angry as wind howled through whatever landscape she was near. Another brilliant flash of light followed by the baritone of the sky reminded her of the storm which had passed over Sesshoumaru's castle a few nights ago. It had come on as fast as this one appeared to, lasting well into the morning hours until it abated as quickly as it had manifested.

Frowning, she pondered over the extreme weather change. Something seemed off about it. Not quite a force naturally made by shifting weather currents and moisture gathering in clouds. Normal storms did not last with this much ferocity, nor come alive as violently, as this one continued to do.

Another involuntary movement of her hand drew her attention back to the slightly fluttering fingers as the bones mended. At the rate it was going, it would take a couple of days at least to heal all the way. Still with more expedience than if it was done in a purely human fashion, but the prospect of dealing with the discomfort was a tiring one. The bright side to the entire scenario was that she seriously doubted Aion even realized what he had gifted her with when he had come close enough, made her angry enough, to bite him. In a way, she owed the bastard her thanks for giving her the means to heal so she could use her hand to help her escape this place. It rankled to be the least bit charitable to the inu youkai, but she must give credit where credit is due.

However, that didn't mean she ever had to say anything to said demon about it. Actually, surprise would be on her side since he was unaware that the wounds she suffered were disappearing. At the pace of a snail perhaps, but leaving all the same which was all at that mattered.

Of course, she was certain that Sesshoumaru would be making an appearance long before it was fixed completely. After Aion delivered the bloody locket to the Taiyoukai, she expected to hear the sounds of fighting from outside soon. She wasn't, however, going to sit in her room meekly and wait to be rescued. No, she had helped herself get out of sticky situations before, and damn it, she was going to do so again, evil youkai in residence or no!

Sheets of rain pounded the roof above her head in a rapid thrum that fell pleasantly on her ears. She had always loved the rain, even when it was being tempermental and aggressive like now.

Kagome paused as something niggled at the back of her mind from the last sentence. She was missing a clue here somewhere, she could feel it. A start of surprise made her accidentally knock her hand into her knee, a hiss of pain passing her lips as she turned sharp eyes to the maelstrom of water, wind, thunder and lightning raging outside.

'Shurin...'

A tall slim figure stood on a hill overlooking a grand keep in the wavering horizon of rain pounding against its roofs and walls. He leaned with one hand gripping the bark of a tree in the forest he was gazing from, his form hidden from any of the numerous guards milling the parapets along the outer stone wall. Though the fortress was not as large as the Taisho holding, it was yet a larger keep than most lower lords possessed. A main structure was located at the center with various outlying smaller buildings dotting the inner and smaller outer courtyards. The youkai kept within the surrounding perimeter were not so numerous as his master's, but no less deadly for all their lower numbers.

A streak of lightning forked in a beautiful display of silver and white over where he stood, his claws digging deep into the rough surface beneath his slick fingers, eyes flashing dangerously in the fleeting illumination. A long tail of dark hair hung limply down his back, the soaked fabric of his clothing sticking to his cold skin, cloying and uncomfortable. The male noticed none of this, his free hand making an arc towards the sky as another loud peal of thunder shook the very ground he stood on. The sound of a feral growl mixed with the rolling crash, the rain pouring down in greater ferocity and the wind pulling harshly at anything which was not secure.

Raising his face to the sky, spying the black clouds between the bowing branches with their madly fluttering leaves, Shurin felt his eyes roil in a smoky green as he opened his mouth and let loose an eerie howl that was swallowed in the ear-splitting roar of nature being called forth to release her fury. Another blinding streak, the same shade as his roiling gaze, the color unnatural to that of normal lightning as it struck a nearby tree, the vegetation exploding with the force, sparks flying in every direction with a few pieces managing to flay at his skin.

The rain-child disregarded the shallow cuts that were already healing, the blood washing away with the continuous flow of water from the heavens. Training the distant keep with a hateful gaze, he clenched his supporting hand until he had torn a large piece of bark from the tree he leaned upon.

Somehow, some way, he would make Lord Sesshoumaru believe in his innocence. When he had heard of Lady Kagome's abduction he had wasted no time in venturing straight to Lord Aion's current place of residence in the South. He had read the letter that had been addressed to his master, listened these past few days away from his lord's side to the palace whispers, a silent waif none noticed as he kept to the shadows with ears picking up every bit of information. When he had, by chance, heard Sora speaking of his father and the miko in the same context to Akito, Shurin had known instantly who had taken Lord Sesshoumaru's miko. The woman meant too much to the Taiyoukai for a foe of his uncle's caliber to leave alone without attempting to exploit it.

The assassination attempt Lord Aion had constructed had failed, and so he had turned to the next best avenue to exact revenge against a relative he held nothing but loathing for. What better way than to take the first thing besides Lady Rin who had made the inu youkai happy?

Straightening, Shurin called more rain to fall, louder thunder to crash, for lightening to skitter closer to the fragile wooden tops of the buildings in Aion's possession.

He would make this right. He would help his master get back Lady Kagome, prove to the Taiyoukai that he was trustworthy and aide the Taiyoukai in the removal of an enemy which was far too dangerous to be left alive any longer.

Firm in his resolve, the rain-child began to make his way slowly down the sloping field towards the outer wall.

He would make this right...

Kiro looked down at his younger brother with sad eyes. He slowly traced a path starting from his beige blanket clad feet to his bare torso and finally coming to a stop at the closed lids of the other youkai. An unhappy frown tilted his lips, dark brows lowered in a scowl as his sharp ears picked up the strained breathing of his sibling.

Curling his fingers into his palms, claws digging into the flesh, he wondered, 'How had it come to this? How had Akito been so gravely injured by following an order to protect one ningen female?'

The assassin didn't blame Kagome for the current state of the other kitsune. Becoming wounded during the act of fulfilling one's duties was a prospect every youkai under Lord Sesshoumaru's rule accepted easily. What he couldn't seem to reconcile within himself was the sight of his brother struggling for life when Akito had done nothing but go with the woman to the hot spring. A place that was deep inside the castle walls, far away from the outside world where most other demons could not hope to reach.

Not, that is, if they weren't already a trusted member of the keep and therefor, beyond suspicion.

A rustle of fabric drew his tortured gaze to the miko currently crushing an assortment of dried herbs with a pestle and granite bowl. She moved with methodical precision, each measurement of whatever concoction she was producing given deliberate consideration before being added. The lighting from the numerous candles lit inside the kitsune's room gave her a soft glow, the red of her kimono contrasting becomingly with her natural beauty. Yet, for all her fairness, in his mind, she could not be likened to the missing female who's absence had created uproar in its wake.

He had quit the room where the General was being detained after receiving orders that he was to leave the dragon alone for the time being. Since he had done nothing more than enter the room to glare at the other demon, Jaken had arrived at the best possible moment. Another few minutes, and Kiro couldn't promise how 'well' Ryosuke would have been. Not fit for company, at any rate.

"What is the prognosis, Lady Kikyo?" he asked gravely, half turning to catch her response, perhaps read the true answer from the features down-bent towards her work.

"Your brother will recover fully. I will not lie and say it won't take Akito a long time to do so, but become whole again he will." She lifted her eyes from what she was doing long enough to give him a flat calm glance before setting aside the pestle on the cherry-wood table she had requisitioned. The sparse furnishings of the guard's personal quarters was not something out of the ordinary. True soldiers kept very little stock in the material that did not have any relation to either their jobs or their lifestyles. The chamber held a bed where her patient currently twitched and groaned in his unconscious state, the brother of the youkai spinning back to grasp the hand that was clutching the blankets. A small side table sat near the head-board, numerous candles placed there to give ample light for her to work by, a small beige earthenware basin filled with cool water from its accompanying pitcher beside them. A damp white cloth was hanging over the side from where she had left it after having bathed the feverish demon's forehead earlier. She noticed the stoic demon cradling the hand of his sibling reach over to soak the material, wringing it out deftly with the one appendage before lightly running it over Akito's marked brow, the red ridges of his cheekbones.

Focusing back to her task, Kikyo went to the brazier where a cauldron of boiling water sat atop it. Taking up the metal ladle hanging on a hook from a peg near the wall behind it, she carefully filled the large spoon before trekking back slowly to the table, making sure not to spill one single drop. Reaching her destination, she emptied the contents into the bowl, placing the empty cutlery near where the pestle lay so she could take up a wooden spoon and stir the mixture. An aromatic steam rose to fill the room, the scent of varying pieces of vegetation releasing their nutrients into the hot water. Positive that the medicine was perfect, the priestess grabbed a small plain wooden cup near the bowl and took up the ladle to garner a portion of what she had created. When it was full near the brim, she went to her patient's side, ignoring the critical eyes of the youkai who had shifted to allow her room at the head of the bed. The cloth he left on his brother's brow since the demon had appeared to gain comfort from the icy temperature meeting his fevered skin. Keeping a hold of the hand, whose fingers had laced with his own, Kiro waited to see if his brother would be able to swallow in his current state.

Sliding her hand beneath the sweaty hair near the base of his neck, she disregarded the feel of the wet strands sliding over her skin as she propped his head up slightly while placing the rim to his lips. Akito frowned, the hand about Kiro's tightening reflexively at being moved, his body protesting the action with spikes of pain traveling through his veins. Moaning, the ill youkai cracked his over-bright eyes open, wincing as the light hit the sensitive organs, making his headache even worse.

He was vaguely aware of someone holding his hand, a soothing grip of another's palm pressing into his own in answer to the crushing force he had pushed on them in his discomfort. As his eyes focused, he saw a woman who resembled his ward greatly, a puzzled frown crossing his features as he tried to avoid whatever she was attempting to shove down his throat.

Turning his head away, growling as it made his neck feel as though it was being wrenched from his shoulders, he bared his fangs in a sign of aggression. "Who are you?"

He did not recognize this female. Her scent was foreign, but familiar, and the make-up of her face's construction looked a bit like Kagome, but not quite. Akito was irked to find that his fevered brain was refusing to cooperate and give him an answer, drawing a complete blank instead.

"A miko who is helping you to recover, youkai." Her flat words were followed by her gently moving his head to place the rim of the cup to his lips once more. "You must drink this in order for the purifying energy in your system to dispel itself."

Mistrust shadowed his opalescent blue orbs, wariness painting his visage as he continued to glare at her with another growl. "You are no miko."

A cool arch of one ebony brow was his response as she persistently left the dish where it lay, patiently waiting for him to drink.

Akito would have continued to oppose the woman if a grip on his hand hadn't drawn his attention. Relief and surprise made his eyes widen fractionally. "Kiro?"

The other youkai moved to stand at the woman's shoulder, his older brother's cooler tones low and calming as they entered his ears. "It's alright, Akito. This is Lady Kikyo, Lord Inu Yasha's mate. She's here to help you. You've been badly wounded and need to take what she is giving you, little brother."

It took Akito a moment to understand what his brother was saying, horror and then panic flashing in the Arctic fox's face as he suddenly clutched at Kiro's hand, forcing himself to sit up no matter how badly it hurt, the wet rag sliding off his forehead to lay forgotten on his abdomen.

"Lady Kagome! Did Lord Sesshoumaru find her? Is she alright?!"

Kiro felt sorrow squeeze his heart, his brother's reaction one he knew all too well. He had lost his own charge once, long ago, and when he had awoken from the field of battle being tended by Cheiro in a sickroom, he had at first not remembered what happened. However, once his memory had returned, he'd been avid at knowing if the Taiyoukai had been fine. Luckily for Akito, Kiro would be able to tell him news that wasn't nearly as dire as what he had received when he had become conscious.

"Calm yourself, Akito. Lady Kagome is still with Aion, but Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord Kouga, Lord Daija and Sora will be going to retrieve her shortly."

Panting, Akito's tenuous hold on his strength fled as he began to fall back on the bed, the woman, Kikyo, catching him before he could harm himself more. Scrunching his eyes closed as he road out the pain, he waited till his stomach stopped flip-flopping before swallowing thickly. Never could he remember a time when he had fallen so ill. No sword-thrust, rake of claws, stab wound or bludgeon have ever caused agony such as this.

The presence of his sibling gave him the courage to look to the miko who had remained by his side, the damnable cup ever in her grasp. Nodding at her silently, he let her give him the draught, the taste deplorable but the scent not unpleasant. Nearly gagging at the flavor of the murky liquid, he choked it all down, coughing afterwards in misery as it flowed hotly down his esophagus.

Kami, this was worse than the sickness which had spread through the palace those few weeks prior!

Speaking of which, where was Cheiro?

"Where is Cheiro, brother?" he rasped, taking note of the dangerous chill that entered the iceberg hues of his sibling's eyes.

"Cheiro is currently at Lord Aion's, I would wager." Pausing, he added quietly as the woman moved off back to her work table, withdrawing from the two males, "The healer was one of his spy's and also Lady Kagome's abductor."

Shock made his lips part, his breath faltering with the beat of his heart before both resumed at a faster pace. "Cheiro was the one who kidnaped Lady Kagome?"

Nodding, the long length of his dark blue hair swaying about his face, the mark on his forehead rippling in the wavering light of the candles, Kiro watched his brother's face turn hard and cold in rage.

"That fucking traitor!"

The older fox arched a brow at the other's uncustomary use of foul language. His brother wasn't known for cursing even during the most stressful of situations. That he was indulging now spoke of his deep anger over what had happened to his ward.

"You shouldn't allow yourself to get so worked up right now, Akito," he admonished, worried that his brother would make his condition worse by getting excitable.

Snarling, Akito released Kiro's hand to instead fist handfuls of his coverlet, grunting in frustration at how his body wouldn't obey his demands that he get up and go after Lady Kagome instantly.

"If you don't calm down you are going to make things worse."

Both males turned to look at the miko, her observation making the injured snow-demon glare at her with menace. It was ruined by the fact that she wasn't even looking up from the careful stirring of the left-over herbs in the bowl.

Resignation and fatigue began to drag at Akito, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his muscles from finally relaxing, his breathing to shallow. Whatever she had given him must have contained some type of sedative because he could feel the floating sensation one got whenever imbibing in the stuff. It was taking the edge off his pain, letting his abused body gain a semblance of its previous suppleness, but at the same time, was taking him away from the present situation, attempting to drag him down to slumber when he wished nothing more than to remain lucid.

His brother placing the cool cloth back over the snowflake on his brow made him turn, catch the concerned eyes trained on his own. "Rest, little brother. Lord Sesshoumaru will retrieve Lady Kagome and you will recover. Just rest."

The confidence in his brother's words let him relinquish the last of his will to stay awake, the medicine taking care of the rest as darkness began to enshroud his mind. Lids sagging closed, Akito lifted his hand from the bed, releasing the deathgrip on the blanket to search for Kiro's own. When he felt the reassuring strength of his older sibling answering the silent request, he gave a fleeting squeeze in thanks.

"Promise me, Kiro." He waited till he felt the older fox offer his own gesture of silent understanding before continuing in a whisper. "Promise me that no matter what happens, if Lord Sesshoumaru cannot get her back, you will go for her."

"I promise," the other kitsune replied, the relaxing of the palm in his own cuing him in that Akito had finally fallen into a more restful sleep.

Since he had no doubt that their master would succeed in his rescue mission, he would stay with his brother and the miko. He had already sent word to his family about Akito's health. Come first light, he expected a messenger to have arrived at his parents' residence, then moving on to his younger brothers in the Eastern Lord's palace to let them know that the kitsune was wounded. The specifics he had left out, since it was a matter of security for the Taisho House, and giving neighboring rulers, even ones viewed in a favorable light, information of a delicate nature wasn't done. Kiro didn't doubt that soon Lord Sesshoumaru's castle was going to be the host to the entire Arctic fox clan once they had learned of their relative's condition. It would take them a bit to receive the news and then journey here, so he wasn't too worried that it would pose a problem for his master. By then, events would have unfolded as they were meant to.

Kiro prayed that it didn't end as others had before when he was guarding Lord Inutaisho. His brother deserved better than that.


	48. Shurin

Kagome's attention was drawn from her perusal of the storm raging outside her window to the door as it opened to admit someone she least expected. She had stiffened at first when the piece of wood had swung open in the fear that it had been Aion coming back to torment her some more. The visitor who did make their way casually across the room towards the brazier wasn't exactly well received either.

Ignoring the woman staring at her in disbelief, Cheiro withdrew her customary leather pouch of herbs and loosened the tie at its top to begin withdrawing the necessary ingredients to refill the bubbling cauldron. Sifting through the crumbling contents in her palm, she sprinkled them into the mixture, brushing her hands free of the remnants before closing the tiny pack and securing it at her waist once more. Tilting her head in consideration, she eyed the amount of water the pot still held before moving away to enter the bathroom, returning seconds later with the beige pitcher and pouring the cool liquid into her concoction. Assured that the medicinal vapor would last the night, she silently put the piece of crockery away before coming back into the main chamber, stopping to stare with a raised pink brow at the woman whose mouth was hanging open, eyes wide as they looked at her.

"Is there something the matter, miko?"

Kagome scowled in anger at the healer's tone, her brows lowering darkly as she took in the image of the healer garbed in a white and red kimono with the waves of Aion's house traced along the cloth. "What are you doing here, Cheiro?"

Smoothing her face into a bland expression, the cat demon clasped her hands to her midriff, eyes calm and steady as they remained locked with the human's. "I would think it is obvious. I am refilling the cauldron so it does not run out later."

Irritated, Kagome left the soft confines of the bed to stand beside it, cradling her injured hand near her own stomach while placing the other on her hip. "Don't act like you don't know what I am talking about, Cheiro! You know I meant, what are you doing in Aion's castle? Are you a prisoner as well?"

A cold chuckle the likes she had never heard from the neko before sounded in the space between them, the miko tensing at the unpleasant noise.

"Do not be foolish, miko." Smirking, a fair amount of fang showing with the movement, Cheiro tossed her head at a haughty angle, the long line of her fuchsia braid swaying as she did. "I am no prisoner, girl."

An icy shiver skated down her spine, goose-bumps raising on her arms and legs at the ominous connotations of what that meant. "You mean...you are here of your own free will?"

"Of course," came the cat's answer.

In dawning horror, the miko gasped before stuttering out, "Y-You were the one to leave the note in my room, weren't you? The one who shot the arrow at Akito and I in the field?"

Cheiro searched the ningen's horrified eyes a moment before saying what Kagome had already feared would be forthcoming. "Yes." A disparaging sneer formed on her lips as she saw the miko falter and sit numbly on the side of the bed. "Do these answers shock you, miko?"

"How could you betray Sesshoumaru like that?!" she cried before the sound of the injured kitsune rang through her head, causing her expression to become shadowed with rage and pain. "How could you fire an arrow at Akito?! He's probably dead right now, don't you even care?!"

Pink brows lowering in her own ire, the neko's eyes turned frigid as she hissed out, "If the kitsune is dead, it is because of you, miko, not I! Do not attempt to push blame upon me for your own foolish actions! Being shot by something as pitiful as an arrow would have done nothing to a youkai. It was your purifying power that you can't even control which caused the fox's demise."

Kagome cringed forward as though she had taken a sword-thrust to her abdomen, eyes filling with tears as she clenched her healthy hand into a fist. Though she may have thought the same thing, it hurt even worse to hear the accusation from someone else. The words rang stark and clear, and there was no way she could refute the truth of them since her lack of control most likely had killed Akito. If she had been a better miko...if she hadn't done something as dumb as play the hero and gone out there last night...if she had went off with the cloaked figure, who she now knew to be Cheiro, right away, the kitsune would have missed them...

So many 'ifs', and none of them which would make an iota of difference now.

Pulling herself together before she could fall into another emotional slump, she regarded the silent youkai who was still watching her. "That doesn't explain why you betrayed Sesshoumaru, Cheiro. Why, after serving him for so many years, would you decide to join with Aion and try to kill him?"

An enraged light entered pink eyes, the slitted pupils constricting till they were hardly noticeable. "Because the House of Taisho murdered my clan needlessly! Because they took away my family, killed every youkai I had ever known right before my eyes. Because they enslaved me to the keep after sparing my life when I would have much rather been put to the sword as my brethren had been."

"Enslaved you?" Kagome asked in confusion. "He told me that you came to live at the Taisho Castle after your family died in the last great war."

Though Sesshoumaru had mentioned in passing long ago that the entire neko clan had been destroyed during the battle, the particulars had never been spoken of. At the time, she had felt pity for the healer, but there had been more pressing matters to discuss that had led her away from the topic. Now, it seemed she would be hearing a part of the Taiyoukai's past and personality she hadn't really come to know personally. Yes, she knew that the dog demon could be vicious, evil, and at times, merciless to those he perceived as enemies. Yet, she had never known him to be actively cruel unless provoked from his stoicism.

A bitter scoff left the healer's lips as she said condescendingly, "You really are too naive, girl." Ignoring the miffed frown on the human's face, she bit out, "Do you honestly believe that the Taiyoukai you love so much is this sweet gentle creature who all look upon in wonder and awe? You have much to learn in the ways of youkai if that is the case."

Kagome couldn't stop the surprised start of her muscles clenching when Cheiro had spoken of her feelings for Sesshoumaru. She wasn't stupid, or out of touch with her own feelings enough to not see that the dog demon had come to mean more to her in a different way than anyone else had. The time they had spent together was filled with a thousand minuscule instances that were dear to her heart in some way. Even those others would disregard as unimportant, the miko had come to treasure and hold close because it was Sesshoumaru who had given them to her.

The inu youkai was the reason she had begun to get over Inu Yasha. The first person to let her be herself without telling her how lacking she was because of it. He was the only youkai she had ever encountered who could turn a well-phrased sentence into a million varying meanings just by the tone. But, most of all, he was the male whom she had come to depend on for emotional security, who she wanted to run to for support, and in turn, be his support system even though for all intents and purposes, he didn't need it.

Was she blind to his faults? No, of course not. Yet, it was because he wasn't blind to hers either, and still accepted her, that yes, she could safely say to herself, she did love him. Not in the same way she had for Inu Yasha, or did for anyone else. This knowledge did not, however, mean the Taiyoukai felt the same way. The opposite was probably more apt to lean towards than the other.

Squaring her shoulders, she gave Cheiro a calm gaze, a part of her easing now that she had come to terms with how she viewed Sesshoumaru. If it came about that this little escapade ended her life, then at least she was safe in the knowledge that she had loved wholeheartedly one last time before she died.

"I am not as naive as you think, Cheiro. I'm well aware that Sesshoumaru isn't a youkai who is easy-going or amiable in the least. But, I also know he is a fine ruler to his people, and that most, if not all, of his actions have held a valid reason behind them."

Waving her hand impatiently at the human's words, she cat scowled in annoyance. "You know nothing! You do not know what it is like to see your mother, father, brothers, sisters, everyone you had lived with all your life, loved and come to grow with, slain before you!"

"Then tell me, Cheiro, why exactly did Sesshoumaru's family kill your people?" she asked calmly, waiting with an arched ebony brow for what the other female would say.

"Because the white inu youkai clan has always held a soft spot for humanity." There was a bitterness to her tone, a disgusted curl to the healer's lips that bespoke of years of festering hatred. "There was a great war in the making, this is true. But, what he failed to mention is that my family wasn't slain during a battle, but rather, because of a summons we did not answer from the previous Taiyoukai."

"Inutaisho?" Kagome asked, the answers furthering her confusion instead of fixing it. "What could he have asked you to do that would have warranted him ordering the destruction of the nekos?"

"The Great Dog General had gotten a human princess with child, and during the later stages of her pregnancy, complications had begun to manifest. It is well known amongst demons that the mixing of a Taiyoukai's blood and normal human's can have wearing consequences on the frailer mate, some even succumbing to death if not closely monitored. Our people, being known as the most gifted healers in all of Japan, had aided him before when his first mate had been pregnant many years previous. Gladly, we had offered our assistance to help in the birthing of the Taisho heir, and as compensation for our help, he had given us an allotment of space on his lands near the coast, to live and prosper."

The miko interrupted the youkai's diatribe. "Yes, but if you had helped him with Sesshoumaru's mother, why wouldn't you do so again for Inu Yasha's?"

"Assuring a whelp is given life into the youkai realm was not our concern." The cat's head tilted arrogantly, her arms crossing over her breasts, her stature proud and erect. "It would have been a gross insult if our clan had made a hanyou's passage into the world an easy one, especially considering Lord Inutaisho already possessed an heir to his kingdom who was more than adequate to take over after his father perished."

"How can you say that?! It was a baby, for Kami's sakes!" she yelled hotly, disbelief making her eyes wide as they watched the cat's. How could someone not want to help another just because of their race? It was ludicrous!

"The viewpoints of a miko who doesn't even have control of her powers matters naught to me, girl." Cheiro's voice was cold with malice, a thousand razors fashioned of ice bleeding through the nuances. "Regardless of what you may feel on the issue, when Lord Inutaisho was made aware of our decision, the dog demon himself arrived with a contingent of his own youkai, leveling the small village to the ground. The only reason I survived was because I had left earlier in the week to aid an elderly youkai close by who had needed a draught for her aches and pains. I returned in time to see the final brush of the Tetsusaiga obliterate my house, the screams of my family fading away as the debris disintegrated beneath the blast. I was but a teenager then, in youkai years, and could do nothing more but stare in shock at the countless bloody bodies, sightless eyes of my people littering the ground like broken dolls. Fires burned from the many roofs set aflame, and the smell of death was everywhere. I must have made some sort of noise because the next thing I knew, the Dog General was standing over me. After seeing what had happened to my clan, all I had wished for was to join them, be allowed to follow them to the grave." More bitterness coated her features as she spit out, "Apparently, Lord Inutaisho's punishment for our disobedience was to make the clan-head's talented daughter become his palace healer. I was unlucky enough to be our best healer, and he knew that. So, I was taken to live in the Taisho Palace, existing out these long years offering medical aide to the group of youkai who had taken everything from me."

Kagome felt a little sick at what the cat youkai had said. Since she had made no mention of Sesshoumaru being present during the ordeal, she could but assume the reason Cheiro had set her murderous sights on him was because she couldn't exact the revenge on the father. Many times, she had wondered about the dog demon's sire, contemplated on what an extraordinary youkai he must have been to accomplish all that he had during his lifetime. She was a bit ashamed to admit that she had never considered the harsher aspects of what he must have done or did to achieve that goal. How merciless a youkai he could have been, had to be in some cases, in order to hold absolute power over creatures who were born deadly. A being who could govern over said persons would have to be even worse in some areas in order for them to follow his wishes, listen to what he wanted and do his bidding.

"I am so sorry, Cheiro," she whispered quietly, blue-grey gaze sorrowful and sad as they watched the cat.

The doctor swiped a clawed hand through the air harshly, tossing aside the sympathetic words. "Save your pity for someone who needs it, miko! I tell you these things because there is no harm in it since you won't be alive much longer anyway to benefit from it."

Alarm spiked through her, her good hand fisting in the silky material covering her thigh as Kagome's demeanor turned wary. "What do you mean, Cheiro?"

A humorless tilt of lips followed by a derisive laugh did nothing to ally her fears. "Only what I said, Kagome. Your usefulness has near run its course, and Lord Aion is not known for possessing the patience needed to harbor ningens for long."

"You would work with Aion, another white inu youkai, part of the breed you hate so much, in order to harm another of the same lineage?" It didn't make much sense to the woman from the future, the logic flawed to her thinking.

"Lord Aion may be from Lord Sesshoumaru's bloodline on the Taiyoukai's mother's side, but he and I share a common hate when it comes to the Taisho household and their love of humans." Turning to leave, the discussion finished on her end, the cat demon walked towards the door. She paused once reaching the door, turning her face in profile, the black stripe which trailed down under her eye stark against her pale skin, the pink of her hair. "Expect no mercy to be given from Lord Aion, girl. He blames Lord Sesshoumaru's birth and father for the death of his sister. If I was you, I would spend these last few hours praying to whatever deity you humans advocate to for not yourself, but the Taiyoukai who should be arriving soon."

Not waiting for an answer, she left as quietly as she had come, leaving a stunned miko sitting on the edge of the bed. Her mind raced with all the new bits of information she had just learned, trying to catalogue and place everything in her head so she could think it through. Aion blamed Sesshoumaru's father and the dog demon himself for the death of his sister, the previous Taiyoukai's mate. That answered some of why he had set assassins on him, but why didn't he do anything to his brother-in-law when the demon had been alive?

The wisping smoke from the brazier drew her attention, eyes narrowing as they pondered the nature of the feudal era's idea of a vaporizer. After hearing Cheiro's story, she wasn't so certain that the neko youkai hadn't been doing something with it in order to harm her. In fact, it wouldn't surprise her if the mysterious illness that had befallen Sesshoumaru's castle the weeks preceding his trip to the future wasn't instigated by the cat. Germ warfare wasn't as uncommon as one might think during this time period, and who better to spread the malady than the palace healer whom every youkai in the keep would go to in order to get a cure? It was a terrifying possibility she wasn't sure she wished to think over much longer.

A loud rumble of thunder made her look back towards the windows high near the ceiling, reminding her that it seemed Shurin was close by if her hunch was correct. No matter what Sesshoumaru might say about the rain-child, she knew deep in her heart that the personal aide would never harm his master. There had been too much hero-worship, an earnestness about his youthful features whenever he gazed at the Taiyoukai that spoke of a younger sibling watching his idolized older brother. Perhaps, if she could somehow figure out a way to contact Shurin, even learn where he was headed since he had come here, she could help get them both out of here before Sesshoumaru arrived.

Sighing heavily, she knew the plan didn't make much sense, have a good chance of success. Kagome was pretty sure the elemental youkai would be attempting to get her back for his master in a bid to prove his innocence to the Taiyoukai, to return to his good graces once more. It caused a pang in her heart at the thought that the youth could be traipsing right into his death just to please Sesshoumaru enough to reinstate him as his personal aide.

When she got out of here she was giving that stubborn dog demon a piece of her mind! Making that poor rain-child so despondent and desperate that he was willing to take on Aion, a youkai who could easily best him, just to prove his innocence! Innocence that should never been called into question in the first place!

'Oh, he made her so mad!' she thought angrily, hopping off the bed to begin pacing back and forth near to where the large mirror was located, grumbling threats under breath of just precisely what she would do to the demon once she saw his arrogant face again. Purifying powers or no, she was definitely going to deliver at least a satisfying kick in the butt to the unsuspecting demon. An amused smirk tilted her lips as in her head she imagined his shocked face at finding himself accosted by a human female.

Pushing the amusing thoughts away a tad impatiently, Kagome kept repeating her trek back and forth, ignoring the pain of her hand twitching as it continued on healing itself slowly. Walking tended to help her think, and right now, she had to try and figure out a way to get herself out of this mess before Sesshoumaru appeared.

Glancing to the window once again when lightning forked close to the ground outside where she was being held, she bit her lip.

She just wished she knew where Shurin was. Knowing the youkai's location and intentions would have helped her greatly right now.

The sound of an explosion nearby, but not close enough to point towards it having hit the building of her prison, made her stop and jump in surprise.

"Shurin, what are you doing?" she asked in a frightened whisper as she heard the sound of pounding feet running on floorboards towards her door.

Turning to face the entrance, she saw a demon she did not know enter the room, the door having been pushed all the way open so she could see the group of perhaps three or four other youkai waiting outside in the shadowed hall.

"You are to be escorted to Lord Aion, miko," the gruffly spoken words made her quit her perusal of the others to rest on the guard who was garbed in the same style of clothing of Sesshoumaru's, save for the color scheme of Aion's waves in place of the sakuras the Taisho's claimed. The glint of a kusari-gama flashed where it was laced in the sash at his side, his head bare of any helmet, though his body was semi-covered in dragon armor. His eyes were a pale hue of ivory that was almost painful to look at, the slits of his pupils like dots of ink in the middle of parchment. His hair was a mussed brown nest atop his head, a scrolling design of the same shade as his hair looping elegantly over his forehead, down the plains of his cheeks.

Swallowing her trepidation, she squared her shoulders and padded barefoot to where they waited, exuding calm when she really didn't feel any. "Lead the way."

Waiting for her to pass so she could be nestled in the middle of the others, she kept her head down as the group made their way to wherever they were taking her. She just prayed that wherever Shurin was, whatever he was doing, he was alright and hadn't fallen beneath Aion's blade yet. Enough youkai had died already over this whole melo-drama, and it would pain her if not only Akito was gone, but the elemental youkai as well.

Shurin crept further down the shadowy walkway of the main building, deftly side-stepping the puddles of blood and strewn bodies of the warriors he had cut down upon entering through the portal he had created with a bolt of lightning. The storm had covered his progress into the keep flawlessly, allowing him to slip past the numerous guards posted along the parapets. Once inside, he had continued to evade detection, crouching behind random pieces of shrubbery and corners, the water pouring from the sky making visibility poor, even for youkai eyes.

The lightning, he had chosen to keep to a bare minimum, since the stray flashes of light would have permitted enough illumination for a stray demon to have seen him slipping from hiding spot to hiding spot. He was just lucky that the training Kiro demanded all of them to partake in had included skills better fit for ninjas. The kitsune's work had taken him into plenty of situations which called for that type of expertise, so had made certain that Lord Sesshoumaru's warriors were thus acquainted with the art of traveling to places while not being seen. He did, however, randomly strike the roofs of the guards' housing further away from the main building, as a diversion that was working beautifully to call most of them away from his destination.

When the tiered walls of the main building where Aion was sure to be, as well as Lady Kagome no doubt, were in front of him, he had summoned more of the element he mastered, a precise stroke of lightning taking care of an entrance. Though he knew such an approach would cause his presence to be known, he also knew it would make panic race through the strong-hold. In the growing clamor, the rain-child immediately withdrew his katana while running inside, a few well placed strokes of the weapon taking care of the youkai who had come to investigate the breech.

Shaking his head to remove the dripping strands of hair from his brow and out of his eyes, Shurin wasted no time in heading down the hallway, taking the stairs that arose at its end, sword kept at the ready. On the landing, there were a few more demons garbed in Aion's colors who opposed the derelict youkai in their midst, though they were easily taken care of as well. He knew he had a few precious moments to accomplish his task since it would not take the others long to realize where the intruder had attacked. The rain demon was hoping that this place's layout was similar in design to his master's, that he was headed in the correct direction to the center chamber where the lord of the manor would be.

If Aion wasn't there, if his keep was not built as he was familiar with, well...best not to think about that. It just had to be!

Climbing another set of highly polished stairs, Shurin paused once gaining the top, panting heavily as his bright green orbs trained intently on the double-doors facing him. Flicking the red liquid from the length of his sword with a practiced movement of his wrist, he ignored how he left a puddle of water under his still form, visually tracing the deeply etched symbol of rolling waves engraved into the dark surface of the wood. There were no hallways which led down from this room, just the entrance into the chamber where the white dog youkai was hopefully located. Since Aion was not as prestigious a ruler as Lord Sesshoumaru, his building only boasted three stories, at its top one cavernous chamber where he would hold court whenever visitors of importance stopped by.

The maelstrom continued to rage outside, a direct reflection of their owner's temperament and a subtle form of distraction for the other youkai running about. Centering himself, Shurin held his katana at the ready and rushed forward, kicking the doors open with enough violence to send them slamming back on their hinges and into the walls. The sharp clang of metal meeting metal fell painfully in his sensitive ears as his sword was met with a kusari-gama. The low lighting from wall sconces wavering in the room let the rain-child see his opponent clearly, his green eyes darting about quickly to take in his new surroundings.

It was surprisingly sparsely furnished in the chamber, a few wall hangings with Aion's clan design fluttering in the icy gale that came in through the line of windows along one wall. There was no one else present except for the youkai he was currently pushing his own weapon against and Aion with Lady Kagome seated beside the white dog demon. The distance separating him from the miko was not far, but the fact that she was so close to the dangerous youkai set his nerves on edge, his heart to quicken with adrenaline.

The fearful call of his name from her made him even more determined to get her out of Aion's clutches, return her to the safety of his master's palace. He knew that out of all those at the Taisho house, that she had championed his good name to Lord Sesshoumaru more than anyone else. It touched his heart that this ningen female would take his side on what seemed to be a clear-cut case of betrayal from his end. She was one of the few friends he had left after the assassination attempt on his master's life, and he wanted to repay her kindness any way he could.

Reacting with haste, for he knew that soon the other warriors would find out where he was, Shurin pushed brutally forward, dislodging his blade from the hooked metal it had come up against. Darting to the side, he swung down in an arc, aiming for the brown-haired guard's midriff, his blow barely intercepted in time. Hopping backwards, the rain-child clasped the pummel tightly in both clawed hands, his gaze drawn back over and over to where the woman was sitting tensely next to the youkai who was watching the battle with a bored expression.

Gritting his teeth, he charged towards the male who was swinging the kusari-gama above his head, the chain connecting the instrument whistling with each circular pass it made, the white eyes of its owner narrow and cold.

Spinning with all the grace of an expert dancer, Shurin leapt in the air so he could bring the sword down towards the other youkai, his fangs flashing and eyes roiling in smoky emerald as he attempted to drive the point into the gap where the armor connected with the youkai's body.

He was disappointed to feel the length of chain manage to entangle itself about his blade, the weapon wrenched from his grasp to be thrown aside, skittering across the floor with a clatter to lay uselessly by the open doorway. Again, he retreated quickly to allow him room to gather his power. Moving his hands in fast succession, a great blast of wind and rain came barreling through the windows, the force behind it extinguishing every flame in its holder, knocking the tapestries from their hangings. Splaying his hands open, he made a shoving motion to the demon who had begun to back away with wide eyes at the sight of nature coming towards him with great speed. No matter how he tried to evade it, the rain and water found its target, lifting the male from the ground as it made contact with his front.

Aion's guard cried out in pain as he was thrown into the wall behind the seated pair near the back of the room, stray droplets from the attack falling down upon them, dotting their clothing in places. When Shurin reigned in his element, releasing the technique, the water-wind combination dispersed instantly, returning to its habitat outside. Panting, the rain-child retraced his steps to retrieve his blade before he began to stalk forward, his gaze hard as he glared into the impassive amber of the dog demon.

"Release Lady Kagome, Aion."

A sinister chuckle floated through the dark room which was only lit by a random flash of lightning, the glowing of the demons' eyes easily discernable to Kagome as she anxiously chewed at her lower lip. When the small contingent of soldiers had brought her to this room scant minutes before Shurin had arrived, the miko had felt disquiet flow through her. She had been forced to sit directly beside Aion, who had changed his clothes to a new uniform, thank Kami, from the previous ones which had been smeared with her blood. The only difference being, now he had his own sword laced in the sash about his lean waist. Her injured hand, she had hidden away in the wrinkled material of her kimono, the secret of its self-healing something she wished to keep from the dog demon's knowledge. Perching beside him, she had tried to keep as much space as he would allow between them, growling when he had turned his head to give her a knowing smirk from his cruel lips.

"You do not desire my company, Kagome?" he had questioned with mock innocence, his silvery brow arching in mild inquiry.

She had struggled to keep her temper in check, not to lash out at the condescending male who had been her tormenter the past evening. Her reply had been forestalled by the rain-child's appearance, his name slipping past her lips without even thinking, anxiety coursing through her as he engaged in battle with Aion's guard. Aion, she noticed, had immediately turned to watch the skirmish with calculating eyes, expression bland and uninterested save for his gaze which took in every detail.

When Shurin had called forth the very wind and rain that had been buffeting the outside of the keep, her blue-grey eyes had widened impossibly in her pale face, mouth hanging open in amazement at witnessing an elemental youkai using his craft. Her hair had whipped erratically about her head, the lights extinguishing promptly at the force of air rushing past their resting places. Aion's own locks had moved to brush against her face in irritating repetition, her annoyance reaching enough heights to finally grab a handful of the silky ponytail to keep it from continuing its onslaught. The inu youkai hadn't even noticed when she had done so, his eerie eyes flicking momentarily to watch his guard sail over their heads to connect with brute force against the wall. With a sickening thud, the youkai had slid down to lay in a heap upon the floor. She swallowed down bile, refusing to look behind her to see what sort of mess a jet-stream of water made of flesh, instead, focusing ahead to her impromptu savior.

A mini-rain shower had her releasing Aion's hair to wipe at her now sprinkled visage, her inferior human eyes trying vainly to see where Shurin was. The only thing clearly visible to her was the iridescent gleaming of his eyes, a stray blue-ish white streak from outside dancing over his figure before shrouding them in darkness once more. Another gust of wind now pulling at her mane instead of pushing, as well as the lack of water falling upon her, let her know Shurin had withdrew his attack, calling it back to where it belonged outside.

When the elemental youkai had voiced his demand, she had shivered at the familiar sound of Aion chuckling at the male's audacity. Any time she had heard him laugh like that, bad things had followed. She doubted this would be any different.

"So, little youkai, you came to rescue the damsel in distress have you?" The sardonic amusement behind Aion's words had her cringing for the youth. This damn dog demon was so unkind! I mean, yeah, ok, so Shurin's approach had been a little brash and not thought out, but at least he was trying!

She had to stop herself from grabbing the youkai's tail wrapped around the shoulder closest to her and yanking on it in retribution for his cruelty to Shurin. Somehow, she doubted he would let that slide as he had with her grappling with his hair.

The whisper of silk shifting to her left alerted her to the fact that her companion was rising, her head turning to search out his body. It didn't help that she was met with the unsatisfying picture of blurred white hair and glowing irises, the color making her chest feel tight with the memories they brought with it.

"I will say this only once more, Aion." Her gaze was drawn back to the turbulent blaze of green floating eerily in the pitch black. "Release Lady Kagome, or prepare yourself for battle."

A deadly hiss of steel sliding free from a scabbard made her clamber quickly to her feet, teetering to her side as the pillow she had been seated upon caught on her toes. She very nearly fell into Aion, the youkai growling in irritation seconds before the crushing grip of his hand circled her upper arm. A cry of pain left her lips, Shurin's own growl rumbling from his throat, rhythmic thudding denoting that he had begun to move towards them at the sound she had made.

Kagome barely had a chance to throw pleading eyes to the elemental demon before she found her back slammed against Aion's front, the press of razor-sharp metal digging into her throat stopping any protest she'd been prepared to make. She feared to even swallow, terrified that by doing so would cut her own throat. The miko felt fortunate for the small fact that he hadn't broken skin yet.

Blue-grey orbs undulating in fear, she watched Shurin come to an instant halt at this new turn of events, the lowering of his lids half-shielding the fury held there. ' He must be able to see clearly, even though it is almost black as pitch in here,' she thought vaguely as a surreal numbness began to bleed throughout her system.

"Do not dare to pretend you have any room to make demands of me, brat." The claws digging into her flesh tightened until she was certain he would break through the fragile kimono sleeve to slice the flesh underneath. She could feel every vibration of his words through her back, his head leaning against the side of hers in a terrible caricature of intimacy one would expect from a lover. "This miko isn't going anywhere. I wouldn't dare think of letting her leave when I have gone to so much trouble to orchestrate a special celebration for her and my loving nephew."

Shurin's blood was pounding in his veins, hands clenched in helpless rage at seeing Lady Kagome being handled in such a fashion by his master's hated relative. Though he had procured his own weapon, time was pressing down upon him with every minute he lingered, the youkai desperately trying to figure out what to do.

This hadn't been how he had envisioned this rescue mission going. The rain-child was beginning to seriously consider that he had been a tad foolhardy and arrogant in assuming he could take on a demon who even the formidable Taiyoukai he served tended to avoid.

But he couldn't think that way right now. More guards were coming, he could hear them off in the distance, and the rain-child needed to act fast if he wanted to rescue Kagome and get out of there.

Kagome cried out in surprise when she was suddenly flung to the side near the wall of windows, hitting the cold floor with harsh impact, skidding a bit before coming to a stop. With a groan, her hand having twisted at a painful angle under her body, she sat up, shaking her head to clear it. Gritting her teeth, when the ringing left her ears she was able to discern the deadly sound of blades meeting one another.

Shurin must have been able to get his sword back! Standing on unsteady feet, a bright flash of lightning let her see the grappling males, the elemental youkai's features in a fierce snarl as his body bowed backwards at the push from Aion's katana. The taller youkai was overpowering the youth with an ease that was daunting, and she wracked her brain with anything she could do to help him.

Desperate, she spun about in all directions, searching frantically in the brief light allotted her with each strike outside, a happy exclamation leaving her lips when she saw the long chained weapon that lay innocently across the room. Running for it, she nearly slipped and fell in her bare feet when Shurin's body was suddenly thrown her way, the youkai barely missing the female as she ducked to see him go sailing by. Wide frightened eyes tracked his flight, the length of the sword in his hand giving her a bit of reassurance that at least he hadn't managed to be disarmed. Aion, she noticed as she continued to her destination, was standing near the open doors, amber eyes glowing with malice as they watched her and the rain-child.

A hurried leap forward had her making contact with the floorboards a second time that night, her hand closing around the handle of the kusari-gama, bringing the weapon up above her head just in time to keep Aion's sword from cutting into her. The vibration of the strike made her arm muscles cramp, shake, as he pressed down lightly, a familiar smirk on his lips as they were bathed in light for a few seconds.

Panting, Kagome felt her strength waning, her arm beginning to fold back into itself, a sinister chuckle entering her ears.

"If you want to join the fight, Kagome, I would suggest waiting till I have finished with my nephew's subordinate." Another gentle push had her gritting her teeth, sweat breaking out on her skin. "Or we could always postpone any sort of combat and resume where we left off in your chamber."

Outraged, she snapped, "Shut the hell up, Aion!"

Just as she was sure she wouldn't be able to hold out any more, the inu youkai's eyes cut sharply to the side just as a blur collided with his body, knocking him away from her. Thank Kami for Shurin!

Getting up off the floor, she swiped the back of her bandaged hand over her slick brow, tightening her hold on the kusari-gama in her wet palm. Swallowing, Kagome headed towards where Aion had Shurin on the ground, his katana buried deep into the rain-child's shoulder, pinning him to the floor. For his part, the youkai hadn't uttered a single sound at being impaled, green tumultuous eyes murderous as they glared defiantly up at his attacker. He would have utilized his elemental power if he'd had the chance, but working with something as mercurial as rain and weather took a few precious moments to center and control. Moments he had not been able to achieve.

"It is over, little youkai. I, unfortunately, do not have time to draw this out since I have more important matters to attend to." Aion twisted the blade in a circular motion, Shurin's body tensing and a hiss leaving his clenched teeth. "Send my regards to your master when he joins you shortly." He withdrew the weapon in preparation to drive it home into the downed demon's throat when he was knocked off balance by something hitting his back, stumbling to the side, narrowly missing stepping on the rain-child whose eyes were trained incredulously behind him.

Growling, Aion turned to see the miko standing there, the kusari-gama's sickle in her unharmed hand, the length of the chain with the small ball at the end splayed between them from where she had chucked it at him.

"Get away from Shurin, you bastard!" The growling from her own voice reminded him of the last time they had tussled, his eyes ringing in red as the white dog youkai kept them trained upon the woman, negligently kicking back at Shurin, clipping him in the temple. Shurin had time to cry out before blackness claimed him, his last sight being of Lady Kagome facing off against his master's uncle with a determined expression despite her ruffled appearance.

Wrenching his blade from the prone youkai, the demon's body following the upward motion before sliding off in a sickly way that had her stomach churning, Aion flicked his wrist, the excess blood splattering over Shurin's form grotesquely. Rage began to burn within her, the same she had experienced when biting Sesshoumaru's uncle's lip earlier. If he had been within biting range, she had no doubt she would have indulged herself again, despite the nasty taste of his blood afterwards.

This youkai pushed every button the miko had when it came to setting off her temper in extraordinary splendor. No other creature had ever been able to make her see red, but Aion excelled at that grandly.

"You really have to be the most asinine female I have ever met, Kagome."

Planting her feet firmly apart for balance, she regarded him steadily. "And you, Aion, have got to be the worst form of bastard I have ever met."

Here they were again, a surrealism spreading in her system along with adrenaline as they faced each other with glaring similarities to their last encounter.

With the rain-child's lack of consciousness, the weather outside had mellowed to a soft downfall that was at complete odds with the malevolence it had been before. Now that there wasn't going to be any more lightning to help her visually, Kagome spared a glance to the windows, judging daybreak to be an hour or so away yet. Her other problem was that not only did she have but one hand to try and work with an instrument she had never used before, but also that the long metal links attached to it were still stretched out between them. Somehow, she doubted Aion would be benevolent enough to allow her the time to recoil it so she could throw it at him again. Besides, even she knew that first hit had been a lucky shot, catching him unawares with a blow that was completely without skill.

There was no way she would be able to pull that off a second time, especially with his undivided attention on her. However, that didn't mean she was going to give up! Despite the fact that during their little staring match a small group of his guards were lingering outside the open doorway, the sound of shoe-clad feet and rattling armor alerting her to their presence though she could not really see them. Senses heightened from not being able to see much, Kagome clearly heard the way they shifted uneasily, silent until their master acknowledged them. Even now, when a situation such as this was before them, they wouldn't dare pass a threshold if Aion had not granted them leave to.

"Lay down your ridiculous weapon, miko, and desist this stupidity at once," Aion's icy voice was filled with impatience, growing weary with this ordeal that was laughable at best.

Kagome warred within herself on what she should do. If she kept going, refused to relinquish her paltry defense, then she didn't know what Aion would do once she was unarmed. On the flip side, if she gave it up, then the waiting entourage might be ordered to take Shurin somewhere that he could receive medical attention. That is, if Cheiro would administer to him...

The stillness and quiet after his order was smothering until she let out a heavy sigh, lowering her arm to let the sickle slide from nerveless fingers to land with a 'clank' by her feet. When it came between herself and the possibility of Sesshoumaru's ex-personal aide's wounds getting tended to, there really was no contest.

Retreating a few paces, she wrapped her arms about her abdomen as Aion barked out orders for the soldiers to come in and clean up the mess, relight the torches, get rid of the youkai who Shurin had taken out. At least her clothing hadn't become loosened this time round, a fact she was extremely grateful for. She turned her head away when a few soldiers went passed with the brown-haired male, nauseous with the knowledge that Shurin had killed him, trying to reconcile herself that not only had she been hanging out in the same vicinity as a dead body, but that she had talked, if but briefly, to him not long ago.

She didn't blame the rain youkai for what he had done. It had been in defense of his own life and in an attempt to release her from confinement, but that didn't mean she could forget it either. Death was not something she was very well acquainted with having never gone through something of this sort before. The woman didn't know precisely how to handle it.

Turning troubled blue-grey eyes to where she could see the elemental youkai in the light from the relit wall sconces, she chewed at her lower lip, rubbing the arm where a bruise was forming with her hand as she did. Aion was instructing them to take the unconscious youkai away to a place the others must have held previous knowledge of since he disclosed no exact location. She winced when one of the guards picked up the youth without any care, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the long drape of Shurin's ebony hair falling down the demon's back from his head that hung so lifelessly. His stab wound had left a good sized puddle of blood where he had lain, another guard being told to fetch servants to clean it up. Apparently, Aion wasn't a fan of having his nice shiny floor dirty, and it gave her pleasure to think of her own mess she had made in the room he'd had her in. The limp quality to Shurin's frame made a shudder pass along her nerves, a frigid exhale of nature blowing over her though no wind was present.

Kami, she hoped he would be okay...

When Aion was satisfied that all were obeying his demands, he wiped his bloody blade on a cloth offered from a guard, deigning from looking to the ningen until he slid the blade home in its scabbard. Focusing on her dazed expression, he frowned and stalked over to her, gripping her by the elbow to escort her back to where they had been seated before. The compliance she displayed at following his lead without hesitance made his scowl darken, sharp eyes back to their normal amber studying her critically. The last thing he needed was for her to faint or go into shock. He had no desire to have to wake her up, find the healer, or anything else that would be more of in imposition on his plans than there had been already.

Gaining their destination, he turned her to face him, putting his hands on her frail shoulders to push her into a sitting position, kneeling in front of her on one knee as he did so. Grabbing her chin between gentle fingers, he raised her face to his, tilting his head to the side as he traced her features, the trembling curve of her mouth, the dilated eyes that weren't focused that told him she was off in her own little world.

Lips flattening into an unhappy line, he made certain his gaze was level with hers before saying calmly, "Kagome, look at me."

It took the human a few seconds, but those stormy irises finally settled upon him with clarity that had been absent, though she gave no other reaction at finding him so close, his hand on her.

"Get a hold of yourself, miko. I don't need a hysterical human female on my hands."

He expected her to get angry. Rage and rant like she was wont to do whenever he antagonized her. Instead, all he got was a soft, "Okay." and nothing more.

She didn't even blink for the length of time they remained like that, until finally he exhaled loudly and released her before standing, her head tilting back to watch him. Running fingers through his bangs in an irritated gesture, he went and sat beside her, giving her extra space even though he wasn't aware of it.

He didn't have time for this! If the human wanted to sit there and pout or whatever she was doing then fine! Sesshoumaru would be here soon, anyway. It wasn't like if she had a nervous breakdown within the next hour that he couldn't just either knock her irksome hide out, or simply kill her. The longer he spent in this human's company, the worse it was wearing on him. Usually he who was known for infinite patience found it suspiciously gone where she was concerned, and the knowledge disconcerted him.

Aion couldn't wait for his nephew to get here. At least then, the miko, Kagome, would be off his hands one way or another.

Kagome felt numb, as though she was disconnected with herself, not inhabiting her own body, but hovering outside it. She couldn't even muster up the emotion needed to fight with the dog demon, defy his actions when he had maneuvered her over here. All she could see was Shurin's bloody form being carried away, hear the sound of someone confirming the soldier behind their perch was dead. Nothing else was registering. The human body and mind could only take so much abuse before it cracked, and she wasn't exactly sure if she had surpassed that boundary, or simply reached it.


	49. Terms

Rain had soaked every inch of the four youkai standing near the edge of the forest by Aion's keep. Though a torrential downpour would have made lesser beings appear as drowned rats, the gathered demons stayed ever pleasing to the eye. Clothes saturated or no, they managed to exude power and grace from every pore.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as they came to rest on the charred remnants of a tree that had been shattered by lightning. The muddy earth around the small crater had been scorched even though enough water had been falling that it should have prevented it. Mouth flattening to a grim line, he brushed his wet bangs back from his forehead where little frigid droplets had begun to trail his face.

Seeing the raging storm they had traveled into once nearing his uncle's land had caused a dreaded suspicion to grow inside the Taiyoukai. He was very familiar with Shurin's mode of emotional outlet and attack since they were one and the same. When the congregated group had left Taisho Palace, he had debated on whether or not to bring Ah Un since his cousin and Kouga could not take to the air as the other two could. In the end, he had decided to have his dragon bring the wolf prince and dark dog demon to the very borders of the West and South, depositing them before returning to stay near to where Rin's rooms were. There was no way his mount could fit inside the castle without causing an uproar, but he could, however, take residence outside her windows in the garden which attached there. In leu of what had transpired that evening, his guards were well informed that the tightening of security was top priority, primarily in regards to the little girl and his half-brother's mutinous group.

The storm that had encased them, made their journey more difficult than it needed to be, had lost its potency when there was perhaps an hour left of their travel by foot upon crossing the boundaries which separated Lord Tachikaze's and Sesshoumaru's provinces. He didn't even want to think about the possibilities such a thing could mean, instead, focusing on keeping everyone in the same frame of mind as they moved like ghosts through the dense vegetation of the dragon's domain.

The smell of the rain-child's blood that was almost completely washed away from the area confirmed that his ex-personal aide was indeed ensconced in the thatch of buildings visible in the wavering countryside.

Really, he had expected the demon to head towards his uncle's when Sesshoumaru had been informed of his absence. Now, standing in the softly pattering rain of the youth's making, he felt a chill invade his bones that had nothing to do with the nearly freezing temperature, and everything to do with the realization that Kagome was somewhere inside the various structures spread out before them.

Daija came up alongside him, his vibrant hair flattened to his skull turning it the deep vermillion of fresh blood. Kouga stomped forwards, his customary battle attire in place, the fur matted and dirty high up his thighs from his hurried gait through the forest. The ookami had chosen to scout out ahead of them in small increments, his speed and coloring the perfect camouflage to perform said duty without being detected in case some of Aion's soldiers were patrolling nearby. He had run into not a single youkai in the vicinity, which was virtually unheard of since any lord of considerable wealth or prestige was known to have cells out roaming so they would be able to forewarn of an enemy's approach.

Sora stayed back, the dark inu youaki's expression grim and a little fearful beneath the horned helmet he wore. He was the only one who had put any head-gear on, a precautionary measure as well as a way to shadow his face from the others so they would not be able to read his feelings on returning to a place he had never wished to see again. A light of trepidation lingering from the amber orbs all those from the white dog heritage possessed made them glow eerily in the burgeoning shades of the horizon where the sun was just now vainly attempting to shine through. His grasp upon the slick pole from his glaive would have broken a lesser piece of timber, yet, because all weapons fashioned from wood were procured from the enchanted forests in the East, it naturally resisted the demon strength which punished it.

Glancing over to his cousin who was still going over the scene with a critical gaze, he lost himself in memories of what his childhood had been like within the frigid walls of his father's keeps.

Sesshoumaru, unaware of the other demon's musings, regarded Aion's fortress while working out various battle plans in his head. He couldn't simply use Toukijin to take out a wall along with the guards there because he wasn't sure where they would be holding Kagome. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally kill the woman he had come all this way to rescue.

"Why the hell are we just standing here?!" Kouga demanded hotly, drawing the Taiyoukai's attention to the scowling wolf who was standing with his arms laced over his chest, feet spread apart in the slippery surface of the forest.

"We will not just go charging blindly into Lord Aion's castle without a plan, Lord Kouga," the phoenix answered calmly, awaiting his master's orders on what he would like to do next.

The ookami made a cutting gesture in the air between them with one hand, impatience thick in his voice when he bit out, "This is ridiculous! Who knows what the bastard has done to Kagome already and we aren't even hurrying to get in there to help her."

It didn't aid matters that all present knew about the bloody locket Sesshoumaru had received, the Wolf Prince's reaction of icy rage uncharacteristic for the commonly loud demon. The piece of metal seemed to pulse where it lay near the dog youkai's heart, as though it was trying to offer the unsettled male a bit of the comfort its owner would normally give him.

Movement brought all of their attention to a lone figure making their way out of the large gates of the keep, the growing illumination offering ample light for creatures who already had superior eyesight to clearly see that whoever it was wore a cloak to hide them and give shelter from the rain. Sora and Daija flanked their master, Kouga standing to the dark dog demon's left as they awaited the arrival of whoever was now traipsing slowly up the incline.

A stray wind brought a scent to the canines which had a low growl escaping the ookami's throat, arms falling to his side as he gripped the pommel of his sword with a white-knuckled hand.

Despite the unenthusiastic greeting, the figure halted a few feet from them, reaching up with clawed hands to push the hood of the cloak away, exposing pink hair and eyes with a lone black stripe trailing down one cheek. Clasping her fingers together to settle them at her midriff as the neko was wont to do, she inclined her head towards her previous master, the strands of her hair turning dark and spotted as water fell upon it.

"Greetings, Lord Sesshoumaru. I am instructed to invite you and your entourage into the keep to discuss terms."

His subordinates waiting for his command on what to do, Sesshoumaru took a step forward, separating him from the group. "I would assume, Cheiro, this request is extended from my uncle?"

"Precisely, Lord Sesshoumaru." She appeared relaxed and unconcerned even with the hateful glares of the ookami and phoenix trained upon her, as though there was nothing to fear from them.

"You're a fucking disgrace, neko," Kouga cut in suddenly, stomping forward to crowd the female who remained unaffected by his show of temper or his nearness. "We should kill you right now for your treasonous acts."

Gracing him with a cursory glance, she looked around him to the Taiyoukai once more. "Your answer, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

The wolf snarled and grabbed a fistful of her attire, dragging her face near his own, fangs snapping as he did. "I say we kill her and to hell with Aion's offer!"

"Stay your hand, Lord Kouga," the frigid voice of the dog demon floated into the angry youkai's ears, blue eyes slicing to him from their corners as Kouga kept his hold on her, but went no further. "You will release Cheiro and we will go meet with my uncle."

The cold amber of the eyes staring resolutely into the ookami's resembled hammered metal, glinting eerily without a hint of emotion shining from their depths. Unnerved by Sesshoumaru's attitude, the wolf frowned further before pushing the female youkai from him, the healer stumbling on the slippery grass. Straightening, smoothing the wrinkles from her garb, she turned to lead the males towards the keep which was slowly becoming brushed with pale rays of sunlight vainly attempting to peak through the clouds. Their breath fogged out as they exhaled, the temperature remaining low even with the rising of the sun, the ludicrous thought if Kagome was warm enough floating through the Taiyoukai's mind.

He knew, after the time he had spent with her, that the ningen was prone to the cold, easily susceptible to the weather, especially with being ill and towards the end of her cycle. Pushing such imprudent pondering from his mind, he focused instead on the layout of the small castle, how many guards were present, matching what Sora had drawn out for them in his study with what his eyes saw now.

For all intents and purposes, his cousin had described everything to perfection, the dark dog demon's memory of this place vivid and accurate. Though, he could relate. Any time spent in Aion's company wasn't forgotten or suppressed as one might wish over the passing of years.

Refusing to appear affected by the numerous youkai who watched their procession with varying stages of fear, anticipation and eagerness, the Taiyoukai's group kept with the neko, the scent of scorched stone and burned thatch reaching the youkai's nose. Frowning, Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to where it was coming from, puzzled at seeing the faint burnt outline of a jagged hole near the side of the huge central building they were now entering by a proper doorway.

Unbidden, his heart accelerated as his mind raced to put together what such a thing would symbolize. Shurin's lightning was no doubt what had done the damage here as it had up on the hill to that tree, and if the rain-child was utilizing his powers to break into Aion's stronghold, it could only point to one thing. A sick roiling he wasn't all together familiar with slithered in his gut as he remained outwardly stoic, climbing a set of stairs before doing so again towards their destination.

His personal aide, he had been sure was one of the key conspirators behind the assassination attempt his uncle had devised for him. Such certainty had he held in this regard, that he had even sent the youth away from him, giving him enough leeway to hang himself with once he bolted, as Sesshoumaru had been sure he would. So, when he had disappeared the night of Kagome's abduction, he had felt positive it was because Shurin was guilty and finally went to join the master he was loyal to.

The miko's earnest face appeared before his mind's eye, the pleading in her voice as she took the rain youkai's side against him, begging him to understand and see that the boy couldn't hurt him anymore than she could. What couldn't have been regret, but felt damn near like it, made the dog demon have to forcefully keep his posture from tensing, show any sign of the turmoil his thoughts were in.

When they came to the top floor where a single room was held, the double doors open and the scent of Shurin as well as his blood thick in the air, Sesshoumaru felt sick for the first time in his life at the smell of it. Usually, an odor of a sanguine nature didn't bother him. The exact opposite was the case, mostly, since being a demon, he reveled in it to some degree. But as his sharp eyes went straight to the large patch of smeared red on the otherwise clean floor where someone had tried to remove it, his pupils constricted to pinpoints, the amber of his irises heating.

Cheiro moved ahead down the passageway to where Aion sat in regal authority, a shell-shocked looking Kagome at his side normally where the lady of the house would sit with her mate. Teeth clicking together in aggression unwillingly at the sight of the female in foreign attire, the smell of her blood blanketing his nostrils even over Shurin's and the vague out of it look in her eyes, Sesshoumaru's gaze burned hotly into his uncle's.

Halting a fair distance away from the other white youkai, his guards and Kouga followed suit, the ookami's tail twitching in obvious agitation as his vibrant eyes stayed locked on the woman's face, even though she didn't give any sign of seeing them.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru," his uncle's voice washed over him like sweet oil, thick and cloying as it stuck to your skin, invading your senses completely. "I'm so pleased you decided to pay your dear uncle a visit. It has been too long, my loving nephew!"

The caricature of a smile on the malicious youkai's lips grated on all their nerves, the Taiyoukai deigning to bow as would be proper upon being received by another Lord of stature in their home. This demon was beneath such shows of propriety, and Sesshoumaru wasn't about to draw this out any more than necessary.

Cheiro had gone to stand at the side opposite Kagome by the male, pink orbs ever watchful on them, the only other youkai in the room, no guards present even though potentially hostile visitors were in court with their leader. It made the Taiyoukai on edge. His uncle had something up his sleeve, and he was sure he wouldn't have to wait long in order for it to be revealed.

"These games do not suit you, Aion. You know why I have come. It has nothing to do with you, uncle." The familial title fell derisively from his chiseled lips as he was drawn once more to look over the woman now that he was closer. Her hair was a wild tangle over her shoulders and down her back, a black and gold kimono on her body with Aion's insignia trailing over it. He saw that her feet were bare, and since the room wasn't warm seeing as how youkai tended to be fairly impervious to the elements, he was positive icy as well. Which wouldn't help to improve her illness any, he knew. Unfortunately, her hands she was keeping covered by a length of the silk she wore, her blood something he could smell, but the injury she had beyond his sight. He didn't know where she was hurt, Akito's memory faltering once being subjected to the miko's purifying.

A dark chuckle brought his attention back to his uncle who had watched the interplay between his nephew and the miko with keen eyes. "Of course. How very obtuse of me, neh, Sesshoumaru." Gesturing grandly to the floor, he nodded to all of them. "Please, sit. I believe we have terms to discuss, and standing is such a rude mannerism to adopt when entertaining matters of this magnitude."

A few seconds passed as both white dog demons did nothing but look at one another, neither moving a single muscle except to breath. After the silent war had been waged for some time, Sesshoumaru finally looked to his cousin who was standing there, staring at his father with a mixture of fear and hatred, his helmet still in place even though it went against decorum to keep it on once entering a building.

"Sora," he waited until the eyes, so like his own, finally turned to him before continuing. "You will stand guard by the doors, Daija," he took in the phoenix who moved his roiling irises from Kagome to his master, standing straighter at being addressed. "You will do the same as Sora. If it looks like a trap, you are to use any means possible to ensure the miko's safety."

Bowing deeply to show their respect of his wishes, they both answered a simultaneous, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama" before going to stand one on each side of the open doors, Daija taking the spot where Shurin's old stain lay since he figured it would offer a little relief to the young dog across from him.

Satisfied that his warriors were in place, Sesshoumaru sat gracefully directly in front of Aion with a few feet spanning them, Kouga doing the same at his side with less finesse so he could be in Kagome's unwavering eyesight.

Amused at his nephew's precautionary measure with his estranged son, Aion said idly, "Why send Sora away, Sesshoumaru? After all, it isn't like that little whelp wouldn't love spending some quality time with his father once more."

The Taiyoukai let the comment slide, staying silent and cold until the white youkai smirked as he put his chin in one hand, resting the elbow on his laced knees. "My, but you haven't changed, nephew. Still no sense of humor I see."

"We are not here to discuss my emotional characteristics or lack thereof, Aion."

Nodding, ponytail swaying with the motion to make the flames of the sconces dance across it beautifully, drawing attention to the ornament in his hair that represented the house Sesshoumaru's mother had come from, he grew frightfully serious. "You are right, of course, nephew. We aren't here to talk about you at all, are we?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he glanced briefly to the miko who didn't seem to hear or see the wolf sitting in front of her who was talking to her lowly, trying to get her to respond. Taking note of the inu youkai's action, Aion removed his hand from his chin to reach over and trace deadly claws along her cheek, smirking at the reaction it produced from all the males in the room.

"It is for this woman that you all came here today, is it not?" The ookami prince's growl as he delicately traced a line from her brow to her ear was all the answer he needed, the female shuddering lightly at the caress.

"Get your fucking hands off her, you bastard!" Kouga had begun to lean as though preparing to stand or leap forward at the youkai who dared to put his hands on her.

Arching a white brow, bringing attention to the moon mark on his forehead so like the youkai sitting stoically beside him, Aion gave the growling lord a bored stare. "Or what, Lord Kouga? The wolf tribe cannot risk angering the Southern Lord by engaging in battle with another ruler inside his provinces, am I correct? Only family is permitted to battle one another or feud without the reigning youkai of the region becoming involved."

Tilting his head, he cut Sesshoumaru a narrow look as he deliberately let his claws tangle in the heavy mane of her ebony hair and move it over her shoulder to expose the side of her throat. "Besides, the miko and I are already well acquainted with one another. I assure you, this small caress is nothing compared to what we have already...indulged in."

Sesshoumaru felt his eyes ring red with rage as he immediately honed in on the dark bruise marring the white column of her throat in the same place he had kissed not that long ago. The youkai inside him was beyond understanding at seeing their future mate marked by another male, their mate being held captive by said male and being subjugated to their attentions unwillingly. Nausea gripped his innards as the icy dread of what that mark could have been a part of flashed across his vision.

Had Aion raped her? It would not be the first time his uncle was known to take a woman without her permission, something which had always sickened and appalled the son of Inutaisho. However, the idea that Kagome could have been one of his victims, and all because she had come to care for him, Sesshoumaru, enough for his uncle to notice, made him physically ill inside.

Vaguely, he was aware of Kouga barely keeping himself in check, his claws lengthening and digging deep gouges in the polished wood of his uncle's hall, teeth flashing and eyes roiling blue in his ire. All he could see clearly was the dark blue-black of the blemish, his uncle's thumb sliding over it in a lover's touch that made him want to rend the other youkai apart with his bare hands.

"Ah, she means as much to you as I had thought." Aion's calm words in the face of the enraged youkai brought Sesshoumaru back to reason, years of locking his emotions away from this youkai coming to the fore and dragging his primordial nature back into control no matter how it wished otherwise.

Blinking slowly till he knew his eyes were but ringed and not near turning, he hated himself in that moment when he asked with indifference, as though it held no great importance, "Did you force yourself on her, Aion?"

Kouga went inhumanly still at those words, horror and bitterness swimming in the tortured eyes trained on the human. He was terrified to hear the answer, to know if it was true, if the woman he cared so much for had been abused in such a hideous way.

Removing any contact with the girl, Aion waved a hand negligently before him. "Your lack of faith and low standards you view me in wound me, nephew." He let the suspense draw out further, relishing the torment both lords were ill concealing at this drama he was instigating. "However, you should be pleased to know I have not done anything of the sort with your miko. I've taken very good care of her in fact!"

Both youkai subtly released breaths of relief, the Taiyoukai's shoulders slouching a bit with the force of the emotion. Thank Kami for that! As it was, he could see she was in shock, from what he wasn't sure, but more than likely, a combination of all that had transpired since last evening. She was a human not familiar with carnage, and being exposed to his uncle's 'loving' solicitations would have sent the most hardened courtesan over the edge of sanity, let alone an innocent such as her. He just hoped he could get her removed from here as quickly as possible, begin to repair whatever damage the other youkai had wrought.

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Kouga's hate-filled whisper made the youkai it was addressed at arch his brow again in mild inquiry.

"I seriously doubt this matter has anything to do with you, wolf."

Kouga opened his mouth to retort when Sesshoumaru beat him to it, disarming an argument between the ookami and his relative before it began.

"What are the terms for Kagome's release, Aion. I would hear them and be done with this farce. I grow weary of your posturing."

"So impatient...and after visiting your mother's relatives after so long, you would think you would show better breeding than that, Sesshoumaru."

As the Taiyoukai was trying to salvage the legendary cool headed persona he was known for in the face of his uncle's continued irritating behavior, Kagome was slowly coming back to herself.

For she didn't know how long, the miko had been stuck within her own mind, replaying the more horrific events of the past twenty-four hours, driving herself deeper and deeper into whatever web of confusion she had found herself in. Sitting here, waiting for Sesshoumaru to make an appearance while perched next to Aion, she had allowed herself to withdraw from reality for a while, make an effort to give her overtaxed emotions a much needed break. The numbness she had felt was almost a godsend in her opinion. It blanketed everything till it seemed she was viewing the world with fuzzy glasses that didn't let her see clearly, clogging her ears so that all noise was a low hum and murmur she couldn't make out.

It wasn't until she had felt flesh running along her cheek, a deadly claw skim her throat in a familiar way, that awareness began to seep back in. With each second that ticked by, more and more of the world came into focus, the blurry shapes in front of her molding sharply into an outline, and finally, to reveal a person. The deafness left her ears, sound and voices trickling into the organs, gaining volume till she began to understand the words being spoken, recognize the voices saying them.

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome's eyes cleared of the glaze they had held since the youkai had entered, widening as she realized Kouga was sitting across from her, his blue eyes troubled, expression upset. He looked at her in shock at finding her back with the living all of a sudden, tuning out what Sesshoumaru and his uncle were saying, not daring to even lower his lids in case it was all a dream and she went back into her catatonic state.

"Kouga...?" Her unsure whisper had all noise silencing between the two white youkai who were bandying jibes back and forth at one another without ever getting to the real issue at hand. Swallowing to gain some moisture in her dry mouth, she slowly looked to the wolf's side, eyes watering, the sheen of unshed tears shining in them. "Sesshoumaru?"

When she went to launch herself at the Taiyoukai, the only thought in her mind to get to him and safety as soon as possible, touch him, make sure he was real and not a figment of her imagination, the crushing grip wrapping about her upper arm yanking her back to her seat made her falter. Crying out in alarm, she went to catch herself, placing her hands down to keep from sprawling all over the place, just to hiss in pain as the brunt of her weight went to her slowly healing hand.

Aion wrenched the woman to a sitting position once more, keeping her close to his side, a tight hold on her, in the event she went to bolt to his nephew again. A part of him was pleased she wasn't sitting there like a zombie any longer, that she would be able to fully appreciate the scene unfolding for her benefit without missing a thing. He hated when his elaborate schemes didn't go as planned, and her going into momentary shock had definitely put a damper on his mood. It looked like all that would change now, though!

The outstretched hand Kouga had thrown out in an attempt to grab her curled into a fist of rage that hung in the air before he lowered it to sit on his thigh, another growl working its way out of his throat.

"Now now, gentlemen. I'm not quite finished with issuing my terms for this little human's release, and I can't very well have her ruining it by showing a disgusting display of sentiment, now can I?" The youkia's overly polite words had Kagome cringing, the tone in his voice one she was becoming to know well.

Sesshoumaru was completely focused on her hand which lay in full view atop her thigh facing up, a bright red spot growing sluggishly as he watched, the spicy scent of the female's blood stronger and more potent now that Aion's pull had made her reopen it by accident. It stole the warmth from his veins, to see Kagome in such disrepair, damaged so heavily for no apparent reason. He wanted to snatch her away, take her with him, keep her close and never let her out of his sight. Curl about her in their bed, wrap his arm around her and hold her, offer her the comfort he was now accustomed to. When she had went to go to him he had been prepared to grab her, his primordial side overjoyed at seeing the human responding to something, anything, instead of looking like a lifeless doll.

Their reunion had been cut short by Aion. Of course. Who was at the root of this entire situation to begin with. But, seeing her injury, hearing her cry out, watching the way his relative handled the delicate miko, the flash of terror in her eyes, set a firm resolve and determination in his heart.

Bits and flashes of his past raced through his head at quicksilver speed. Kagome's words of goodbye, a piece of a song she sang, his mother's laughing voice praising him, his father asking him if he had anything he wished to protect...

With that last one, he let a serenity permeate his being, settle his turbulent feelings to a placid lake instead of the raging tsunami they had just been. Becoming blinded with anger would get him no where...his father's training had taught him that, not his uncle's. Right now, he would rely heavily on his sire's tutelage, the same youkai who had brought together a piece of a country, learned of his own death and accepted it, created a Well to magic a human priestess from the future here to aid his two sons, and left a letter explaining things with more clarity than any random ideas Sesshoumaru had ever took the time to mull over all these past decades.

One good thing about where the arrow had hit was that it wasn't a place which would kill her, unless a form of infection set in that is. Naturally, it also meant that her using a bow again would be in jeopardy, and since he didn't know exactly how bad the wound was, he wanted her out of here and to a healer as soon as possible. Knowing his uncle's penchant for dramatics, he seriously doubted Cheiro had seen to the miko, offer her anything which would alleviate pain or hasten healing.

"Terms, Aion, now." The ice crystals hanging from each word made even Kagome shiver as though someone had just waltzed over her grave.

The grip Aion had upon her ensured that she wouldn't be leaving his side until he deemed it appropriate, and now that Sesshoumaru was there, scant inches away, there was nothing she wanted more than to go right to him. Admittedly, she was a tad confused at Inu Yasha's absence during all this. The hanyou was known to go charging into battle right along with everyone else, and she vaguely wondered what bribe or restraints the Taiyoukai had used in order to keep his sibling home with the rest of her friends.

Pulling the tense form of the ningen closer to his chest so she was nearly sitting in his lap facing the others, using his free hand to sift through the soft strands near her temple with his free hand, the white dog demon murmured in amusement, "Really, nephew, aren't you having any fun? After I went to all this trouble too." He shook his head, his chin stopping to lean atop the girl's hair as he regarded his sister's child. "Though, I can see why you would wish proceedings to be expediated. If I had such a creature at my disposal, I wouldn't wish her to be with anyone else either. She does offer such...pleasant entertainment."

Grinding her teeth at being talked about as though not even present, Kagome lost her temper over his last remark to send her elbow back sharply into his armored stomach, forgetting her situation in the face of her anger. The stinging along her arm let her know the hit probably hadn't done much damage to him, but it did wonders for releasing some of the helpless frustration which had been accumulating for a while now.

Letting out a surprised "oomph", Aion was jarred from his position momentarily before readjusting his grip on the female to grab both her upper arms in a hard grip. Growling into her face as he turned her slightly to face him, he shook her slightly, annoyed with her mutinous glare. "If we didn't have an audience, woman, I would take great pleasure in teaching you your place!"

Baring her own teeth at him, she growled back at him, blue-grey eyes snapping in a fury none of those assembled save Aion had seen before. "I recall you saying such things before, Aion, and they didn't work then as they would not now!"

Kouga's mouth was hanging open in shock, dazed at witnessing this side of the normally passive mellow human. He had watched her in ire before with Inu Yasha, how she scolded the hanyou, or even her hatred towards Naraku, but never had he seen her act outright aggressive with someone else. Especially not displaying characteristics that more befit a canine youkai than a ningen.

Likewise, Sesshoumaru's brows were raised to nearly disappear in his bangs, the only visible show of the amazement he felt at watching his uncle and Kagome's 'conversation'. He had seen the dog demon slay others for less disrespect than she was displaying, and though he had felt a second of foreboding at what she had done, it was quickly blanketed by the outlandish sight of his uncle actually allowing the girl to get away with it, settling for giving her a warning instead of the deathblow he had been certain would follow.

Amber eyes narrowing dangerously at his captive, Aion went to great lengths to bring himself under control, not permit himself to be swayed by the swelling emotions boiling in his system that were nonexistent any other time. What was it with this girl?! It never failed, any time he was near to her, touched her, she made him act completely out of character.

Centering himself by sheer will, he inhaled deeply, a slow sinister smirk growing on his lips, the miko's expression turning wary at seeing it. The insidious chuckle that followed did little to calm the alarm that was replacing the bravado of before.

Moving to look at his nephew from the corner of one eye, Aion said in a pleasant voice, "Isn't she wonderful, Sesshoumaru? Such fire and spirit." Moving faster than her eyes could follow, she suddenly found her chin captured in his hand, claws brushing softly along her skin as he focused on her upturned face. "How I would love to break her. I'm almost convinced I should just keep her and disregard everything else just for the pleasure of it."

"Get your damn hands off me! You and your idle threats hold no interest for me, Aion." She was happy that her anger had returned at his musing. It helped her overcome the bone-chilling terror that had almost consumed her at the reminder of how they had spent their last episode in the bedchamber.

Another delighted laugh fell from his lips, his head tilting back to show the ivory column of his throat, and she was almost tempted to bite him again, just for the hell of it.

Wishing to forestall another bout of what could turn deadly in a matter of seconds between the youkai and human, Sesshoumaru interjected, "You do not want to keep her, Aion. I assure you, the human is more trouble than she is worth. So let us get this done, my patience has grown thin with the continued delay of it all."

The miko's outraged, "Why you!" was overrun by Aion moving her forcefully to her previous spot of almost lounging on him as he replied smoothly, "Very well. Terms for the miko's release are as follows. You will forfeit the rule of the Western Lands. A whelp of Inutaisho's has no right to bear such an honor, despite the aristocratic blood of your mother flowing in your veins. You will appoint me as the new leader of said provinces and henceforth leave its borders with your miko and never return." He gave the passive Taiyoukai a considering look. "Should these terms not be tolerable for you, your only other option is to fight for her." His face became disparaging, his voice mocking as he added, "Though it would be a waste of time since we both know I would be the victor since I trained you personally and you now only possess one arm to battle with."

The wolf sat back to cross his arms over his chest, a cocky tilt to his lips. "You're an idiot if you think Sesshoumaru is going to give up his title to you."

Not sparing the prince a glance, he absently traced his fingers along one of the female's upper arms, continuing to wait to see what his nephew would say. "Perhaps, Lord Kouga. But Sesshoumaru also knows that I am correct with the latter. He cannot win against me."

The youkai in question was silent as he went over the different scenarios in his mind, working out the best course of action in dealing with this. Aion knew he would never give up his rule, no matter what was held hostage for it. Though he may have to come to cherish the woman being held by his uncle, he would never allow himself to be replaced on the throne of his lands, and deep down, he knew she wouldn't allow him to anyway. She would know that it would never sit well with him, to not be what he was born and bred to be, and that she was the cause for it. Not to mention, he had no intention of ending up like his father who had gone through a similar situation with Inu Yasha's mother.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, including his guards by the doors, he mulled over every aspect of the situation, Shurin's face flashing in front of him for a moment. "Where is Shurin, Aion?"

"The rain-child?" Aion asked, though he obviously already knew the answer, his spies within Taisho Palace keeping him well informed on everyone within its walls. "He's currently enjoying the honorous gift of my hospitality. I regret to say, however, that he isn't feeling exactly well at the moment."

"That could be because you stabbed him, you bastard!" Kagome bit out fiercely, glaring with all she was worth at his profile.

Nodding, he answered blithely, "Yes, that would probably be why, miko. You are right."

While Kagome was contemplating the odds of being able to jab him again without him noticing in time, Sesshoumaru chose that moment to give his own set of terms to the youkai.

"Your terms are unacceptable. Release the woman, give me back my personal aide, and we shall leave here peacefully without any more bloodshed."

A sigh of false lament lifted the chest she was leaning on, made her bob with the movement. "Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru, your terms are unacceptable as well. It would appear we are at a draw, nephew. What would you propose we do to solve this?"

There was a foreign light in the Taiyoukai's eyes that made Kagome stiffen, after getting to know him so well, easily reading what he was about to do. Raising her good hand to point an accusing finger at him, drawing his attention, she whispered harshly, "Don't even think about it, Sesshoumaru. Don't you even dare..."

Puzzled at her words, Kouga looked to the demon at his side. "What are you thinking of doing, Sesshoumaru?"

Scowling, ignoring the wolf's question, she went on tremulously, "If you do, I'll never forgive you, you idiot."

The Taiyoukai's features softened minutely as he gazed at her, the barest trace of a grin passing over his lips as he addressed her. "Liar."

Heart aching with his answer, her shoulders slouching, she bit her lip to keep from arguing with him, his voice as he spoke to his uncle making her close her eyes in misery.

"An agreement of terms cannot be met. Therefor, we fall on recourse and engage in battle. The victor's conditions are then met, and final. Is this proposal to your tastes, Aion?"

Face now a steely mask, Aion inclined his head once. "Agreed. I suggest we take this to the eastern dojo, inclimate weather proving too much of a hindrance in this case. I wouldn't wish for you to cry foul because of slipping in the mud when you lose, nephew."

"The location is also accepted." He felt the old familiarity of an upcoming challenge begin to take hold of him, the poison in his system already heating and rushing to the surface in preparation of being summoned by its master.

"Weapons?"

"Any you wish, they matter naught," Sesshoumaru said easily. Nothing his uncle could use would phase him, there were none the sadistic youkai had not used on him before already.

"Swords, and whatever inheritant abilities you possess." With each new designation, Kagome could feel her heart constricting even more with fear, not for herself, but for the dog demon across from her. A part of her was angry at him for engaging in this stupidity. Didn't he realize he could die?!

"Agreed. Anything else?"

False sympathy coated the voice of the male holding her when he said, "Since I am not heartless, I see no reason why you and your human can't have time to bid farewell to one another once we are there. I will allow you two a few moments to say your goodbyes before we start."

"You mistake a fleeting separation for a morbid finality, Aion, but I will accept this as well."

Laughing at his nephew's arrogant words, Aion rose, taking the woman with him, keeping a hold on her until they would reach the dojo. "Then let us proceed, Sesshoumaru. The sooner I defeat you, the sooner the Western Lands finally get a decent ruler. Besides," he glanced down at the down-bent head next to him fondly, "I might decide to keep the miko as a concubine when all is said and done. You can always have her once I tire of her."

Kouga would have launched himself at the damn dog if he hadn't been so certain of Sesshoumaru's imminent victory in this fiasco. Instead, he reigned in his temper and followed the growing procession of the two white youkai and female to the doors, Sesshoumaru's guards falling into step immediately as their master left.

Sesshoumaru would kick his uncle's ass, this he knew. Then Kagome would be free, Shurin would get released, and they would all be in the Taiyoukai's halls by sundown enjoying a celebration over sake.

Assured of his thoughts, the ookami continued on down the halls of Aion's keep, already envisioning tonight's celebrations.

Kagome stood facing Sesshoumaru, his uncle across the span of the huge dojo that resembled the Taiyoukai's own, save its lack of windows and doors as the other possessed. Kouga, Daija and Sora were all standing off to the side, giving them what privacy they could with the semblance that they were keeping a close eye on the only entrance and exit to the building, in case any of Aion's own troops would decide to join them. The demon had said there would be no interference, but they all knew to trust what he was said was sure folly.

Gazing up in the inu youkia's amber eyes, searching his serious face that even now gave nary any emotion away, Kagome felt tears surfacing. Sniffling, she reached out with both hands to smooth out the collar of his haori, being careful to use only the edge of her injured palm as she did. He let her fuss over him, knowing it was her way of distracting herself from whatever distressing thoughts were floating about in that head of hers.

Hoping to bring her back to a bit of her normal self, he said flatly, his voice causing her to still and stare up at him, "Your lack of faith in me is going to give me a complex."

Mouth falling open, it took her a second to realize he was trying to tease her, put her at ease, let her know everything was going to be okay. Deciding to play along with it for the moment, she stepped back to cross her arms over her chest, head tilted at an arrogant angle as she looked down her nose at him.

"Ha! Aren't you the same youkai who said I nearly killed you in your own bed from me hitting you in the stomach with my elbow?" Arching a brow, she shook her head while sighing heavily, as though greatly disappointed in him. "I mean, I know I am a great foe and could vanquish anyone, but I was hoping for a better fight from the supposed feared Taiyoukai of the West." Reaching over, she patted his hand consolingly, the other youkai watching everything unobtrusively. "I'm afraid your reputation is going to be forever tarnished now once that gets out."

Frowning down at her for bringing that up where everyone could hear, they were all demons after all and the space wasn't large enough to allow for total privacy, he said with a scoff, "Your addled female brain doesn't remember the situation clearly, as usual, Kagome." Shaking his own head at her, his long silvery hair swaying gently back and forth, he added, "We shall have to be certain and get you checked over by a healer once we get back. I can't have a crazed human running around my castle, spreading her madness."

Eyebrow twitching, teeth grinding together, she stepped forward to poke him in the chest in her favorite place, right above where his armor stopped so he could feel her nail stabbing at him. "I am not crazy, you jerk!" Stomping her bare foot on the floor, the sound reverberating in the cavernous chamber, she poked him again. "If anyone is a nut, it's you, Mr. I Am All Powerful Hear My Name And Tremble In Terror For I Am The Great And Formidable Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Arching a cool brow, he asked placidly, just because he knew it would goad her temper, and he much preferred her yelling at him than cowering, "How are you able to talk so long without even taking a breath?" He tilted his head in consideration, sweeping her in concentration as though searching for something as he leaned down a bit towards her. "Perhaps you actually have some special innate ability to ramble on about nonsense which allows you to forgo the need for oxygen altogether."

Pulling at her hair in agitation, Kagome growled in frustration, being mindful not to use her hurt hand too much, her action unknowingly exposing her neck to his sharp eyes. Releasing the strands, after shoving them behind her shoulders, she went to poke him again and give him an earful on his lovely manners. The feel of his fingertips sliding along her skin from below her ear to the hallow of her throat made her falter, stop and stare dumbly up at him even though he was completely focused on what he was doing.

When it clicked what he was looking at, she cringed and put her hand over his own and the mark as though to hide it, shame bubbling up inside her. Him seeing it once in Aion's hall was bad enough, she didn't want to even guess at Sesshoumaru's thoughts now that they were relatively alone. He probably thought her weak for not fighting his uncle off, or maybe that she had deserved it from how he knew her temper got the better of her at times. The experience was too new for her to understand it, work everything out, pick apart her own misgivings over it, and what others might see it as.

Unbeknownst to her, the aura synchronization had initiated as soon as his skin had touched hers, the Taiyoukai feeling her emotions crash over him, making him scowl, lips thin in displeasure.

Kagome, seeing this, mistook it for what she feared was disgust and would have retreated if his grip hadn't tightened subtly to keep her from doing so. Lowering her eyes, not being able to bear his reaction, she hugged her midriff with her free arm in an attempt to comfort herself.

"You feel ashamed. Why?"

She didn't bother to look up when she answered his query in a pained whisper. "Because..." Swallowing in an attempt to dislodge the stubborn lump now living there, she tried again. "Because..." giving up, she finished helplessly, "I don't know why."

Since she wasn't aware that he could feel her turmoil within himself as though it were his own, he could understand her confusion on how to assimilate the maelstrom inside in enough order to translate it coherently. Sighing heavily, the rage and fury he had felt towards his uncle reaching new heights, he used the leverage he had to maneuver the woman till her face was clear to him. When he saw she still wouldn't meet his eyes, Sesshoumaru leant forward till his forehead lay against her own, the action causing her stare up at him in surprise.

"Never fear that I will reject you, Kagome. Whatever has happened, none of it is your fault." He searched the blue-grey orbs so close to his own, willing her to understand and accept what he was telling her. It pained him, the new shadows, the haunted quality, that now resided in her eyes, something hollow and damaging that couldn't be erased easily or with little effort. Though her fingers still trapped his own, he managed to move them enough to caress the bruise lightly, careful not to apply pressure lest it hurt her. "No matter what Aion may have done, what he has told you, do not ever believe that I would turn my back on you for something far beyond your control."

Overcome with emotion at his words, she nodded silently as tears began to trail down her cheeks, reassured at what he was telling her. Releasing a shuddering breath, she leaned forward to let go of his hand, wrap her arms about his body and hug him as she had wanted to do since seeing him here at Aion's keep, mindful not to crush the silky length of tail lacing about his shoulder.

A moment of quiet enveloped them before he asked, "How is your hand? I know it must pain you, but rest assured I shall do anything in my power to ensure you retain the full use of it after this. Even if I have to take you back to your own time."

Confused at the last part, she frowned in puzzlement. "How can you take me back there? I thought that the only reason you could go through the Well in the first place was because you were sick." Coming back to his question, she added, "And my hand is alright. Not...as bad as you might think."

It was his turn to feel a tad puzzled, but instead of asking any more questions, he simply stated, "I will explain everything to you later. For now, it is enough for you to know that everything will be fine."

She nodded, finding comfort in the Taiyoukai's words despite the dire situation as tears continued to fall.

Sesshoumaru let his chin rest on top of her head, feeling her tears soaking into his haori, the way her breath flit along his skin near his heart, reminding him of something. Moving his hand to trail in the hair at the nape of her neck, the heavy fall of it hiding the massaging motion he was doing in the knotted muscle he found there, he told her softly, "I have something of yours that I am sure you will be happy to see again."

Sniffling, she asked in a muffled voice, "What is it?"

Hiding the smile her curiosity gave him by nuzzling his face near her ear, he noticed how her hold on him tightened, as though she was afraid he was getting ready to move away, her hand tangling in his tail and hair. "My uncle was kind enough to send me your locket."

Her mind was filled with memories, her hand pulsating at the remembered pain of the dog demon crushing the jewelry against the wound to stain it red. Clinging to him without knowing it, trembling from what she had recalled, she could only nod, her cheek bumping the top of his bone armor as she did.

Since he didn't know precisely what had happened in regards to the locket, he was puzzled at how his bringing it up made her react. Annoyed with his own blundering, he quickly added in an attempt to bring her out of the quagmire of her thoughts, "If you find, after this is all over, that it does not suit you any longer, I shall purchase a new one for you."

Recognizing it as his way of apologizing for upsetting her, the miko stepped back, letting her arms drag along his sides until she had let go of him completely, if reluctantly. Wiping the moisture from her face, her crying having ceased, Kagome gave the Taiyoukai a wan smile, his arm falling away when she had left.

"I tell you what, Sesshoumaru. Do me a favor?" She waited for him to nod before going on. "Keep it with you until after the fight with Aion, alright? It...it's always brought me luck to have my family with me, and I hope it will do the same for you."

Moved by her admission, he did something that had his uncle arching a speculative brow, Kouga and his guards staring on in wide-eyed amazement. Putting his arm across his chest, he bowed lowly to her at the waist as a show of respect, his hair trailing over his shoulders to almost brush the floor. "This Sesshoumaru would be honored to carry such a talisman into battle with him."

Not knowing what to do at this display, she waved her hands frantically in front of her. "Please, Sesshoumaru, don't bow to me." A blush stained her cheeks as she noticed everyone watching them. "Will you stand up already so people will stop staring?!" she whispered in an embarrassed rush.

Amused at her antics, he straightened, sending the errant silver locks back to their customary place with a careless shake of his head. Smirking at the blushing human, fang flashing from the wall sconces blazing along the walls, he listened to her berate him, happy that she was back to telling him how wrong his behavior was.

"I swear, you just love driving me up the wall. A simple thank you would have been fine for crying out loud! Can't you ever do anything without going out of your way to draw attention?"

Pretending to give the matter serious thought, lifting his hand to cradle his chin with a hum, he finally said, "No."

Throwing her hands up in defeat, she mumbled under her breath about 'insufferable youkai' and their 'arrogant tendencies towards the grandiose'. He would have let her continue to work herself up if he hadn't been aware of his uncle moving into readiness out of the corner of one eye, their time together coming to a close for now.

"Woman, if you could halt in your unseemly disparage of my character, could you please hurry up and say farewell so I can get this finished and go back to my palace?"

She considered strangling the male for all of five seconds before finally just sighing and letting it go. It was his way to push her buttons until she couldn't see clearly from her need to keep herself from smacking the hell out of him. Catching sight of Aion unsheathing his sword, she tensed, realizing that soon the Taiyoukai would be facing his uncle, the dependancy of him winning weighing thickly in the air.

Adopting a calm exterior, Kagome presented a proud bearing, even in her bare feet and rumpled clothing, wishing for him to not leave remembering her as a crying sniveling woman. She had faith in him. He would win. That's the only option there was, really, so that was what she would hold onto no matter what happened.

Reaching out to hold one striped cheek in her palm she said with a smirk to rival Inu Yasha's, "Go out there and kick his ass, Sesshoumaru." Coming to a decision, she moved forward quickly to give him a fleeting kiss on the lips, pulling away before he could do anything about it as the blush on her cheeks deepened. "And don't you dare get hurt, because I'm not nursing you back to health if you do!" she threatened before going to leave him.

She let out a startled 'eep' when his hand tangled in her hair, drug her forward as he lowered his head to kiss her deeply. Certain the red on her face was never going to leave, she let her eyes slide closed and enjoy the moment, the feel of his tongue brushing the inside of her mouth caressively, gently, the taste of him filling her senses until nothing else existed. The hand on his face traced the twin markings, absorbed the texture of his skin that was so different from any other she had felt before because it was his.

When he pulled away at last, letting go of her abruptly, Kagome almost fell over, catching herself in time, the heated amber of his gaze sending a fissure or warmth that encompassed her entire body. The blue-grey of her irises reflected the deep affection she held for him, the love and devotion clear for him to see even if she didn't know it.

Taking in her flushed features, the rosy color of her kissed lips with satisfaction, he straightened into his usual arrogant pose, a mask falling over his face, any trace of the kiss gone. Turning away from her, he began to walk towards his side of the room, cracking his knuckles as he did. "Quit dawdling, woman, and get over there with the others before you get in the way. I'll be there shortly."

Exasperated, but happy at the same time, she grinned before calling out, "Don't tell me what to do, you arrogant dog demon!" before dutifully doing as she was told and walking to where Kouga, Daija, and Sora were, purposefully not looking at any of them.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she went to stand between Sesshoumaru's two guards, waiting in the deathly silence for it to begin, hoping it wouldn't but knowing no wishing would make it stop.

With a twin flurry of white, both demons went charging at each other, and Kagome began praying like she never had before.


	50. Heart Strings

Kagome hated conflict, especially when it pertained to the physical rather than the verbal. Yelling at someone, belittling them with words could be more painful than any slap you could receive. However, what always made her cringe, wish to hide her eyes so she didn't have to see what was happening, were battles and fights that turned corporal and mortal. She was well aware that sometimes it was unavoidable. That no matter what other course one might wish to take, there was no getting out of an argument or disagreement turning to exchanging blows, or swords.

What was nearly too much for her to bear, however, was the fact that this time it wasn't against a simple demon, or even the evil hanyou, Naraku. No, this time it was between Sesshoumaru and his uncle, Aion. The Taiyoukai's adversary one who had tutored him when he was but a young pup in youkai years. The miko was displeased as well as terrified of the outcome of this skirmish. Not for herself, but for the male whom she had come to care for, to love so much in the short span of time they had been together.

The slight embarrassment and shyness which had overtaken her after the brief exchange with Sesshoumaru had quickly fled in the face of the inu youkai preparing to engage his relative in combat. Her entire focus remained on his proud profile, attempting to draw courage from the steady calm of his amber eyes that held his uncle's own so effortlessly.

The air inside the dojo was still and thick, heavy with expectation of what was to transpire. Both males stood opposite one another the length of the shiny wooden floor, their reflections appearing ghostly in the polished ground they stood upon. Her heart was beating so loudly, Kagome doubted that even if anyone was speaking, yelling in her ear, she would not have heard them, such was her concentration on what was unfolding before her.

Kouga, Daija and Sora all faded into nothingness compared to the glaring scene of morbid fascination spread out for her viewing pleasure. As seconds ticked by in silence, when it felt as though she couldn't stand the waiting any longer, her breathing strangled in her tight throat, the inevitable occurred and the two demons lunged at one another simultaneously.

At the initial scream of steel sliding against steel, she couldn't prevent herself from shuddering, how her inferior human eyesight vainly attempted to keep up with the silvery white flashes of Sesshoumaru meeting Aion time and again.

Daija and Kouga stood a little off to one side of her, their own keen vision easily picking out what was happening, though they did not utter one syllable to cue her into what they saw. Sora stood close to her other side, the fabric of his haori all but brushing her kimono clad arm that was wrapped tightly about her middle. The hand about his weapon was white-knuckled, the line of his lips thin and tense as the hereditary orbs of the Taisho House flickered back and forth, watching his father and cousin strike at one another time and again.

A part of her was grateful for the quiet of her companions. She didn't think she would have been able to say a simple hello, let alone a normal conversation right now. True, she wanted to know what was happening, but the sheer force of nature taking place in front of her of two predators trying to, at the least, maim one another kept her still and motionless.

A bright flash of greenish light followed by the sound of a whip cracking let her know that Sesshoumaru had just utilized his poisonous weapon. Aion's frame suddenly become easily discernable to her as he leapt back to slide in a crouched position along the floor, one of his clawed hands keeping purchase on the slick surface, his other filled with the deadly length of his blade.

The sickly sweet smell of the Taiyoukia's poison filled her nostrils, causing tears to sting her eyes as they narrowed in reaction to the semi-astringent odor. Coughing a bit, she raised the arm not clasped to her midriff to lay along the lower part of her face, using the black silk to offer a bit of protection from inhaling the noxious fumes.

The smell of Sesshoumaru's poison wasn't unpleasant, per say, but it was deadly and since ventilation in this building wasn't as well done as back at Taisho Palace, Kagome didn't want to randomly pass out from having it seep into her lungs. She would have looked to her companions next to her to make sure that with their sensitive olfactory system that they weren't having problems breathing, but the sight of Sesshoumaru landing lightly yards away from his watchful relative kept her from it.

A quick sweep of her eyes let her see that he was so far unharmed, relief washing over her in an overwhelming wave that nearly made her stagger from the weight of it. He held his hand up, fingers together and glowing a bright green at the claw-tips, ready to unleash his whip once more if Aion made a move to approach him. She couldn't fathom how difficult it must be to fight someone with only one arm, the constant unsheathing and sheathing of his weapon so he could use all at his disposal would be daunting for the most seasoned of warriors. Not with a million years of training would she be able to accomplish what the dog demon seemed to with apparent ease.

"Your use of that poison will ruin my floors, Sesshoumaru," came Aoin's taunting voice echoing in the cavernous room, grating on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

"The state of your living quarters does not concern me, Aion," Sesshoumaru's icy voice replied, the regal tilt to his head causing the wavering flames of the wall sconces to dance over his features eerily.

An amused chuckle floated through the space separating the two, Aion straightening to stand fully, his long ponytail swaying gracefully with the movement as he let the tip of his sword trail downward. "I forgot how little material objects matter to the son of the great Inu Taisho." He let his eyes trail meaningfully to the audience off to the side, settling upon the lone female in the group. "It is to the things kept close to one's heart that you cherish it would seem."

Sesshoumaru let the jibes roll off him, even though his uncle's regard of the woman drove him nearly over the edge with rage. Giving in to temper would only result in him making mistakes he could not afford, and with Kagome's life hanging in the balance, he would turn colder than he ever had as long as it meant she would be alright in the end.

"I do not have the time to stand here and bandy words with you back and forth." His uncaring words brought his uncle's attention back to him, the eyes so like his mother's narrow and sharp.

"In a hurry to taste defeat, are you?" Aion wasn't annoyed with the lack of response he was getting from his nephew. It was typical coming from the younger demon, especially considering Aion was part of the reason Sesshoumaru was the stoic person he was today. Squaring his shoulders, he brought his weapon back up at the ready till it pointed with mortal intent towards his family member. "Never say I wasn't accommodating when it came to complying with your desire to feel your life ebb away from a sword-thrust."

The long swatches of silvery hair swung around their owners like a cloak with each spin of their masters as Sesshoumaru and Aion went from one second talking, to unexpectedly lunging at one another. The combatants moved in a deadly dance, each motion precise and executed with the most exquisite technique.

Both youkai had moved towards the far side of the dojo, though their movements had slowed enough where the miko could actually make out exactly what was going on. Sesshoumaru had abandoned his poison whip to take up Toukijin once more as Aion's own sword met it again and again with metallic clangs. His focus was such that when his uncle retreated a few steps to raise the katana in a practiced motion that the Taiyoukai knew was a foreshadowing to a speciality attack, he reacted without considering the consequences.

Leveling Toukijin at chest level horizontally, he focused his will upon its demonic energy and stated the activation for it to release the electric blue-green fissures of lightning it was known for.

Aion's eyes narrowed as he leapt back over and over to evade the dangerous bolts that followed his every move. When he found that his back would soon, literally, be up against a wall, he stopped long enough for the attack to zero in on him, before jumping upwards so that his nephew's attack went barreling into the structure.

With a thunderous boom that nearly made all present deaf, the floor they stood upon shaking so that Kagome had to put her arms out to remain upright, the chamber filled with a dusty haze that was the result of stone and mortar being obliterated.

Coughing at the aggravating effect of inhaling particles of earth, Kagome squinted her eyes to try and pick out the two youkai who's forms were obscured by the mess Sesshoumaru's attack had managed to create. She felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance when the dust settled enough for her to see him eyeing the new giant hole slowly becoming visible with a most perplexed expression.

Annoyed at his negligence, she raised a fist to shake it at him as she shouted, drawing his attention to her and the surprise of her companions, "Damn it, Sesshoumaru! What the hell are you trying to do, bring the entire building down on us?"

Frowning at the ungrateful woman's show of temper, for he was only doing this for HER after all, he found himself biting out acidly, "That was not my intention, but your ridiculous ranting is making me consider it."

Not cowed in the least by the Taiyoukai's reply, the miko crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot as Aion watched the interplay with a small smirk from where he had landed by the corner next to the new remodeling of his home.

"If you don't watch what you are doing, then my ridiculous ranting, as you call it, will turn into a ridiculous woman going over and accomplishing what you can't seem to get done!"

Resisting the odd urge to growl, Sesshoumaru instead smoothed his face into its customary bland lines as he let Toukijin hang by his side. "If ever you feel foolhardy enough to attempt that, woman, I invite you to do so."

Kagome, not possessing the control the dog demon had over his emotions, did give in to the urge to run her good hand through her bangs and stomp her foot before shaking a fist at him again. The flashing of her eyes was daunting enough for all three males with her to take a cautious step back, Aion arching one silvery brow as he waited to see what would happen next.

"Is that a threat? Are you threatening me, you ungrateful dog? Who threatens an injured woman when they are supposed to be saving them?"

Lips thinning as his only sign of displeasure, he turned to her fully instead of giving her his profile so he could be sure and gift her with the full weight of his stare unimpeded. "Since I don't consider you a threat, there is no way you can allege that I would threaten you. There would be no sport in it, and I never enter into something that is a waste of my time."

Kouga cringed, even Daija raising both his eyebrows so that the twin flames were nearly touching the hair lining his forehead, the marks on his face undulating with the movement. The wolf knew how Kagome would react to what Sesshoumaru was saying, having witnessed her temper with the hanyou time and again. Sora continued to watch his father, however, in case the treacherous demon decided to utilize this moment to get in an underhanded shot.

Growling while gritting her teeth, the miko debated on going over and asking Aion if he would be kind enough to lend her his sword. There was a lovely tall male who needed a skewering right now, and she was just in the mood to do it!

"Sesshoumaru, when this is all over, and we are back home, I swear to you, you are going to so pay for that remark."

"Believe me when I say that you saying such a thing has me so drowning in fear that I am nearly speechless from it, woman." He knew this would simply make her angrier, if that was possible. However, he much preferred the spirited Kagome to the downtrodden depressed one.

Kagome would have gone over there right now, such was the state of her ire, if Kouga hadn't stepped forward quickly to latch onto her arms from behind to hold her back. She was resisting somewhat, by pulling forward to try and evade his hands, but he wasn't letting go. He knew that if he did, the woman would be across the dojo to maul the Taiyoukai so quickly, a youkai would be envious.

It didn't prevent her mouth from yelling insults at her 'rescuer', and she was doing an admirable job of doing her best impression of an angered cat with the noise she was making.

"I'll make you speechless alright! In fact, I'll make it so you can sing a high soprano by the time I am done with you!"

He arched a brow at that last comment, inwardly amused that she would elude to such a thing since it was normally not her style. He must have really gotten her upset this time.

"As much as I am enjoying watching this little mello-drama unfold," Aion's voice had all those in the room focusing their attention on the youkai who was standing with his arms crossed, the length of his sword trailing by his side, "my patience in this is growing thin. Fight with your miko once I send her to the afterlife to join you when I am through with her."

Sesshoumaru didn't bother with a verbal response, instead flashing forward over the debris to pose a swooping strike at his uncle that caused his opponent to brace against the impact. Pushing his own weapon into the Taiyoukai's, Aion smirked sinisterly into his nephew's stoic facade.

"She's lovely, isn't she?" he purred licentiously, his smirk turning lecherous as his eyes mellowed in glee. "I can see why you'd want her, nephew. From the brief taste of her charms I've partaken in, I am anxious to sample more."

The demon lord let the disturbing words roll right off his back, aware that Aion was trying to antagonize him into rage so that he would make a mistake. What his relative didn't seem to remember was that Sesshoumaru was obsessed with control, especially when it came to himself. There was no way he was going to give in to the anger roiling inside and give the vicious youkai the satisfaction of victory through his folly.

Kagome cringed at what the male with the pony-tail had said, his voice loud enough to easily reach all those in the vicinity. She could feel the pitying looks the others were gracing her with and it made the miko grit her teeth in humiliation and frustration. Bastard, she thought with feeling, clasping her arms about her middle, shoulders rigid and taut.

Sliding his blade down Aion's, Sesshoumaru gave a harsh shove that caused his foe to falter as the foot he used to step backwards came in contact with a piece of mortar. Using this momentary opening to full advantage, the Taiyoukai struck with the accuracy of a viper, steel slicing easily through the flesh and fabric at the other demon's side.

Aion clenched his jaw as he retreated a few paces, eyes narrowing dangerously as bright crimson began immediately staining his haori and hakama in a grotesque design. Deigning from putting a hand to it in an attempt to stem the flow of sanguine liquid, he quickly swiped his sword in a few practiced motions before pointing it directly at his nephew.

The demon lord's own amber orbs sharpened, his body tensing seconds before he darted to the side where the hole in the wall gaped open. A bright flash of crimson and gold ethereal bolts of energy coalesced at the tip of Aion's instrument, the deadly trails of demonic power rushing towards its target with enough force to make the air in the dojo crackle with awareness.

The miko felt the hair raise all over her body at the fissure of evil intent coming from the attack, the first stirring of her thus far absent purifying energy rustling restlessly. Her injured hand went stiff as well, as though the blood she had ingested and been using to heal herself was attempting to answer the call from its master. The appendage throbbed in pain, her complexion waxing ghostly pale as a cold sweat spread over her skin. She was relieved that her companions didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in watching the interplay between the family members, as well as their own jaki recognizing that of a fellow predator and turning cautious because of it.

Unlike Sesshoumaru's attack with Toukijin, the blast from the older youkai dissipated when it didn't find its intended prize, the bright flash from it lighting the chamber in a flaming glow before darkening once more. Aion wasted no time in charging after his nephew, the sight of him leaping through the charred edifice of the building making Kagome's heart falter in fear.

Running on bare feet as fast as she could, the miko's chest became tight with anxiety as the sound of continued battle floated to her ears. Kouga, Daija and Sora were right there with her, tempering the speed of their tread to match hers when the youkai could have surpassed the woman with little effort. Scrambling over the chunks of earth and dust, she came out into the low illumination of the morning sun trying vainly to peek through the grey clouds blanketing the sky.

Swallowing back her trepidation, the miko ignored how her soles became scraped because of her mad dash through the mangled wall, the shock of frigid damp grass going unnoticed as well. Panting heavily, she came to a slippery halt a few paces from where Sesshoumaru and Aion were again locked together at close range, the vapor trail of their breath dancing eerily about their pale heads.

She could spot mud and grass stains on both their once pristine attire, denoting to the fact that in the brief span of time in between her loss of sight of the combatants and now, that they had managed to land a few blows on one another. The bright red growing near the Taiyoukai's shoulder attached to the hand with the pummel in its palm made the miko's heart stick in her throat.

"Sesshoumaru!" She called without thinking, the demon lord's mouth lowering into a frown as he cast her a hot look that blatantly told her to stay where she was. To not interfere.

Aion chuckled, the sound of it making her skin crawl as she recognized the malice writhing n the nuances. "Your miko is concerned for you, nephew. Maybe you should tell her that you'll be fine and joining her soon once you best me."

"Your continued ceaseless diatribe grows tiresome, Aion." The demon lord released the stalemate they had been in, sweeping to the side gracefully to bring his blade at his uncle again, the long swathe of his mane billowing about him like a cape as he did.

The other youkai met it easily, finding purchase upon the treacherous ground without a problem as the sharp ring of metal weaponry meeting filled the air. A few of Aion's soldiers had gathered on the side opposite of where Sesshoumaru's small entourage stood, the demons who served the older dog youkai staying back but watching closely.

This time, when Aion made the same gestures as before preceding his attack, the Taiyoukai did the same with Toukijin, the two forms of demonic power racing at one another to come together in a spectacular display. Kagome raised a hand to cover her eyes as a thunderous explosion vibrated about them, her hair and clothing blowing wildly as her ears rang from the noise.

She barely heard Kouga's snarled, "Fuck!" off to her side, blinking rapidly to clear her vision so that she could check on the state of the Taiyoukai. The miko was alarmed to see him on one knee, breathing heavily with his sword sheathed, his clawed hand clutching at the part where the piece to his boned armor had become broken. Though most of the other demon's strike had been counteracted by that of the demonic blade Sesshoumaru favored, some of it must have gotten through since a new injury was now becoming glaringly obvious to match the one on his other shoulder.

Aion stood off to the side, sweeping his nephew with a calculating light, pleasure radiating from his form as he took in the sight of the protective covering on the demon lord's chest was now ruined to the point where it wouldn't stay in place any longer.

Gritting his teeth with a low growl, Sesshoumaru rose, wrenching the leather on the matching strap so that the heavy piece of bone released to fall to the wet grass at his feet. Stepping away from it, he brought his body back under control, forcefully thrusting the pain from himself, his blooded fingers glowing an iridescent green seconds before the loud crack of a whip was heard.

He was satisfied to hear his uncle give a growl of his own as the poisonous thread managed to swipe a thin line into the other youkai's thigh when he'd tried to get out of the way. Landing heavily on the leg that wasn't marred, Aion let his own sword slide home before his own whip came into play, the color of it bright vermillion instead of the vibrant jade of his relative's.

Kagome had never seen anyone fight with a whip against one another before, the sight of it making her mouth part in disbelief as the two circled one another. The noxious fumes from the sweet venom which made up the slithering coils caused her nose to prickle, a stray cough rising from her lungs at inhaling it. She was a bit surprised that neither inu youkai had transformed into their truer forms yet. The only reason she could think of why would be because they were enclosed with multiple structures about them, the close confines of their battlefield preventing either male from being able to utilize the strength of their heritage because of it.

The miko wasn't positive if that was a good thing or not, wincing as the thin red line of Aion's whip flicked into the Taiyoukai's upper arm, the dog demon retaliating by landing a swipe of his own that had his uncle growling in pain as his chest obtained damage. Both men retreated from one another, facing off on each side of the small courtyard, amber eyes burning into one another with equal parts hatred and anger.

The three youkai who served the House of Taisho were half circled about the small female, eyeing the other demons lining the other side with wariness and threat. They weren't certain if Aion's own forces would attempt to join the fray, and if they did each one of them were fine with heading in here to intercede to prevent that from happening. The bastard who commanded them was known to be dishonorable and underhanded so it wouldn't surprise them if this ended up being the case.

Unaware of the others' thoughts, or even caring about the enemies waiting on the outskirts, Kagome only had eyes for the injured Taiyoukai she cared for. Frustration began to build within her, the desire to run over and help the dog demon any way she could rushing through her system. The holy energy in her system that had awoken had continued to roil and writhe inside her, building upon itself as it reacted automatically to the youkai using their elements to fight with.

Clenching her hands into fists without even knowing it, the miko began to feel a protective instinct the likes of which she had never known start to rise higher and higher until it was all she could experience. When the two males flew at one another again with their swords drawn, she saw the sudden hard snarl that painted Aion's thin lips and terror blinded her for a moment. Without thinking, she ran forward, her movements so quick that even Kouga couldn't grab her tiny figure in its rumpled silk kimono. Cursing, the wolf prince and firebird gave chase, dread filling them as they saw the distance she had put between them was enough where they might not reach her in time, even with their enhanced agility.

"No!" Kagome yelled, the power inside her body spiking to rage in a hot firestorm through her veins that burned in agony. Raising her hands, she gave a loud scream of denial as the bright blue of her essence was called forth in a brilliant hue of azure.

Both youkai's eyes narrowed in on the female, Sesshoumaru experiencing an unfamiliar pang of dread as he went to withdraw the attack he had been about to make on his uncle. Aion was trying to do the same while giving the woman a murderous look, his eyes widening impossibly as the luminance of her attack shot at him. The potency of her untrained attack slammed into his body, his irises bleeding red as an agonized scream left is lips, his body falling to the earth to twist and buck in pain as his yoki rose to fight with that invading it. The force of the woman's energy blanketed that of all the youkai present, all of them falling to their knees in varying stages of torment as they fought against the might of a priestess. Even Sesshoumaru hit the ground in a crouch, his vision going black and his skull pounding as Kagome released her rage at the youkai.

Kouga and Daija felt their own frames tense, their stomachs up heaving until they thought they'd be physically ill, fighting for control of themselves when the desire to eliminate the threat crashed over them. Even Sora was having difficulty, the dark dog demon's hands holding onto the pole of his glaive in a crushing grip as he held himself up from doing as the others and heading to the grassy floor. Never had he experienced anything like this, and Kami willing, he never would again. It was torture.

Kagome's attack ended as fast as it had surfaced, her small body shaking with slight tremors as her merciless blue-grey orbs trained on the now still quiet youkai on the ground before her. She didn't know if he was alive or dead, a high buzzing filling her ears until everything was muffled and distant. The miko didn't even notice the way all the demons about her had frozen under her assault, her legs giving out bonelessly as she teetered a moment before hitting the cold earth. Her lungs were laboring with effort to supply her with oxygen, every muscle in her form taut and burning as though overused, nausea somersaulting in her abdomen. It was like when she had accidentally used her power on Akito, or when she had come into close contact with Sesshoumaru and Kouga in his office, except amplified by a hundred times. Laying on her front, she whimpered in pain when she felt someone turn her over and lift her to lay over someone's thighs, her blurry vision clearing enough to make out the concerned expression of the Taiyoukai holding her.

The sight of him, alive, made the tight band about her heart slacken, her lips thinning into a grimace as the miko felt the hard grasp of his fingers biting into her shoulder. She frowned up at him when his face took on an enraged cast, his voice a dark hiss when he spoke to her.

"You stupid human. What were you thinking, Kagome?"

Kagome gazed into his amber orbs that were darkly ringed in bloody red, raising her arm with effort, the limb trembling as her overtaxed muscles objected to her use of them. Resting her palm over his dirtied striped cheek, she whispered in a croak, "That's just rude, Sesshoumaru. This is the part where you thank me for saving your life."

His features narrowed at her, a low growl working its way out of his throat as he warred with the worry and anger coursing through him. Even though his own body felt battered and near exhaustion, the sight of her lying there lifelessly on the field had made his heart stop. It was the force of that which had allowed him to recover faster than the others in the vicinity so that he could stumble to her, kneel at her side and place her on him. He didn't know if his uncle yet lived, and frankly, he didn't care. The hazy way her blue-grey orbs were focusing on him as well as the unsteady beat of her pulse that he could hear made the Taiyoukai nearly panicked at what it could mean.

"The last thing I am going to do is thank you for your stupidity, woman," he bit out harshly, not caring how cruel the words were as his mind raced on what to do for her. The fact that even the aura synchronization was fluctuating erratically, one minute there where he could feel it and the next gone, gave him greater concern than anything else. The link should have been stable and active so that he could balance her out, but instead, it was as though he couldn't get a handle on it. It kept slipping through his fingers every time his own tried to take hold of it and calm it.

"There's no need to get so angry, Sesshoumaru," she admonished quietly, a harsh coughing shaking her entire body right after. Groaning, Kagome homed in on the Taiyoukai's irate gaze laced in worry, fighting the frailty of her limbs so that she could keep contact with his face. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," he bit out viciously, his fingers tightening unconsciously as the clouds above them thickened and a steady cold sheet of rain began to pour down from the heavens.

The appearance of Shurin kneeling heavily beside them had the dog demon leaving his inspection of her wan features to take in the battered form of his personal aide. The rain child's clothing was bloody and torn in several places, his high pony-tail of black hair partly undone to hang low on his neck. Sesshoumaru could make out the white line of bandages around his shoulder, the way the youkai held his injured arm close to his abdomen letting him know that at least someone had seen to his care. Yet, what really held his attention was the electric green of his peridot orbs with tears trailing rapidly out of them. The youth looked as though his heart was breaking, his form slouched and defeated while looking at the woman on his master's lap helplessly.

The miko turned her head at their visitor, a frail smile painting her pale lips as she offered her free hand which was quickly clasped in Shurin's own. "Shurin. I'm so glad to see that you're alright."

"Thank you, Lady Kagome." His voice was tight and subdued, his palm flexing to cradle hers in a stronger hold.

"Promise me something, Shurin."

"Anything, Lady," the rain child agreed instantly, the tears continuing to fall as he took in her weak frame in the soaked silk.

"Promise me that you'll take care of Sesshoumaru." Her eyes mellowed in soft sorrow and gentle affection while talking about the inu youkai. "He tends to take himself too seriously and you're good for him."

Shurin's eyes shot to his master's frantically, the amber-red of the Taiyoukai's slits of displeasure at what she was saying. "My Lady, I really don't think that will be necessary since you will be here to make sure he relaxes yourself."

Kagome's lips turned into a wistful curve as she squeezed his hand a final time before pulling away. "Not this time, Shurin."

"Your continued rambling on such idiotic endeavors is trying to my patience, Kagome," Sesshoumaru growled, the sound of his voice drawing her focus back upon him. "Your gift for the dramatic is wasted at this moment. Cease your ridiculous theatrics at once."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, true pain and regret interspersed liberally through every nuance of her apology.

"If you are apologetic, then stand by your word and desist this stupidity then." The Taiyoukai was relieved to see that his own youkai had recovered enough to regain their feet and stumble towards them. He wanted to depart this damn field and get her back to Taisho Palace as soon as possible, not sit here in the rain and let her get more ill than she already was.

The shaking of her dark head with its wet strands of black hair made frustration build in his chest to commingle with the worry and anger writhing there. What she said next nearly drove him over the edge of his control until he wanted to shake her.

"I'm not sorry about what I did, Sesshoumaru." Her hand began sliding off his face until even the light touch of her cold skin left his much warmer one completely. "I"m sorry because I'm going to have to break my promise to stay with you as long as you want me to." He didn't even a chance to berate her since the next second she went completely limp and lifeless, the barest thready beat of her heart hardly discernable to him.

His first response was to howl in rage and loss, the only thing keeping him together being the hope that getting her help as soon as possible could save the vestiges of her fading life.

Standing with difficulty, he used the dirty length of his tail to wrap it around her unresisting body and hold her to his front as he had done on many instances before. Shurin followed suit, the falling rain a response to his raging emotions on the state of his master's miko. Turning to face Daija, Kouga and Shurin, Sesshoumaru fixed them with a flat cold stare of determination.

"We are leaving now. I will not tarry here when I have matters to attend to back at the castle." Not awaiting an answer, he forcefully called on his power to form the quickest mode of transportation he possessed, clutching the woman's unconscious frame tightly to his own. Without caring to see if he was being followed, the Taiyoukai shot forward as a bright flash of pure white, partaking in a pastime he had never entertained before. Praying.

With infinite care, Sesshoumaru laid his precious burden down upon the white coverlet of his bed, disregarding how her dirty kimono immediately deposited mud and grass on it. Unwrapping his tail with reluctance, he knew it would only be a matter of time before the others who traveled with him finally arrived as well as his brother and his comrades. The Taiyoukai had already decided that he would allow none to enter unless it was a healer he could manage to find for the human.

Which presented him with another dilemma. With Cheiro's defection and betrayal, his castle now lacked a doctor who could possibly administer aid to Kagome's faltering system. As concerned as her illness before had troubled him, her current condition boded far worse and made his heart constrict in near panic.

Moving quickly, he divested himself of his armor and soiled garments, the sore pull of his muscles beginning to slowly fade as his body began to heal itself from her purifying power and the abuse taken during his skirmish with his uncle. He would send word to his guards to go back to Aion's holding and apprehend whoever was left, whether it be his relative or the treacherous cast youkai, it mattered not. Either way, he would finish dealing with them after he was assured the miko's health was stabilized.

Washing quickly, he donned a new haori and pants, forgoing any footwear since it didn't hold any importance at the moment. Hurrying back to the laboring female's side, he growled lowly in his throat as he saw that she hadn't even moved an inch in her unconscious state. Her body lay flat and stretched out, her arms lax at her sides with her chest rising and falling with difficulty.

Going to his door, he slid it open with more force than necessary to tell the guard there to fetch Inu Yasha's mate. She was the only possible solution he could come up with at this time who might be able to help Kagome. Taking her back to her own time wasn't an option since the journey there would take too long and he didn't dare risk moving her in the chill air anymore than he already had.

Pacing in agitation while running a clawed hand through his silver bangs, the dog demon wouldn't openly admit the relief he felt when he at last heard a respectful knock on his door.

"Enter!" he barked, an untamed edge to his voice that was usually absent from the cold nuances.

With calm poise, Kikyou stepped into his chambers, her dark eyes quickly going from the tall figure of the male standing beside the bed to the woman who lay there. Inu Yasha was hesitating at the threshold, unsure on whether or not his brother would allow him inside to see how his friend was doing. By the way the Taiyoukai's amber eyes narrowed dangerously on him and darkened to a sheen of crimson, the hanyou erred on the better side of caution and decided to wait outside.

"You called for me, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Gaining control of his raging emotions and the way his inner demon was fairly snarling in rage at the state of the human he cared for, the youkai gave the woman in the red kimono a flat stare. "I have need to ask for your aid once more, miko."

Arching one brow cooly, Kikyou covered the distance from the open doorway to the girl on the bed to study her closely. "I assume it is for Kagome?"

"Your observation skills astound me, woman." Sesshoumaru didn't mean to be so callous, but he was on edge and being unfamiliar with this helpless frustrated feeling, he was finding that he was wont to snap more than usual.

"Indeed," was all she said, casting a critical eye over the struggling female, placing her hands in varying spots as though searching for something she could not see.

The Taiyoukai kept a protective stance near Kagome's legs, ever watchful in case he felt the need to intervene. Letting the dead priestess work on his personal guard was one thing, but putting his future mate at her mercy was another. He still didn't completely trust Inu Yasha's mate, yet he also knew in this case he had little to know choice.

A frown puckered the miko's brow when she picked up the injured hand lying face-down on the bed and turned it over. When the cut there became visible in the afternoon light spilling from the windows, Kikyou could all but feel the vibration of the enraged snarl that left the demon's throat behind her.

The priestess silently took in how it looked almost half healed and then once more perused how bad the girl's condition was before a startling thought made her pause.

Turning her head to face the male while keeping her gentle hold on the girl's hand, she asked him with a somber cast to her chocolate irises, "Is it possible she's ingested youkai blood before using her miko powers?"

Startled at the question, Sesshoumaru gave her a stony look. "What are you insinuating, woman?"

Placing Kagome's arm over the woman's stomach, she straightened to face him fully, unaffected by his mood. "I insinuate nothing, Sesshoumaru-sama. What I am asking is if she has, by chance, drank youkai blood. If so, I think I know what is wrong with her."

Shifting tensely as his shoulder twitched under his tail as it healed, he curled his hand into a fist until the claws dug in deeply. The only way Kagome could have even tasted a demon's blood would be if she had gotten it from Aion and he didn't want to even consider what must have gone on for that to happen. He knew this woman was a fighter, and would battle to the death if she felt threatened. Since she wasn't awake he couldn't ask her, but he also wouldn't take it out of the realm of possibility.

Pushing aside the multiple ideas floating in his head of how she could have gotten a hold of demon blood, he answered through stiff lips, "It is possible."

Out in the hall, Inu Yasha's ears twitched at what he was hearing inside his brother's room. From the way the conversation was going between his mate and the Taiyoukai, Kagome must be in serious trouble. Hearing that the gentle woman might have ingested youkai blood, though, boggled his mind. What the hell would she have done that for?

Inside the large confines of the inu youkai's chambers, Kikyou nodded before folding her hands and placing them at her waist.

"Then this is my diagnosis. It is obvious that she has managed to use her purifying power at some point recently, which normally wouldn't harm her. However, because she ingested youkai blood, allowed a piece of a demon to intermingle with her own body, her miko powers turned against her."

His own blood running cold in his veins as dread began to filter through his heart, Sesshoumaru asked icily, "And just what exactly does that mean, miko?"

Unperturbed by his attitude, Kikyou answered sedately, "It means that her miko powers saw the blood as a threat and went about eradicating it. A sufficient amount of time must have gone by for it to completely move throughout her bloodstream and attach itself so that when the purifying energy coursed through to kill all of it, it cycled throughout her entirely."

With each word that passed the woman's mouth, the Taiyoukai felt the heavy weight of the inevitable begin to twine ever tighter in his breast. "What can you offer as a cure for this?"

Pursing her lips in thought, the miko turned to watch the human on the bed while mulling over his question. After what felt like an eternity to the dog demon, but was a few minutes in actuality, her quiet voice breached the space between them.

"For me to do this, Taiyoukai, I will have your absolute word of honor that no matter what the outcome, you will not interfere."

At his continued silence, Kikyou glanced to see the icy chips of his amber eyes glaring at her figure, though his tone was normal when he spoke.

"It is given, miko. Now heal her."

It was a command, not a request, but it didn't rankle the brunette. Nodding, she moved to close the door, assuring they were enclosed within the chamber and would not be disturbed.

"Then let us begin."

Kagome was really beginning to hate waking up with a raging headache and an aching body. Especially when it pointed to the fact that she had passed out. Again. For what felt like the millionth time in the span of a damn week.

Scrunching her lids down in pain, she ground her teeth together and didn't even try to put a complete thought in her head as she slowly sat up. Her muscles protested like that of an old woman, and she could swear she heard her joints creaking like grandpa's at the simple action.

Rubbing her forehead with one hand, she blindly slid her legs over the side of a bed, pushing the heavy comforter off herself as she did. Dangling her pant clad limbs, the miko rested her elbows on her thighs to clutch at her skull with her palms, as though the pressure she administered would relieve the pounding there. It wasn't as bad as one of her migraines, but it was a close second.

A sharp stabbing ache where her neck met her shoulder had her gingerly passing a hand over the fabric there, hissing out in pain and snatching her hand away quickly when even that fleeting touch made it scream in agony. She must have injured herself there somehow, though the details of the recent past were still fuzzy and a mystery. Sliding from the mattress with difficulty, she squinted her eyes open enough to make out the fuzzy dim outlines of furniture in the darkened room. Moving her fingers in a circular motion against her temples, she straightened and let her blue-grey orbs adjust so she could see fully.

When she could make out the recognizable furniture and decoration of Sesshoumaru's room, sans the Taiyoukai himself, her memory came back in a rush that made her head pound all the more. Her first thought was to seek out the dog demon and assure herself that he was fine, but upon spying his swords lying on the low table she assumed he must be well otherwise she and they wouldn't be here.

Calming, Kagome's next instinct was to check on Akito. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious or what precisely had happened to her when she'd used her purifying power on Aion, but her biggest fear was that she had accidentally killed the kitsune before her abduction.

Swallowing with difficulty, she teetered on unsteady legs to where Sesshoumaru's swords lay, picking up Tensaiga so she could use it as a walking stick. The human had no idea what time it was or where the owner of this chamber could be, but since she was back in Taisho Castle she could but assume that everything was relatively well.

Glancing down as she walked, she saw with some consternation that she was wearing a pair of her pajamas, the little smiling ducks on the blue background gazing up at her. Ignoring how the cool floor chilled her bare feet, she slid open the door enough to peek her head out. Again, she was a bit surprised to see that not even a guard had been set there.

Since her arrival to Sesshoumaru's palace not once had she been left unattended and she could but wonder why now would be different. Puzzling over this, she closed the door behind her before making her way to the door she knew would be Akito's.

The make-shift cane thumping loudly in the deserted hallway as she went, it was with a heavy heart that she came to a stop before his room. Tears were threatening to choke her and the brunette was almost afraid to slide the piece of wood back in case it yielded naught but an empty room.

Sighing deeply to fortify herself, she reached out and opened his door, a wave of relief sweeping over her that made her sag.

The arctic fox was currently laying in bed, a fire lit in the brazier inside his room to warm the living space so that he wouldn't be cold. There was a blanket about his waist, his bare torso visible and pale from the illumination of the candles lit in their holders.

Upon hearing is door open, the fox had turned from his reading of a scroll to glance at who his guest was, his opal-blue eyes widening in surprise at seeing who it was.

"Kagome?"

Smiling tremulously, Kagome hobbled inside as fast as she could, taking the low stool next to his bed with a hesitant lowering of her body. Grasping Tensaiga tightly in her hands, she dropped her gaze from his incredulous to train on the soft azure homespun of his blanket.

Blinking back tears of emotion, she whispered, "Hello, Akito-kun." Now that she had seen that her guard had survived, she felt overwhelmingly guilty for what she had done. He was only in this bed because of her. Injured to what extent, even she didn't know, but it was enough to keep him here instead of up and about as he should be.

She was even unsure if he would welcome her presence or not. After what she had done to him, she wouldn't blame the kitsune if he never wanted to see her again. Afraid to look up and see the censor in his eyes, she resolutely kept her eyes on his coverlet, the hands about the sword white-knuckled and tense.

Overcoming his own shock, Akito asked quickly, alarmed that she was out of bed so soon, "What are you doing here, Lady?"

Kagome, misconstruing his inquiry as irritation for her even daring to come and see him, croaked, "I– I was worried about you."

Taking in her pale drawn profile, the way her small hands were gripping his master's sword like a lifeline, he set aside the scroll on the table beside his head before saying, "I'm honored you would be worried about me, Lady. But you really should be resting."

Standing abruptly, the sudden movement causing her to sway on her feet so that the kitsune leaned over to grab her elbows in alarm, she said without looking at him, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Akito. I– I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Uncertain at what he had done to make her so morose and sad, Akito said quickly, "You aren't disturbing me, Lady! I'm concerned for your health, not mine."

A small glimmer of hope took root in her heart, and Kagome finally gained the courage to look at him completely. Upon seeing the concern and honesty there with no recrimination she dropped the sword with a loud clatter to the floor before launching herself at him to hug him tightly.

Startled, Akito automatically put his arms around her slim form, baffled as to what had brought all this on. He could hear her sniffling and soon the hot droplets of her tears began falling on his bare shoulder, the kitsune unsure what to do to calm her down.

"I– I thought you would hate me after what I did," she said in a muffled voice as her arms tightened about his neck, hiding her face there.

Understanding hit the fox then, and he could have hit himself over the head for causing the miko to stress herself out over something that didn't even matter. Holding her firmly, he pulled her up enough so she wasn't hanging off the side of the bed, but now sitting on it.

"I could never hate you, Lady. I don't blame you either for what happened. I knew it wasn't your fault, even then."

Reassured, Kagome brought her raging emotions under control. Leaning back, she untangled her arms from him, feeling his own fall to his sides as she convulsively interlaced her fingers in her lap. Wiping her eyes with the corner of one sleeve, her relief cleared enough so that she finally really noticed his state of undress.

The unfamiliar shiver of apprehension that followed this observation had her gritting her teeth in annoyance at herself. It would seem even now, with Aion long gone, that she was plagued from the youkai's antics. Shifting about uncomfortably and feeling fatigued, she tried to keep her growing unease from showing.

"I'm so happy to see that you're going to be alright, Kito-chan. I really am."

A light sheen of sadness painted his opaque blue eyes at seeing the female's growing skittishness. His master had already briefed him on what had happened at Aion's holding, the Taiyoukai relating the information so that when Akito took over his duty as her personal guard, he could adjust his behavior to accommodate her. It pained him to know that she was now more wary of him than she had ever been.

Hoping to offer a solution to her dilemma, and seeing that she looked weak enough that she probably wouldn't make it back to the dog demon's room, he said softly, "I wonder if you'd indulge me a moment, Lady."

Tamping down on her stupid newfound edginess around the kitsune, she gave him a wan grin. "Anything, Akito."

"I need to practice shifting to my true form to help me regain my full strength. Since you have seen it done before, you would be a perfect judge on whether I did it correctly or not."

Lips tilting in true happiness, Kagome moved to sit on the stool once more, weariness pulling at her, the young woman cursing this frail feeling she wasn't accustomed to. "I'd be glad to!"

The barest hint of a grin lifted the corners of his mouth before he moved the cover from his legs, baring the usual pants he wore with his naked clawed feet showing at the ends. Standing with greater ease than he really possessed, the kitsune painfully centered his yoki until the smoky tendrils of ice blue and milky white began to encircle his frame. When at last it dissipated to show him in his fox form, he was panting heavily, his great maw open and his fangs flashing as his tongue lolled. That had taken more out of him than he had thought it would, and now he doubted if he could change back within the next few hours.

Kagome, seeing his noticeable struggle, began to have a sinking suspicion on why he had told her he needed to change. Gazing into the stark clarity of his wintery orbs, she grimaced while blushing in humiliation.

"You know...don't you, Kito-kun?"

A low whine left his throat, his huge ears flattening like wings on a plane as he leant forward to nudge her hand. Obediently running her fingers over his marked brow through the silky fur there, the brunette warred within herself on the urge to flee and hide in embarrassment, or let the fatigue win out and leave her there.

When she yawned behind one hand, she decided to let weariness win. After all, there was nothing for it now since he already knew that being close to males right now made her antsy. Wrapping her arms about his large head, she hugged him to her tightly, rubbing her cheek at the spot between his ears.

"You're a good man, Aki-chan."

Another small whine floated to her ears, and she chuckled while withdrawing to sit and look at the large silver and blue fox seated before her. As she yawned yet again, she felt his cold nose nudging her in the side, pushing her towards the bed.

Giving him a worried look, she asked, "Shouldn't you be the one in bed right now?"

Shaking his head, he shoved her gently once more, his steely blue eyes firm and resolute.

Sighing heavily, the miko stood and shook a finger at him while planting the other hand on her hip. "Well alright, but I refuse to have you lay on the floor." Chewing her lower lip, eyebrows lowering in a frown, she added, "I think it would be alright if you just slept next to me. You'll be in your fox form after all so it isn't like it's any different from when I took a nap in the field."

Upon reading that she wasn't going to be budged on this, and wanting her to rest, he nodded before hopping up onto the mattress. He barely managed to fit the full length of himself, but she didn't seem to mind since she wasted no time in immediately crawling in beside him to snuggle into his side. Deja vu assaulted him. Their pose reminiscent of when they had been out in the field and she had a cold, the kitsune ever watchful over her as she'd taken a small reprieve to sleep in the open. Bringing his tail up to wrap it about her since she couldn't get to the blanket with him laying on it, he tilted his head as she hugged it to herself. Laying on her side, she pressed her back firmly into his silky pelt, resting her head on one of his large forearms.

Absently running her fingers through the strands of blue and white in her grasp, she felt her eyes grow heavy as her energy began to wind down fast. Rubbing her feet together a few times to warm them, the miko didn't even flinch when the arctic fox's neck curled about the top of her to lay his face next to her own, his own eyes heavy-lidded and drowsy.

Closing out the world, Kagome was grateful for so many things, counting them off as she drifted off to sleep. She was grateful that Sesshoumaru had come to get her from Aion. She was grateful at the depth of forgiveness the youkai she rested with had. She was grateful that she would live to see another day and by doing so, talk and laugh with her friends and family again. But most of all, she was grateful that the Taiyoukai who she cared so deeply for had shown in his own way that he cared as well.

Akito didn't know how long he had been slumbering when the nagging feel of someone watching him caused his eyes to shoot open and his head to pop up, ears straight and alert as his icy eyes honed in on a possible threat. Upon seeing who it was that was standing beside the bed looking at him and miko his lips curled back in a silent snarl of warning, a low chuckle his response.

"Who knew you were the domestic type, brother?"

Cursing the fact that his entire family had seen fit to descend upon the Taishou Palace when hearing of his injury, the fox grumbled to himself while glaring at his three younger brothers. They were fanned out around the bed, each one's gaze curious and amused at finding their most stoic sibling dozing with a human female in his true form.

A young kitsune with pale blue eyes the color of bluebells and hair the same hue to match in a low ponytail at his neck, smirked, showing a fang. Crossing his arms in their dark blue haori with black sakura petals on one sleeve over his chest, he tilted his head to the side, his bangs swaying to draw attention to the snowflake on his brow that was vastly different from his brother's. It was dark blue like the rest of their family's, save this one resembled a star-burst with its circles and spikes interwoven amongst each other with but five spires within it.

"Is that any way to greet your favorite younger brother?" Arching a brow, the youth snickered quietly to keep from waking the little female on the bed. "And here I traveled all the way with mother and father from our home to rush to your side to see how you are. That's gratitude for you!"

Rolling his eyes, Akito wondered for the umpteenth time why he hadn't possessed the foresight to bar his door from this brood. Toryn's continued laughter was doing nothing for calming his rising ire at their antics. Why they hadn't just stayed where they were was beyond him.

Giving him a pointed stare, Akito waited to hear why Toryn would be coming from their home when he should have been serving the Lord of the East along with their youngest brother, Keisuke.

Interpreting it easily, the young youkai waved a hand while explaining blithely, "Oh Kei and I were in the Eastern Lands when the courier arrived from Kiro about what happened to you. We rushed over to meet up with the family before coming here all together."

Mulling this over, and cursing the assassin for seeing fit to inform the entire kitsune tribe, Akito was sure his parents would be making an appearance shortly to check up on him as well. The soft cadences of his middle brother's voice had him turning his head and pricking his ears forward to listen to what he had to say.

"Mother and father will be here later to check up on you. The journey tired them and when Kiro told us that you were going to be fine, they thought it best to rest before seeing you."

Akito nodded, the typical design and color scheme associated with his house present in Najaro's clothing, his tail wrapped about his waist as they were all taught to do by their father years ago. This kitsune's hair was pulled up into a braid that reached down to his waist, his cobalt eyes steady and calm below the dark brows and snowflake of an eight pointed star with a circle around it, tiny stars set in between every point of it.

It had always intrigued Akito to some extent that all of the kits but Kiro had a different type of snowflake adorning their brow. Their mother had said it was from a recessive gene from her side of the family, but since none of them had met their parents' relatives they couldn't be certain.

The last kitsune to speak was Keisuke, or Kei as Toryn loved to call him. Both of the foxes who served the Eastern Lord were the most boisterous and rowdy of the group, a fact which had caused more than a few headaches in their household. The words he spoke accompanied by the hand he reached out to try and brush the hair from Kagome's face to get a better view of her had the guard baring his fangs in warning, a low rumble issuing from his throat as his opaque orbs flashed a clear warning.

"I'm assuming this is that miko Kiro was talking about earlier." At the growl he heard, he arched one perfect icy blue brow and snickered, keeping his hand in its outstretched position. The devilish smirk he flashed his older brother was uncaring of how angry the other kitsune had become. "You're getting grouchy in your old age, Akito."

Growling a little louder, Akito snapped at the hand that continued its trek towards the slumbering female. His brother laughed lightly, easily evading the deadly fangs that had aimed at him, straightening while pushing his waist length hair that was half-up over a shoulder. The ice blue tresses rippled in a shimmery wave that resembled their mother's own so greatly. Keisuke had been the only one of them to inherit their mother's hair shade of hair and in their younger years it had offered his siblings an endless source of entertainment to tease him about.

The snowflake on his brow was like the airy type children saw on their sleeves during Christmas or artists drew from their mind's eye. With spirals and curves that lead to a multitude of points, but were soft in construct as a whole.

Akito was beginning to worry that the continued noise was going to wake up Kagome, and since he seriously doubted she would take it well to be surrounded and observed by so many unknown males, he wanted them to quit the room as soon as possible. He was saved from devising a plan to be rid of them when is master's voice came from the doorway.

"As much as your brother is enjoying this family reunion, I would ask that all of you retire to your chambers to let him rest. He is still recovering." Sesshoumaru's amber eyes homed in on Kagome right away, his heart slowing in its frantic beat at finding her safe.

After returning to his chambers to see the bed empty and Tensaiga missing, he'd felt panic, a fear that she had somehow been stolen away again. Upon following her scent he'd found it led him straight to his personal guard's quarters. The Taiyoukai had not expected her to be up and about so soon, nor traipsing to find Akito right away either. Yet, there she was, curled up into the side of the arctic fox on his bed, the kitsunes assembled bowing low at his arrival.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," chorused from masculine voices as the youkai bid their brother farewell and filed out of the room to seek out their parents and their oldest sibling. More than one of them were curious about the miko and wanted as much information about her as possible now that they had seen with their own eyes how Akito treated the human.

Alone with his guard and Kagome, Sesshoumaru sedately walked forward to look down at the slumbering woman, sharp amber orbs trailing quickly over her form, making certain she was fine. Satisfied, he then looked to Akito, arching one silver brow in silent inquiry.

Bowing his head respectfully, the arctic fox quietly let loose a few growls, the Taiyoukai able to understand him easily. Smoothing his expression to their customary placid lines, the dog demon nodded once before unwinding his tail from his form. Bending to pick up his sword, he laced it securely in his sash before moving to slide his arm under her torso. She barely stirred in her sleep when he lifted her and with the added aid of his tail, put her in the now usual position of being held against him. All she did was snuggle into him and wrap her arms loosely about his neck, her face against his throat, her warm breath fanning his collar bone.

"Thank you, Akito, for taking care of her."

The praise made the kitsune start in surprise, his ears perking forward with a puzzled expression painting his pearly blue eyes.

"I know that in your condition you should not have turned, but I am also aware that you only did so in order to make her more comfortable. Your consideration will not go unrewarded." Sesshoumaru unconsciously shifted her closer when the woman let out a small sigh and clasped him tighter. Her peaceful slumber was felt through their bond from the aura synchronization and as a result made a mellow contentment invade his system.

Lowering his skull in gratitude, the personal guard let loose a huge yawn of fatigue, his large teeth flashing white in the sunlight from the window. Taking note of the tired male's weariness, the Taiyoukai turned on his heel to make his way back to his room with his burden.

Closing them securely inside his bedroom, the demon lord gently placed Kagome on his bed, leaving her long enough to put Tensaiga back on the table before returning to her. She was laying on her side, a frown forking her brow in her sleep as she rolled over to her back, massaging her shoulder in her sleep for a few seconds.

Catching her motion, he silently wondered what her reaction would be when he told her what he had done. What it meant for them and how she would respond to the knowledge that she was bound to him forever from now on.

Sesshoumaru wouldn't admit aloud how the thought of her balking or rejecting the idea of being attached to him for eternity made his chest tight in anxiety. It wasn't an emotion he was used to and he found he had no liking for it now that he was experiencing it.

Since there was nothing he could do now, and unlike that demon his father had journeyed to see years ago he could not see the future, he decided to let it be for now and focus on the present. As it was, he was going to stay here with her because, as usual, she hadn't followed the norm and stayed unconscious as she should have. Now he couldn't be assured that she wouldn't be running around his palace if she awoke again and he didn't feel like taking the time to post a guard outside his room or run around his own house in search of her.

Besides, he'd caught up on all of his work and appointments while she had been abed these many days, so there were no pressing matters that he needed to attend at the moment. Kicking off his shoes, he circled the bed to get in on the other side, lying atop the heavy blanket she was under while scooting closer to her.

Brushing the hair from her cheek, he let his palm lay against her smooth skin, running his thumb back and forth over the high bone there while watching her sleep. Contentment flowed through him, a warmth pervading his body to circle securely about his heart. Leaning over to kiss her brow lingeringly, he let his arm drape over her waist and draw her into him, positioning her so that her back was to his front. Cuddling her through the blanket to his tall frame, Sesshoumaru put his chin atop her head to inhale her scent deeply into his lungs while letting his lids slide closed.

Laying his tail in a furry blanket over her legs, the Taiyoukai let her presence sooth him into joining her slumber and didn't give another troubled thought to what Kagome would think once she awakened again and he began explaining all the changes to her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


	51. Pleasure and Pain

Kagome was trapped. Pinned to a crimson shrouded bed beneath a sadistic inu youkai. The slippery fabric of her gold and black silk kimono was completely open, leaving her partially nude and vulnerable. Held in a merciless grasp that refused to allow release no matter how much she thrashed about in a bid for freedom. A pair of cold amber eyes banked with the fire of a dark promise wreathed in pain and degradation leered down into her own. Fingers, clawed and punishing, were sunk deep into her arms with enough force that she was certain large gouges must surely mar the area from the tenacity of his grip paired with the frantic jerking of her body.

"That's right, miko." The handsome pale features of the male above her twisted into a malevolent cruelty that was only matched by the flash of his fangs as he put his face close to hers. When this caused her to still all movement and lay panting with fright, he touched his marked forehead to hers and said against her lips intimately, "Scream for me. Let me hear and see just how vast your terror is."

Whimpering, the miko bucked her hips wildly in a bid to dislodge him, disgusted by the way he settled more firmly between her splayed thighs. Sickened as he pushed his pelvis into her own, his erection painfully apparent. His sinister chuckle grating on her ears as he purposefully ground against her suggestively.

"That's it, Kagome," he purred as he deftly captured her wrists in one hand and held them above her head. The palm of his free hand trailed dangerous claws in a caricature of a lover's caress from her knee upwards along her exposed leg, coming to rest on the jut of her hipbone. Eyes beginning to ring in a dark crimson, his lengthy ponytail pooling beside her face, he took the tip of his tongue to lave the tear from her cheek. "Give me your suffering, human. Give me your agony."

Frightened beyond reason, Kagome once more took up her frantic struggles, her chest heaving as she panted with the force of her exertions.

"No, stop! Let me go, damn you!" She cried in alarm on a sob as she felt the scrape of his claws begin to slip beneath the delicate fabric of her underwear.

Another dark chuckle was his answer to her pitiful demands as he nuzzled her tear stained face with the tip of his nose. A caress that coming from another dog demon who held her heart would have been gladly welcomed. Nausea roiled in her stomach and terror blanketed her senses until her world narrowed to the glittering light of his eyes focused upon her suffering with a mixture of excitement and a spark of sexual desire.

It was the latter that had her panicking. Her heart a wild jackhammer within her breast as she panted and sweat while continuing to fight him.

When he ducked his head to run his fangs along her neck before nipping her with enough force to cause pain, Kagome gave a small scream.

"No! No! Get the fuck off me, you bastard!"

He nipped her again. Harder, as though in retribution for the loud sound of her words assaulting his ears before he once more brought his face close to hers until his eyes filled her entire vision. Digging his claws into the pale skin beneath her underwear slowly, the barest brush of his fingertips dancing along the edge of her pubic hair, the inu youkai ground the hard length of him against her once more.

"That's right. Plead for me, miko. Beg for me. Scream for me. And then realize that before tonight is through," he drug his tongue along the seam of her mouth when she mutinously clamped it shut at the first touch of the appendage before whispering, "make no mistake. I am going to take everything from you."

With that malicious promise Kagome leant her head back fully and let out a long piercing scream.

Sesshoumaru came awake in battle readiness and a pounding heart when the sound of Kagome's scream split the silence of his bedroom. Blood rushing wildly through his veins, his muscles tensing in preparation for a fight, he bolted upright in bed to quickly take stock of his surroundings.

The familiar sight of his chamber shrouded in late evening darkness offered a small measure of comfort, and he quickly realized that whatever had distressed the woman had nothing to do with anything present.

Turning his head, he glanced down with a scowl to the miko beside him who was currently tossing and turning. The acrid smell of her fear assaulted his senses, the potency of it causing his eyes to automatically ring in crimson fire as he clenched his jaw against the sting to his nostrils.

The beast inside him came alive with a ravenous hunger to grab a hold of whatever had caused the little human so much distress and rend it to shreds. To grab its throat between his deadly teeth and shake until blood sprayed a beautiful tapestry of death over his walls.

Breathing through his mouth as he attempted to regain a semblance of control, he heard her whimper in distress as she ineffectually tried to move about. Her thrashing had managed to fully encase her within the thick confines of his bedding so that she was cocooned tightly. She was a tangle of limbs and white silk that seemed to make her even more frantic, if her movements and the tears leaking from her closed lids could be seen as any proof of such.

Cursing inwardly, Sesshoumaru reached over to run a tender stroke along her brow, leaning over the sleeping female as he spoke to her.

"Wake up, Kagome." Repeating his caress, careful that his claws didn't accidentally scratch her pale skin when she shook her head side to side, he said again with more force, "Wake up, Kagome. You are having a nightmare."

"No! No! Get the fuck off me, you bastard!"

Her snarled words had the inu youkai freezing in the midst of running his fingers along her cheek, his body becoming preternaturally still at what they revealed. Eyes bleeding red fully, Sesshoumaru felt his chest constrict as though a tight band had been drawn taught about him. Rage, hot and thick, pounded through his veins. Demanding he seek out the cause of its origin and eradicate it with extreme prejudice.

The Taiyoukai had no trouble figuring out just who the priestess was fighting in her dreams. A flash of his uncle's face flashed through his mind and he found that he was unable to completely stifle the deadly growl that became lodged in his throat.

When she began sobbing in earnest, Sesshoumaru sat up completely to kneel at her side, the heavy length of his tail pulled back from where it had been draped over her legs to settle at his side. Forcing himself to keep his face in stoic lines, he shook her shoulder.

"Awaken, miko. You are safe in the castle far away from my uncle." He made his voice as commanding as possible. The same tone he used whenever he gave an order to one of his soldiers. One that brooked no room for anything but total acquiescence. His chiseled lips curled in a snarl when it didn't have the desired result of bringing her from her nightmare, the scent of her fear heightening until he could taste it.

Acidic and sour, it blanketed his tongue causing him to hypersalivate until he wished nothing more than to spit it out like poison. It made him want to find Aion. Track him down like a rabid animal and release the full brunt of his murderous ire upon his relative until the other youkai lay broken and bleeding. A sniveling mangled heap of hopelessness and dread as he was crushed beneath the boot of his nephew.

But, right now bringing his miko out of the horrors within her mind was his top priority.

Thinking quickly, he slid his arm beneath her flailing form, using his tail to wind it about the jumble of bed linens and her writhing body as he pulled her into him. Sitting down, he made a cradle of his legs to set the woman upon as he tugged and yanked until the blanket gave way. When he'd moved the miko it had seemed to make Kagome even more terrified.

She undulated and squirmed like a serpent until he was beginning to find it difficult to keep a hold on her, even with the use of his tail. Gritting his teeth, he at last freed her upper body, wasting no time in shoving the bedding down so that her arms were able to move without restraint.

When they promptly took residence upon his chest and began weakly shoving, he ignored how that band about his chest tightened another notch to near excruciating. Until his lungs felt compressed as though the mass of his castle were placed upon his ribs.

Gathering her resisting frame close, he gently palmed the side of her face, placing his forehead to hers as a soothing purring growl emitted from his throat.

Shoving away the instinct to do physical violence, Sesshoumaru made sure his voice was calm and steady as he ran his thumb across her cheekbone over and over.

"It's okay, Kagome. It's okay. No one is going to harm you." He placed soft kisses on the tip of her nose and forehead where a youkai mark would be before again resting his brow to hers. "I've got you, my mate. Nothing can hurt you here."

The Taiyoukai didn't take the time to analyze how, with the sudden altering of her breathing and scent he could tell she was finally awakening, it caused a fluttering sensation in his abdomen. The mating bond would ensure that his true feelings had nowhere to hide. It wouldn't allow him to pretend as he had been doing for so long. To act as though he cared nothing for the woman of the future beyond a tepid friendship.

He was caught between the hammer and the anvil of the mating bond and their aura synchronization. If he didn't wish to be crushed to dust beneath it, he would have to accept that what he felt for Kagome ran deeper than anything else he had ever experienced in his long life.

No longer pushing away the warmth, compassion, caring that blossomed in his chest each time he saw her face. Heard her laugh. Smelled her enticing aroma of vanilla and apples wafting about his palace.

Instead, he sought the vibrant link which lay between them to send soothing waves in her direction through the aura synchronization.

It was damn difficult to accomplish since both of their emotions were in turmoil, even with the added strength of the mating bond they now shared intertwining about the glowing tether that went from him to her.

Which was yet another thing he needed to brief her on.

But that was not meant to be discussed right now. It could all be dealt with later once they had both calmed down and could approach the conversation rationally. Taking care of his mate was more important than anything else at the moment.

When the lids of her expressive blue-grey eyes lifted, his spike of relief was short lived. He had thought that once she was no longer asleep, that once the miko could see him holding her secure in his arm, that her demeanor would change for the better.

Instead, a terrified strangled cry left her throat and the hands upon his sternum slid to push harshly at his shoulders.

Confused, Sesshoumaru frowned in puzzlement as he leant back enough to see her face clearly. "Calm yourself, miko. You are no longer trapped within your nightmare."

"Get away from me, Aion! Let me go, or I swear to Kami, I will purify you until you're a smoldering pile of ash on the floor," Kagome bit out with a threatening glare as she continued to push and shove ineffectually. "There won't even be enough of you left for Sesshoumaru to melt, you bastard."

Realizing she believed him to be the other hated dog demon, the Taiyoukai smoothed his features into bored lines while calling back the crimson of his irises to leave the typical amber in its place. Though outwardly he portrayed an indifferent cold façade, inwardly he was a swirling fiery ball of homicidal rage that was directed at one person alone.

"Woman, while I appreciate your bloodthirsty nature in most instances, right now isn't one of them." Sesshoumaru stared deeply into her expressive blue-grey eyes, his thumb still moving back and forth over her cheekbone with a softness that belied his tone. "Could you be so kind as to desist with your threats so we might actually get some rest this evening?"

Kagome went taught and still for a moment before clarity overtook the frightened fog of her gaze. Her breath stuttering, she stopped trying to remove him from her, reaching up to grab each side of his face instead.

Peering at him closely in the shadows, her bottom lip trembled as she whispered uncertainly, "Sesshoumaru?"

Arching a silvery brow, he allowed his own muscles to relax, the slope of his shoulders losing their tense line. It was unsettling how much sway this one small human female had over his emotions, and yet, he also gave of himself gladly to her. Her and no one else.

Doing so fulfilled a visceral raw part of him that he didn't even know existed.

"Kagome," he answered flatly, warily waiting to see what her next response would be. He wasn't altogether convinced she wouldn't start her spastic motions again.

"Oh, thank Kami," she said brokenly before wrapping her arms tightly about his neck while hiding her face against his chest.

The warm damp of her tears began to fall upon him, her scent changing from one of fright to sadness as great heaving sobs made her shake and clutch at the inu youkai. The sounds she was making resembled that of a wounded animal, his lips thinning and jaw clenching so hard he was surprised it didn't crack.

Giving up the fight on reaching her through their bond, the Taiyoukai held the weeping miko close, running his claws through her tangled ebony mane, rubbing his chin on the crown of her head.

He had known that the scars left by her time spent in Aion's company would be extensive and deep seeded. That whatever terrible things she had been made to endure beneath his cruel hands would wound his priestess. He could personally vouch for the sadistic veracity his uncle held whenever he was 'teaching' a lesson to whatever poor unfortunate managed to catch his eye.

Kagome offered little defense against the malicious intentions from the other youkai, what with her tender and caring heart. She wore her emotions for all to see and couldn't uphold any type of subterfuge well even if she was trained to do so.

Yet, even he was unprepared for just how potentially hurt Kagome would be from the memories of whatever abuse his malicious uncle had heaped upon her. Abuse garnered simply because she had the misfortune of being considered important to Sesshoumaru. She was an innocent who had been drawn into the sick twisted game he and his uncle had been playing for decades. Another casualty fallen beneath the brutal force of the war being waged between relatives who shared nothing but hatred for one another.

Bitter regret was an unfamiliar emotion to him, and wasn't something he ever allowed himself to dwell in. Not that he never felt as though he hadn't made mistakes in his life. It was a fool who lived as though a bad decision was never made that had unforeseen consequences.

This was the first time, however, that someone this important to him had been made to suffer to this extent just for the sin of being near him. For being foolhardy enough to care for the icy Taiyoukai of the West.

Even what had possessed with Rin wasn't the same as this. The budding relationship between a possible daughter and father was but a pale comparison to taking a woman as his mate. To share the long eons of existence with a creature who offered warmth and sunlight to his battered heart and soul.

Pressing a kiss to her temple, he kept the rumble in his chest consistent, knowing that the woman found it pleasing whenever she heard it. Tightening his tail about her middle, he slowly moved about until he was laying down with her on top of him, ignoring the cramping in his legs from having sat in an uncomfortable position for so long. Quietly, he let her cry, knowing that she desperately needed this outlet. A way to express the deep heartrending pain in a corporal way which would, hopefully, one day lead to healing.

Their new position allowed him to finish pulling the blanket from her until he could move it enough to drape it over them. Even through her pajamas he could detect the unnatural chill to her skin, concern for her health making the inu youkai settle the thick cover up to her shoulders. Kagome's trembling slowly began to ease as her tears ebbed, her breathing still ragged though she was no longer making that terrible wounded sound that sets his nerves on edge. The beast inside him pacing and snarling at whatever had caused such distress to their mate.

Thank the gods.

Her body began to relax until he bore her full weight, running his claws up and down the curve of her spine as his tail lay docilely across her legs. Now that she was no longer entangled or thrashing there was no need for him to keep it wound about her midriff.

"Do you feel better, Kagome?" he asked quietly, glancing down in a bid to see her expression. He was disappointed when she kept her face out of his line of sight so that her damp cheek lay upon his pectoral muscle, the wet brush of her lashes fluttering over his skin.

"I don't know that I'm going to 'feel better' for a long time, Sesshoumaru."

The miko's whispered admission was followed by her sniffling loudly as another stray tear fell upon him. Raising his hand, he tenderly pushed a few raven strands behind her ear while staring up at his ceiling.

"It is fortunate for you then, woman, that my species is very long lived. No matter how long it takes, you will not be made to suffer alone." He lightly traced abstract designs upon her temple with his claws.

Surprise at his softly spoken words had her sitting up so that her face was level with his, a confused frown painting her features. Skin blotchy, the whites of her eyes bloodshot and mussed hair framing her face had affection blossoming in the Taiyoukai's breast.

The fact that this human female always seemed to be in a type of physical disarray made her all the more endearing to him. It was a blatant expression of her humanity. A fragility that bespoke of a creature fleeting and soft who the outside world could easily leave its imprint upon if she had no shield to protect her.

It made Sesshoumaru experience a fierce longing to provide that buffer she so desperately needed. The foolish woman had a terrible habit for placing herself in harms way any given moment, and though he may have vehemently denied it for days, his protective instincts were adamant that he shelter her. Like a rare treasured bloom that demanded constant attention otherwise the elements would damage it beyond repair.

More than even what he felt for Rin, Kagome brought out every primal inclination that called to the beast he truly was. A pull from the core within himself that brought a type of fulfillment he had never felt before.

Beautiful courtesans, perfection from their coifed hair down to their manicured nails, had graced his bed over the decades. Desiring to be brought to the bed of a powerful lord in the province and because, he was not stupid, he was considered pleasing to the feminine eye. Those youkai had held a polished sophistication that, at one time, the demon lord found intriguing.

Yet, now, after spending days, hours, minutes with the mess that was the miko lying so trustingly upon him, Sesshoumaru found a measure of contentment which had been sorely lacking from all previous sexual encounters.

And that was just by holding her in his embrace within their bed.

Which is exactly how he saw it.

Their bed. Their personal chambers. Their castle.

The moment he had placed his lips to her body, bit down and transferred the mating mark to initiate their bond, all he had, and would ever possess, was now hers as well.

Including himself.

So, while a piece of him, the damaged uncertain tiny youkai pup who lived within the realm of the hell of his nightmares, was uncomfortable with the changes she brought to his personality. The cool calm collected adult he was, the rational commander of an empire of deadly beings who bowed to his whims, actively sought to make room for her.

Additionally, fighting a mating bond was tantamount to rejecting your partner. When dealing with something as mercurial as the mystical pledge taken between youkai and whoever they joined with, if you fought the connection then nothing but heartache came in its wake.

Each party could potentially whither beneath the onslaught of the refusal. The constant negating of allowing each other to accept it creating a backlash that would slice away at those involved. Cutting and hacking until one or the other simply became a living shadow. A soulless waif, bereft without a compass guiding them to their destination.

While it was rare, it had happened before, and Sesshoumaru had no such plans for Kagome or him. If nothing else, his honor alone wouldn't permit him to abandon her like that. Making a mockery of everything he held sacred. An outright dismissal of his own moral code.

For better or worse, the Taiyoukai had consciously chosen the female at his side, and Kami help her, there would be no escape from him.

Ever.

He needed her too much. She had somehow accomplished what but a handful of others had done. Incorporating herself into his life. Burrowing under his skin to twine about his heart with a negligent ease that he had, at first, found alarming, but now latched onto hungrily.

With Kagome, he had found in someone a person who would always see the good in him, despite the terrible things in his past. The miko held an endless well of forgiveness that was humbling to behold, and the inu youkai was intelligent enough to realize how singularly fortunate he was to be on the receiving end of it.

Extraordinary kindness, beautiful, warm, caring, her sadness and tears, they were all his to grab hold of and cradle close. Baring his fangs in warning to anyone else who would dare to venture near, whether threat or no. Especially with the bond so new. It made a dangerous wild possessiveness take a stranglehold upon him so that even if one of her friends, or even Akito, attempted to gain access to the woman he would forbid it.

Thankfully, he knew that would fade in time. That the beastly parts of his nature would calm and settle once they were assured that she accepted him in return. The ultimate culmination of such was typically expressed in a physical way. A joining of bodies that helped to solidify the glowing tether that now bound them forever.

He was no fool. Sesshoumaru was well aware that, considering what had transpired between Aion and her, it would take his mate time to even consider such a thing without balking.

As he had said to her before. It is a good thing youkai held long lifespans. Where she was concerned, he could find an infinite amount of patience.

No matter what the future held for them, he had an iron determination that he would be by her side. This woman had clearly shown her loyalty and devotion to whatever she loved, and knowing that she had brought him within the circle of her life had a heady exultation coursing through his veins.

She brought the light that invaded all the dark places of his soul. Filling the chilling void of his heart until he no longer was that scared pup cowering in his mother's bedding, hiding from a sadistic male who was uncle in name only.

Being with her gave him freedom from his past.

"I'm a little confused about your last statement, Sesshoumaru." Gnawing at her bottom lip, her elbows digging into his ribs, Kagome asked, "What exactly does that mean?"

Staring at his mate intently, he cradled her cheek gently.

"It means that you're going to be stuck with me for the foreseeable future." Moving his thumb to dislodge her abused flesh from between her teeth, he added softly, "I am not my half brother, Kagome. I will not abandon you or depart from your side unless you ordered me to. Even then, it would be just long enough for your temper to cool."

Rearing back in shock, she sat up fully so that she was sitting beside him, his hand falling to hold the side of her neck opposite of the mate mark.

"Wait, what? I'm feeling lost in this conversation right now, Sesshoumaru. What exactly is going on?" Grimacing when her clothing rubbed against the bite he'd inflicted, she reflexively reached up to pull the flannel away, laying it bare to his eyes.

Amber orbs flaring brightly in the dark room, the inu youkai felt deep satisfaction at seeing the intricate design that now marred her creamy skin. Each higher leveled demon's mark was unique, making it easy for others to sense right away that whoever held it was taken. That they belonged to someone and were now off limits to anyone foolish enough to try and court them.

His fangs may have penetrated her tender flesh, but in place of the four puncture holes there was now a magenta and navy pattern of a crescent moon held within a swirling vortex of the same color. It matched the coloration of the markings along his wrist and forehead, and was vibrantly visible anytime the area was exposed.

Taking note of where his gaze seemed to be glued, trepidation had her freezing, swallowing convulsively. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Locking eyes with her, he stated simply, "Because, it pleases me to see my mark on you. It lets everyone know you belong to me."

There was an instant of shocked silence before a flurry of movement had her sliding off the bed to stand beside it. Chest heaving as panic nearly cut off her air supply, Sesshoumaru's calmly spoken explanation ricocheted through her mind.

A constant litany that gained in volume until the need to cover her ears to block it out had her placing her hands over either side of her head with gritted teeth and tightly shut eyes. The cacophony continued for a few moments before thankfully subsiding. But the echo of it remained.

Pushing down the need to run and escape his words, she inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled slowly through her mouth. Grasping at calm with her fingertips, the miko clutched her hands together at her stomach in an attempt to quell the somersaults there.

Opening her eyes on a shuddering breath, she demanded, "What did you do? What the hell happened while I was unconscious?!"

Sitting up, Sesshoumaru drew his knees up and placed his arm along the shelf they made, waiting a few moments before replying.

"The night is cold and you are still recovering, woman. You should remain in bed. Not standing there in the dark trying to hyperventilate."

"Answer my question, damn it!" Her voice rose in alarm, heart galloping and lungs constricted. As though they were seeking oxygen but none was to be found.

She didn't even care if the volume of her voice reached beyond the bedroom to the other demons housed in the royal wing of the palace.

Frowning, he quit the bed himself to walk around it until he stood before her, displeasure written over the handsome lines of his face.

"Calm yourself, Kagome. Becoming frantic in your condition is a detriment, not an asset."

Trembling, blinking back tears valiantly, a harsh scoff left her rosy lips before she felt her temper ignite. Gladly, she grasped it with both hands and fanned the flames, extinguishing the anxiety threatening to overwhelm her. Anger was something she would happily take instead of this terrible helplessness that invaded her senses.

"You," she punctuated her ire by stabbing him in the chest with one finger harshly, a growl in her voice, "don't get to order me about like I'm one of your damn minions, Sesshoumaru. Now answer me, damn it, or I swear to Kami I'll purify your ass and be done with it!"

Arching a silvery brow at her threat, he shifted on his feet, the scowl still prominent and if she had been a meeker woman she would have retreated from the towering threat he represented.

But this was Sesshoumaru and even though he might be terrifying to everyone else, to her he could never be so. Not even if she became the target of his vexation.

"Whether you believe it to be so or not, woman, I can order you about. Do not mistake my good will as leniency whenever I entertain your more foolish notions." There was a bite to his words, a growl in his throat as his amber eyes flashed in fiery glory down at her.

With leashed violence, she poked him again, ignoring how it pulled on the injury to her shoulder, the pain ratcheting up her fury another notch. Coming toe to toe with him, she craned her neck back to keep eye contact with him.

"Don't you dare pull that high and mighty attitude with me! Even if you have rescued me time and again, gave me a place to stay, cared for me," as she listed off what the Taiyoukai had done for her, it caused the anger to bleed away. For sorrow to take its place until her eyes burgeoned with unshed tears, "I won't allow you to treat me with anything but respect. I deserve an answer, Sesshoumaru. I need one because right now, what you said terrifies me and I am so very sick and tired of being scared."

Chagrin briefly flashed through his eyes, his lips softening as he sighed deeply before pulling her stiff resisting frame into his own. Purrgrowling in the way his mate liked, he rubbed the spot on her nape he knew would knot from her stress while offering the heat of his body to warm her chilled skin.

"You were dying," the words were said in a voice that held a savage edge to it that had her abandoning her bid for freedom to instead lay quiet in his embrace, listening intently to what he was saying. "After you expended that degree of purifying power it bottomed out your vitals. The herbs you had been breathing in for over a week held within them the ability to suppress the strength of your lineage. Yes, you defeated Aion with the blast, but you also foolishly let loose with a strike that took everything from you and left nothing behind. As though, after being constrained for so long, the magical essence you utilize in combat grew overzealous and overspent."

When he paused without adding anything, Kagome replayed the memories of what he said. Recalling in stark clarity that she had, indeed, thought she was going to die on that muddy field beneath the rain at Aion's keep. A shudder shook her, goosebumps rising on her arms, at just how close she had come to perishing.

Unable to help herself, she wrapped her arms about his waist, letting the steady staccato of his pulse settle her nerves.

"I remember passing out, but nothing else until I woke up here. In your room." Unconsciously rubbing soothing circles along his tense spine, she added, "What happened after we left Aion's?"

"You must understand. I could hear your life slipping away. Hear it, Kagome!" His breathing picked up in pace, his icy control crumbling, his arm becoming a steel band about her. As though he was trying to absorb the miko into himself. "There is no way you can imagine how that felt. To know that you had sacrificed yourself for me."

Pushing away enough to see him clearly, Kagome was shocked to her core at the naked emotion on the Taiyoukai's face. A wild gleam to the orbs locked on her own and a bitter twist of his lips that she had never witnessed before. He looked tormented by the thought of losing her, and it had her heart melting into a gooey puddle inside her breast.

"But you saved me," she reminded him gently in an effort to bring him back from the reverberations of the past. Soothe the raging storm of his fiery eyes until they were no longer wild and feral. "I'm right here with you now because of your quick actions."

Her words seemed to offer the solace he needed. His towering frame losing some of its harshness, the feral spark dying down in those iridescent amber eyes she so loved.

"Yes. I brought you back here immediately and called on Inu Yasha's mate since Cheiro had defected and I no longer had a healer within the castle. There was no time to possibly find another or to get you to the Well. Your condition was worsening by the second and the threat of you slipping away forever was too great." A shuddering breath escaped his chiseled lips, his shoulders taught and nostrils flaring, a bright ring of crimson encircling his irises.

"What happened after you called Kikyou?" Brushing his bangs from his moon marked brow, Kagome let her hand then rest on his collarbone wear his haori gaped and his skin was visible.

Gathering himself visibly, the inu youkai continued.

"The priestess said that because of possibly ingesting a demon's blood," she stiffened at his words as he kept going, "that when you had used the purifying power it had ended up turning against you. Seeing your very cells within your body as a contaminate and attempting to eradicate the threat. It was tearing you apart from the inside out. She said there was only one way to save your life. So, I took it. Knowing what the consequences would be."

Disquiet slithered in her stomach insidiously as she mentally pictured what he was describing. "What did you do?"

"The only way to keep you from passing, to rectify your system, was to initiate the mating bond between us and place a seal on your miko powers. The sheer brute force of my bloodline would keep you from expiring. The Taisho house has always held extremely potent magical properties in our lineage. Between binding you to me, gifting you with a piece of that power to hold within yourself, and Kikyou performing the ritual for the seal, we extricated you from death's grip." He searched her expression as silence lengthened between them, the dark confines of the bedchamber an intimate shroud.

Astonishment didn't begin to express what Kagome was experiencing. Heart aching as though bruised and swollen from a severe beating, she extricated herself from about his frame, taking note of how he at first seemed reluctant to let her go before his arm slid away. Stepping away, she presented him her back, head down bent and arms hugging herself for comfort, as she tried to make sense of it all.

Her emotions were a riotous mess. Oscillating between disbelief, anger, fear and, yes, even joy. The reality was, the miko did love the stoic male watching her so grave and silent, as she processed everything.

A secret part of her, the young girl that she was, jumped up and down with glee. Celebrating how the one they held such deep affection for had made them theirs. Chosen her regardless of having access to the most beautiful women in the world.

He was handsome, titled, honorable, the heir to the Western Provinces and wealthy beyond imagining. But, that isn't why her heart had chosen him. To Kagome, Sesshoumaru was so much more than the superficial trappings that went along with his surname.

He was the steady rock she could depend on. The safe place she could land whenever things became too much to carry on her own. The shoulder she cried on, the tender embrace she sought when distraught, and the harbor that represented security in the stormy seas of her emotions.

He was the face she searched for in a crowd. The male who made her pulse race and blood heat just with a simple kiss or a discreet look from his impossibly beautiful eyes. Just a word from his lips could destroy her, or set her free. And now, he was hers.

So yes, a part of her was in rapturous delight at having been bound to the one they loved. But another part, the one in which was independent and her own woman, rebelled at having such a momentous choice taken from her. Not only had her ability been removed, but somehow, Kagome had managed to get the youkai version of married without even being asked.

Not even awake for whatever ceremony was needed!

The miko understood that it had been a desperate act to save her life, and it made her feel low and ungrateful that she would latch onto what must look so petty in comparison to that.

But damn it! Every girl dreamed of her wedding to the man she wished to spend the rest of her life with. To have the dress, cake, friends and loved ones surrounding them wishing them well. To blush and cry a little as she said her vows while telling the man at her side she was his until death parted them.

To know that the same male was as in love with her as she with him.

And there it was. The real reason that her heart was shattering even as it swelled with a bittersweet happiness. Duty meant everything to Sesshoumaru. The Taiyoukai would never shirk such a thing no matter what the cost, and she had saved his life more than once, as he was wont to remind her.

Was what he did simply to repay a debt that she would never have called in?

The long years of her future stretched before her. Barren of affection or tenderness. A woman who walked the vast halls of the Taisho household in solitude as sorrow took root at the growing divide between her and the master of the house.

Would they even be able to have any type of real relationship? Laughter and camaraderie? Children?

The last thought had a stray tear falling from her eye, misery a heavy cloak that weighed down her body until her shoulders slumped in defeat. Placing a palm over her stomach, Kagome tried to curb the desolation at the thought of never having a family of her own.

Not because her priestess abilities were a danger to the child. Not anymore. The sealing of her powers had seen to that. For better or worse, at least the confinement of her miko magic would not be a potential threat to any offspring they might have.

No, it was because how could she give herself to a man who, though a skilled lover, could never bring his own heart to the act. To her, it wouldn't be just sex. It would be the ultimate expression of the love and trust she held for whoever her partner was. She refused to just be a potential incubator for the new heir to the Western Lands of Japan.

Not to mention, no longer did she possess the ability to wield a miko's weapon. After Inu Yasha had chosen Kikyou, pushing Kagome aside in favor of the undead priestess, it had taken her a long time to be at peace with it. It was only with the help of Sesshoumaru that she had managed to do so at all.

At least she had still felt as though she held some type of usefulness to her friends and the hanyou. That, once Sesshoumaru grew bored enough with her presence to finally toss her from his castle, she could find a way to contribute to the group, and thereby, remain an integral part of it. Be a part of someone's life and find fulfillment that way.

But what now? What was she going to do? What was the correct decision to make in all this jumbled mess?

Sniffling, she at last turned to face the inu youkai who had remained silent as a tomb the entire time. Allowing her to think in peace.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru." Smiling tremulously, she reached over to pat his wrist, keeping one arm about herself as though it would stop her muscles from shaking. "I'm grateful that you saved my life, but, sad that you felt you had to bind yourself to a human to do so." Voice husky, a self-deprecating laugh left her throat, harsh and grating. "This must be a nightmare for you."

With a curse, he reached over to drag her into his body, eyes blazing down into hers as he brought his face close to hers.

"Woman, do you honestly think I would perform a mating bond on a female I didn't wish to keep with me?"

His angry question had her heart faltering before thundering in her ears. Eyes widening impossibly at what he was saying, she watched his lip curl in a snarl that had a fang flashing.

"You dishonor us both if you believe that I would, for all intents and your human sentiments purposes, marry you just so you could blithely go along your way. That I would share something as powerful as the link between a Taiyoukai and another so you could leave with my brother and his group to go traipsing about Japan or back to your own time alone." Growling deep in his throat, so close his blazing eyes were all she could see, Sesshoumaru added in a guttural voice, "You're mine. I claimed you and I do not lose what I consider to be mine."

Amazed, Kagome moistened her suddenly dry mouth and tried to not let false hope cloud her thinking. Even the blatant possessiveness he was displaying didn't a romantic declaration of love make. No matter how much this powerful demon postured and grumbled, she refused to remain somewhere that her heart would be torn out over and over again trying to break through the ice of his.

"Then why did you do it, Sesshoumaru?" She didn't care that it came out as a desperate plea. That tears were sliding unheeded down her face or that it no doubt made her appear weak in front of such a formidable predator was immaterial. She needed to hear this. To know what it was he truly meant.

Another impatient growl left his frame right before he captured her lips in a soul searing kiss. His tongue slipping between her lips as he took possession of her mouth with a ferocity that had her arching into him in helpless surrender. When he finally pulled away they were both panting, desire coiling through her system in a heady fog.

"Because, you foolish woman, I happen to care for you."

Flushing at his statement, Kagome reached up to fist a hand in his hair. "Don't play with me, Sesshoumaru. My heart can't take a lie. I wouldn't survive it."

Scoffing, he nipped her lightly on the tip of her nose in reprimand. "Kagome, when have I ever told you a falsehood? It is offensive for you to insinuate such."

Hope now a blazing inferno inside her, she palmed the sides of his face tightly, expressing how serious she was.

"Is it going to be enough, though?" It pained her to ask, but she needed answers. "I am only a human. My power is gone, according to you, and I do not even know if whatever Kikyou did can be reversed to get it back. I'm graceless, have no idea how the lady of the Western Lands is supposed to behave, and cannot even call upon my purifying energy to protect you. So, what is having a mate like me going to do for you?"

"Again, I am attempting to not become insulted by your questions, woman." Expression softening, the tip of his nose nuzzled her own before he kissed her on her forehead in what was now a familiar show of affection from the Taiyoukai. "You are enough. No matter if you were missing a limb as I am, had an even worse temper than you already do, or made a veritable mess of my castle with your antics, you will always be enough to me. I care nothing for what you can do, only for who you are, you aggravating woman!"

His declaration caught her up in a dizzying swirl so heavy she almost couldn't even focus on the rest of what he was telling her, her pulse a thunderous tempo in her ears.

"I repeat. I am not my idiot half-brother. He may have been fool enough to relinquish whatever claim he had upon your affections, but I am not so generous. From you, I will demand everything from you. Your laughter, smiles, yes even your clumsiness. I crave them as a drowning demon does air." Shifting his body closer to hers, he nuzzled her again. "It does not matter if you perceive the flaws within yourself as something which would detract from your overall appeal. To me, they are what make you that much more rare."

She could hardly breathe. Unable to get past the lump lodged in her throat as he continued.

"I do not know if you can possibly regain your miko abilities in the future, but even if you could not, it makes no difference. I'm perfectly capable of protecting my own mate and myself. The shikon no tama has never interested me, so your capacity to locate the shards is mute. I have no use for any of the variety of talents you possess which others have taken such advantage of. For me, it has never been about what you feel the need to physically offer. It has always been your innate beauty to forgive. To care and love with abandon. The way you see the best in others even when it is glaringly obvious there is none to be found." His voice was firm, layered with a passion she had never heard from the inu youkai before.

"I-I-," she couldn't even form a coherent thought, let alone a ready response to what he said. Floundering helplessly between her own dismay and his forthrightness.

Smirking, he added at an attempt to lighten her mood, "Besides, the way you never act predictably can be irksome, but it also is endearing in its own fashion. I have grown used to it enough to accept it. Hell, to even welcome it."

Everything he said made Kagome's heart soar. Jubilation and fear a dizzying mixture that made her feel hot and cold at the same time.

Releasing a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding in, she hesitated a moment before deciding to hell with it, and plunging ahead.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru. So much that, right now, I don't know whether doing so is going to kill me or not. I'm terrified at how you are going to react to me telling you so, but I can't not say it either."

The flames of his eyes ignited within in the darkness like twin suns. When he cuddled her close and kissed her deeply again, she felt a stab of disappointment. She had idiotically thought telling him might make him repeat the declaration to her.

The sudden separation of their bodies had her teetering unsteadily, her blue-grey eyes hazy with passion and a tinge of sadness. When he dropped to his knees before her and drew her towards him, his arm about her midriff and his face burrowed in the valley between her breasts, Kagome gasped loudly at the intimacy of it as well of the surprise of his actions. Grasping his shoulders tightly for balance, she stared down at him dumbly, lips parted and breathing uneven.

"You have got to be the most exasperating mortal I've ever encountered in my life," his muffled words rumbled deliciously through the thin barrier of her sleepwear. Spiraling into her bloodstream, making her thighs clench in reaction to the desire that pooled in her loins, her nipples hardening and cheeks flushing. Looking up at her, eyes languorous and half lidded, resting his chin on her breastbone, he whispered, "Perhaps if I just flat out tell you I love you, you'll finally desist with these questions and insecurities and realize that, even if this had never happened, I had planned on bonding with you anyway. Your failing health just precipitated a proper proposal or ceremony. That is all."

Legs giving way at his admission, Kagome let him take all of her weight as she wrapped her arms about his head to hold him tightly to her hammering heart, tears of joy flowing freely down her face.

Wrapping his tail about her, she was vaguely aware when he lifted her and placed them both back on the bed. He left her only long enough to remove his haori before sliding under the covers to face her, cradling her close to him so that their bodies met from chest to thigh, skin to skin. Craving even that small contact.

Kagome couldn't believe it. The entire situation was surreal and beyond the realms of reality. But, the warm male pressed into her was real. The feel of his silken hair between her fingers as she pulled his face in to kiss him was real. The way her heart felt full to bursting and her tears dried was real. The feel of his hand moving to beneath her shirt to settle possessively on her ribcage beneath her breast was real.

The searing sexual desire pulsing between her legs and throughout her body and the heavy length of the proof of his own need was all too real.

She ran her tongue through the caverns of his mouth, the growling noise he made fueling the yearning of her body to meld with his own crashing over her. Banishing any thoughts of what she had suffered at Aion's hand like a match put to dry timber. The evil dog demon held no place in their bed. In the freshly budding relationship unfurling itself like a dragon to spread its wings in preparation to take wing.

Sexual desire this strong had never assaulted her senses before. Drowning her in a flaming vortex of need that had her undulating her hips into his. Arching into the caress of his palm as he cradled her breast, flicking her erect nipple with his thumb.

Moaning in pleasure, she let her head fall back as he trailed lingering lips over her jaw and along her throat. Giving herself over completely to the moment. Clenching tight fingers in his hair, eyes closed to absorb every sensation, she moved her leg to wrap it about his waist. The feel of him, hard and straining, rubbing erotically against the wet core of her.

She was thankful she had been unconscious long enough to no longer be on her cycle. That her hand was healed and her cold gone so she could enjoy every second of becoming lover to the man she adored.

Even the pain from the mating mark changed to pleasure when she felt his tongue lave the area. A sharp knife of desire slicing through her until she was so turned on that even the brush of her clothing against her over sensitized skin was sensuous in nature.

The longer he ran is tongue over the area, the more difficult she found it to remain quiet. Whimpering with need that became a loud moan when he closed his mouth over it completely to suck on the area hard.

Hips undulating into his own, Kagome wasn't even aware when he unbuttoned the front of her shirt, the cool kiss of the night air quickly replaced with hot skin. With every pull from his lips the liquid heat inside her built and built. Her hands frantic as they sought his bare back, running her nails with wild abandon down his spine.

The feel of his answering growl heavily laden with his own desire sent a heady surge of power through her. A satisfaction that she could call forth the same reactions from the typically stoic male that he could so easily elicit from her. The primal satisfaction of a woman knowing she could drive her man to heights of desire that he did not express with anyone else.

Moaning louder with each suck of his mouth on the mate mark, Kagome felt her throat grow dry and her eyes roll back into her head as the frenzied tempo of her thrusting into him finally crested. Stiffening in his embrace, she rode the power of her first climax, clutching at the male who held her to him tightly, his breathing ragged and his mouth still on her shoulder.

Soothingly running his hand up and down her ribcage, he released his hold on her mark and nuzzled her neck up to her mouth, giving her a slow languorous kiss that she returned in between panting.

It took her several moments to relax her muscles, to lie boneless against him, keeping her leg draped across his body. Eyes opening to slits, Kagome returned each lingering kiss he placed on her lips, body now semi-relaxed but still aroused.

The luminescence of his amber irises shone beautifully in the darkness, his striped visage incredibly beautiful to her, even in the low lighting of the bedroom. Running the back of her fingers along one high cheekbone, she nuzzled him the way he did her, kissing him gently.

"You're so handsome."

Smirking, Sesshoumaru trailed deadly claws down her side, her body shivering in awareness of the caress.

"I am pleased you find no fault with my appearance, Kagome." She gave a startled squeak when he rolled them until he was over her, his body cradled between her thighs as he put his weight on his arm. His hair fell into a thick curtain around them, the strands brushing her abdomen, making the muscles tighten there. "But, I am even happier that I find myself with a beautiful mate."

Heart aching at his tender words, she blinked back tears and gave him a tremulous smile from kiss swollen lips. "Charmer. Who knew, the mostly silent great Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, could have such a silver tongue. If you keep that up, I just might believe you."

She had no illusions about the state of her own body. Kagome supposed every woman was self-conscious about their appearance to some extent. It was an unfortunate truth that plagued the vast majority of females around the globe, and laying partially bare for the first time before a being that always appeared so perfect and unruffled was a little intimidating. It made her shy. So much so that she had to force herself not to grab the blanket to hide behind, or to draw her shirt together. Shield her naked body from his appreciative gaze as he slowly looked her over.

As if sensing her sudden change in mood, Sesshoumaru rubbed his body against hers, leaning down to place a kiss over the center of her sternum where her heart lay.

"We have a lifetime for me to convince you, foolish woman."

The mention of a lifespan gave her a pang of sorrow. After all, he was a Taiyoukai. A creature who would endure the centuries without aging any further or succumbing to death anytime soon. Whereas she was but a human woman who would grow old and gray. Develop wrinkles and sagging that came from residing on this planet for decades. It saddened her to think that she might only have a select number of years to enjoy her life with this man. That, while death might take her, she would at one point lose her appeal to Sesshoumaru. A vain and petty concern in some respects, but there it was.

"Now what is troubling you?" He paused the trek of his mouth along the top of her breasts, raising up to look at her fully.

"I'm sorry," a wry smile painted her lips, sorrow a soft light in her blue-grey eyes. "Am I ruining the mood?"

"Does it feel like my desire for you has abated?" A purposeful thrust of his hips into hers accompanied his words, her body drawing tight as a bowstring at how good it felt.

"N-no," she stuttered as her thoughts scattered for a moment before coalescing into coherence again. "But, I have noticed that you are able to understand how I feel particularly well. Am I that easy to read?"

He studied her a few moments before replying, "Yes, you are easy for me to read. But, the mating bond between us is such that it is like a tether binding us to one another. It will continue to tighten for the first few weeks we are together. Building and twining about itself until it forms an unbreakable line that connects me to you and you to me. In essence, I can feel whatever it is you feel as though I am experiencing it myself."

This new revelation made her wonder if this was a two-way street. That she could get a sense of what he felt as he said he could for her. Concentrating, she searched inside herself. Gravitating to the place that felt different. An anomaly that was like how she sensed the shards of the shikon, but more powerful than the jewel had ever been. Closing her eyes, she was surprised when a picture of a silver rope appeared in her mind. Its form wavering and blurry at the edges as she watched in wonder how tiny strands of platinum light wove in and out of the mystical hemp. Growing in thickness even as she watched.

Tentatively, she brushed mental fingers over it, a myriad of emotions racing up her hand to settle about her heart, making her gasp at the sensation. Lids flying open, she gazed in wonder at the male above her. Humbled by the singular power that the Taiyoukai had put in place between them.

"It's beautiful, Sesshoumaru." The words were reverently spoke, like a prayer of absolution falling from her lips. "I can feel you. Actually feel your emotions inside me."

"The aura synchronization will make it have higher potency than a normal mate bond would be." Arching a silvery eyebrow at her wryly, there was a smugness to the curve of his mouth when he smirked. "Perhaps now you will not doubt what I tell you when I speak of the depth of my emotions where you are concerned. I love you, Kagome."

His words caused the silver line to vibrate. The ripples of it coursing through her in waves of heat that had her toes curling into the mattress, her fingers gripping his shoulders.

Yet, at the same instance, she got the distinct impression that it wasn't simply docile. As though it held its own sentience which had teeth and claws, as though ready to pounce on any intruder and rend it without mercy. An echo of the dog demon it hailed from.

"As I love you." Kagome literally felt his reaction to her declaration. How his heart clenched and soared as hers had. "What is aura synchronization?"

Settling more of his weight on her, he gently brushed her bangs from her temple with careful claws. "Have you never wondered why youkai seem attracted to you? That they always find a reason to be tactile while in your presence?"

A puzzled frown drew her ebony brows down in a V as she leaned into the palm of his hand, the youkai above her obligingly cradling her face. "No, not really. I mean, I haven't had that much experience with youkai until I came here to the castle. Most of those I have come across while traveling with Inu Yasha were hellbent on killing us while we were retrieving a shard. So it never really came up, them trying to do anything but lay hands on me to kill me."

The last she said with a sardonic grin, reveling in the way Sesshoumaru continued to stroke her cheek.

"Aura Synchronization is extremely rare. Even amongst the ancient tomes at my disposal, I have only ever heard of such an occurrence, but never witnessed it. The being who has such a gift is able to transmit emotions through simple touch." Kissing her gently as though in illustration, he continued with a smirk. "I have noticed that you are someone who easily latches onto others. More than one of my soldiers has been physically accosted by you since you came to live here."

With an indignant huff, she nipped his collarbone in annoyance, the breath hissing from between his teeth when she did so. "I don't 'accost' people, Sesshoumaru! You make me sound like some kind of molester out to feel up any poor unfortunate demon who crosses my path!"

"Quit distracting me!" Grumbling, regathering his composure after her impromptu bite had made desire fragment his thought process, he frowned down at the woman who was now grinning smugly up at him. "And you do go around causing chaos everywhere you step foot in the palace. Hell, even my own personal guard has eyed me suspiciously since you have come here. As though Akito was preparing to battle for your supposed injured honor or some other such nonsense. It has been irksome. Dealing with the hero worship you incite amongst my generals and men."

"Hey, don't blame me if your poor staff is so starved for a kind word that they follow the first person who says please, thank you, or asks about their day. I can't help that you have no people skills." She was deliberately baiting him playfully. Excited to have the freedom to do so, contentment weaving indelibly inside her.

It should have been odd and out of place, how easily they were able to shift from one type of relationship to a much deeper and intimate one.

Yet it wasn't. Perhaps because they had undergone so many momentous things while in each others company already. The trials and tribulations that didn't usually even register for most regular couples had bombarded the miko and Taiyoukai since the day he came crashing through the Well. From the moment she had taken him into her home, cared for him to wellness, a connection had taken seed and blossomed over the days following.

The expressive rolling of his eyes had her chuckling in delight, that she could actually bring forth this side of the reserved inu youkai when no one else was able. The he would actually even lower himself enough to 'play' with her. Kagome had a playful nature and nurturing this part of their relationship was important to her. Besides, she figured it was good to make the Taiyoukai not take himself so seriously. To learn to banter and tease, if with no one else, then at least her.

How could she not feel special?

"You wound me. For a woman who is known to be so kindhearted, you show an appalling lack of compunction about disparaging the character of your own mate." A devilish gleam flashed through his eyes, his voice lowering to a suggestive purr as his lips curved seductively. "Perhaps you should kiss it and make it better."

A thrill had a shiver skating up her spine, goosebumps dusting her skin, a light sweat breaking out under her clothing. Kagome would like to have the confidence to answer him with as much finesse, but she was completely ignorant of such things. The most sexual experience she had garnered at all was due to the male who was currently using the tip of his tongue to trace her bottom lip. When she gasped, he immediately took advantage of the opening, kissing her with an unrestrained hunger that left her in little doubt of the carnality of his thoughts.

Her inexperience in this area was making her nervous, actually. She wasn't stupid. She knew that Sesshoumaru was well versed in how to make a woman's body sing. Her own reactions even surprised her at their intensity, and the insecurity within had her questioning if the Taiyoukai would find taking her to bed as pleasing as it was for her.

"Stop that," he said against her lips with a little growl.

Starting in surprise, she pretended innocence in the wide blue-grey eyes staring up at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Giving her a look that plainly said she wasn't fooling anyway, he simply leant back and waited. Sighing heavily, she grimaced, her fingers flitting about his shoulders while she lowered her lashes to hide from him.

Damn this cursed mate bond! How rude! Giving her away like that. It was completely unfair.

Swallowing a couple times to gain courage, she finally whispered, "It's just…I'm not….uhhh experienced? You know?"

Blushing scarlet, her face flushed and overheated, she kept her gaze trained on her fingers as though it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen in her life.

"Experienced?" His tone was flat. No emotion present in the nuances of the word, making her frown and peak up at him from lowered lashes.

Though his face was set in placid lines there was a warmth to his eyes. An audacious hint of laughter.

Embarrassed completely at this point, she grit her teeth and lightly smacked his bicep. The damn dog demon was laughing at her! What a jerk!

"You know what I'm talking about!"

The vibration of his sudden laughter had her freezing in wonder. The beauty of Sesshoumaru smiling openly as the sound of his merriment filled the chamber making her heart stutter and her toes curl. He was so gorgeous to her, this mate who had saved her life by binding his own to hers.

Cuddling her close, he rolled until she was completely laying on top of him again, his quick movements making her breathless as she found herself looking down into his shadowed upturned face.

"I will not lie. I do so find the easy way it is to get a reaction out of you very entertaining, Kagome." Slipping his hand beneath her shirt, he rubbed her lower back firmly in a gentle massage, the curve still present on his lips, though his amber eyes were now gentle when they regarded her. "The knowledge you possess, or lack thereof, in regards to the marital bed isn't a concern. There is nothing you could do that would displease me."

It should be criminal how he could say a simple phrase and make her melt. Who knew Lord Sesshoumaru Taisho, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, could be exceedingly romantic if the mood took him?

His words did ally her fears, though. Causing her to relax tense muscles until she was no longer resistant against his reclining form.

"Okay. Good," she said with a shy smile, before clearing her throat and trying her best to ignore the erotic way his fingertips danced along her vertebrae. Who knew an erogenous zone for her was her back? "So, the aura synchronization. You're saying if I touch someone that somehow I transmit positive feelings to others, or something?"

"That is a very generic way to put it, but basically, yes." He nodded sedately, leaning forward long enough to run his tongue at the hollow of her throat, as though he couldn't help himself. His words were a hot rumble against her when he said, "As Cheiro had explained it to me, every creature holds its own particular aura about it. An essence purely theirs that matches no others. This aura is affected by anything from moods to illnesses. Impacting the spiritual health of the individual. Auras are able to intermingle with each other with a select few. You would notice if you came across it by feelings of tenderness or warmth coming through the connection, but it has to be done by physical touch."

As though to demonstrate his point Sesshoumaru he kissed the thundering pulse of her throat before leaning back to settle against the pillows. "Typically, Cheiro stated that if someone were to come across another in their lifetime and put their skin to theirs and feel something, then that meant their auras meshed."

"Okay, I guess that makes a type of sense," Kagome said thoughtfully. She was trying to picture what he said, curious as to if that meant one could actively see an aura or if it was just a metaphor.

"Then there is you." Skilled fingertips danced along her spinal column, causing the girl upon him to shiver in reaction, his tone warmly indulgent when he continued. "As with everything else, you are a complete anomaly."

"Do you have to make it sound like I'm some kind of rare bug or something?" she bit out between clenched teeth, blue-grey eyes flashing in annoyance. Searching her mind for something to say that would put the arrogant youkai in his place, she finally settled for a crushing mutter of, "Jerk."

"Witch," he promptly answered with a smirk, to which she gave an offended huff.

"Puppy!" She quipped back with a growl.

"Foolish woman." Was his flat reply.

"Arrogant Taiyoukai!"

He paused just a moment as if in thought before answering, "Annoying female."

"Rude!" she exclaimed with a growl before adding, "Over inflated egotist!"

"Gullible girl," he purred at her, enjoying how irritated he was making her if the devilish curve of his lips was anything to go by.

"Ice Prince!" She snipped at him, leaning forward to give him her best death glare. How dare he call her names! Only she was allowed to do that.

Arching a silvery brow at her, the Taiyoukai's eyes grew heated and half lidded as he took a clawtip to run it along the outline of her mouth. "Temptress."

Okay, so he won this round. How could any woman stay annoyed with a guy who was half naked, built like a god, and had such a seductive smile painting their lips? Definitely not Kagome.

"Okay, now that just isn't playing fair, Sesshoumaru," Kagome replied as a wave of arousal had her gripping his hips with her thighs.

"I don't recall ever claiming to have such an attribute as fairness, Kagome." His claw was now tracing the dark slashes of her eyebrows, smoothing them from the scowl they held.

"Far be it from me to try and give you virtues you don't possess, oh great Lord of the Western Lands," her tone was as mocking as the grin tilting her rosy lips, the fact that he was still fully aroused beneath her causing her to swallow in an effort to add moisture to her suddenly dry mouth. "You were saying I'm an anomaly?"

"You are someone who can interact with multiple people. Not in the same way as transmitting positive emotion to just between two people. Instead, you are capable of doing so with any youkai you come into contact with, and to a very limited extent I'd imagine, humans. Which would explain how you attract everything to you with a disturbing amount of consistency." There was a look of long suffering gracing his handsome features as he added the last part. As though just the thought of it was irksome to the Taiyoukai. "Adversely, though your aura can mingle with others, theirs cannot with yours. Everyone that is, except, for one person."

"You," she whispered in awe, delving back within herself to where their mating bond was under construction, closing her eyes in concentration as she once more ran loving fingers along the mystical hemp.

Curious, she thought of a memory that made her happy, focusing all her will upon it. A picture of her mother's face materialized in her mind's eye. The maternal love shining in her cinnamon eyes, the tender warmth of her embrace, making Kagome feel safe and secure.

Holding the sensations the images provoked close, she again handled the chord of platinum light, amazed when a bright green spark appeared at her fingertips to be readily absorbed by the pliable material. The tiny emerald flame skittering across a piece of thread quickly to disappear into the darkness towards the end where Sesshoumaru's lived.

"This is so amazing, Sesshoumaru." Her tone was reverent, as though she was reciting a prayer. Awe and humility causing her to open her eyes to seek out her lover's in the dark. "So, I can actually send emotions to you. And, with the aura synchronization, I can also become a part of you in a more intimate way."

"There are a variety of intimate ways I plan for us to become a part of one another," he purred seductively with a chuckle that promised erotic time spent between silken sheets. "But yes, my mate. It also aids in bringing your wayward emotions under control. Such a method was utilized not long ago when you were ill and the healer was unable to find anything to offer you succor. Directly after the time you fainted the day Kouga arrived and you came barging into the main hall."

Kagome wondered if it was very weak of her, how each time he called her his mate it caused the feminine part of her to swoon. Probably. But who cared! This was her youkai and she would act any damn way she pleased.

She'd earned the right!

"I just don't even know how to handle all this." She waved her hand helplessly, completely inept on how to deal with everything which had been thrown at her since waking from her nightmare. It felt as though a lifetime had passed since then, but had truthfully only been a couple of hours.

"There is no time limit stating you have to accept or come to terms with any of this quickly. Even the physical consummation of the bond need not be rushed. Whenever you are comfortable, we will go from there." Gaze becoming impossibly tender, Sesshoumaru cupped her cheek to guide her down for a gentle kiss that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with affection.

It was a gesture given with sentiment. Something to offer the recipient peace and comfort. A display of caring that spoke of love and warmth. Like the embrace of a thick blanket fresh from the dryer on a snowy day. In that simple caress it transmitted all the depth of the emotion of the Taiyoukai gifting it for the woman in his arm.

Heart aching with emotion, Kagome swallowed thickly and blinked back tears quickly. She refused to use Sesshoumaru as a handkerchief for the rest of the night! The poor guy had already been the recipient of her sorrow long enough as it was.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Voice wavering with feeling, Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders, laying her head on his chest while squeezing him tightly.

"Only about every hour, but I don't mind hearing it," came his amused reply as he finger-combed her dark tresses, his voice a pleasing rumble in her ear.

"That's good considering I'll probably be telling you that every day for the rest of our lives." She tried to keep her tone light, but the mention of growing old caused that same pang of sadness to arc through her heart before it was quickly snuffed.

Not fast enough to escape the Taiyoukai's notice, however.

"It bothers you. The thought that your body will show signs of your years while mine does not, doesn't it?" The repetitive stroke of his fingers continued their trek, his claws gently scraping her scalp before following the dark strands to their tips. "It is a foolish worry, woman."

"Foolish to you, perhaps. Being a Taiyoukai it isn't like you are going to somehow get wrinkles and gray hair one day. Become stooped with a bad back and your joints creak with arthritis. I'm human, Sesshoumaru. It isn't the same for me." She sighed heavily, shifting about a bit so that her hips didn't feel strained after keeping them wrapped around his flanks like they were.

"Once again you jump to conclusions without letting me clarify." The rise and fall of his chest emitting his own deep exhalation resounded pleasantly through her. "It is foolish because now that you are bonded to me, a Taiyoukai, your life is lengthened exponentially to match my own. You need not worry about the frailty of humanity where age is concerned ever again. After a couple of years, you will see that your appearance will not alter from then on."

"Wait, what?" Rearing back in surprise, she straightened atop him fully. Placing her open palms on his chest to balance herself, not even noticing how her top gaped open baring her breasts to his appreciative gaze.

His hand falling to her hip, holding her against him, he left his perusal of her naked form to meet her eyes.

"Does that not please you?"

"Of course! I'm happy that we will be spending our lives together, Sesshoumaru. I just…don't know what to think about a lot of this, to be honest…" she trailed off helplessly, not knowing what to say.

There was just so much information which had been lobbed at her this evening that she didn't know what part of it to take in first. It was like she would get one thing settled within her brain, come to tenuous terms with accepting it, and then the inu youkai would throw another curve ball at her. It nearly made her head pound with trying to keep up.

Raising his torso from the bed, he bent a knee to keep her from sliding off his lap, placing his palm over her breast boldly. Running his nose over the underside of her jaw before following the same path with the tip of his tongue.

"Then don't think. Just feel." Not waiting for a reply, he replaced his hand with his lips. Nipping at her erect nipple with a fang before suckling it right afterwards. Grasping the side of her neck as his action caused her back to arch and her head to fall back with a sharp cry.

Lost in sensation. Drowning in the passion the Taiyoukai drew forth from her body with such ease, Kagome didn't argue when she felt the tug of her shirt being removed. Helping him by impatiently dragging her arms from the soft material. Desperate to feel naked skin against her own.

Pushing down against him, moisture gathered within the cradle of her thighs. Primal instinct driving her to undulate her lower body into his own. A husky growl left her inu youkai's throat. His hand moving to grip her side tightly right above the scar at her waist as he licked a path over to her other breast.

Scraping her nails down over his front, she gloried in the way it made his muscles tense. His abdomen to shudder and tense with the passing of the small white digits stopping at the waistband of the pants he wore.

Her world spun and upended when, once again, she found herself rolled so that she was on the bottom and he on top. His silvery hair filling her vision as he began trailing open mouthed kisses over her stomach.

Panting heavily, whimpering with each brush of his lips, her eyes closed and her head fell back into the pillows when he suddenly came back up to suck at the mate mark.

Her blood molten in her veins, she brought her legs up to wrap around him, fisting handfuls of his silvery locks. When he gently ran a hand along her thigh to dislodge her, she unwound from him with a whimper of protest.

Holding him close to her in such a way had heightened the pleasure she got from what he was currently doing with his tongue. The woman feeling frustrated at the loss of contact.

Irritation was shoved aside fiercely when he kissed her softly in apology. Distracting her adroitly from the fact that he was removing the rest of her clothing. A part of her felt she should be shocked at moving into further intimacy with the dog demon. That perhaps things were transpiring too quickly between them.

But she trusted Sesshoumaru. Knew that at any time she could say no and he would subside without a qualm.

The knowledge calmed the twinge of fear of the unknown so that she lay pliant beneath him once more. Aiding him in the removal of her pants and underwear until she was completely naked. The Taiyoukai wasting no time in retaking his previous position while leaving his own attire in place as he settled between her thighs again.

The entire time he kept kissing her passionately. Searching the moist caverns of her mouth with his tongue. As though he was attempting to devour her alive from the lips down.

Kagome figured that wasn't such a bad way to go.

The wicked feel of the silk of his pants rubbing into the most secret part of her was incredibly erotic. The friction of the cloth against her making her dig her heels into the mattress to push rhythmically into the hard length of him.

He hissed through his teeth, his breathing uneven and hot against her as followed the same track down her body as he had before. Except this time he kept going, her hands sliding down to his shoulders as she shuddered with desire. Her head moving back and forth on the pillows and eyes shut. Amplifying everything she felt beyond measure as he swirled his tongue in her navel before running the tip lower.

Kagome felt a sharp thrill of sexual anticipation. Knowing what he was planning on doing, and Kami help her, hoping he would!

He palmed her breast again, running his claws over the taught nipple there while nuzzling her pelvic bone just above where the thatch of dark curls lay. Another delicious shiver skating throughout her body. Settling hotly in her loins. Making her feel as though she was melting from the inside out.

Writhing beneath him, she nearly came off the bed completely when he went from nipping a trail down her inner thigh to suddenly placing his mouth on her. His hand grasping at her tightly in reaction as her back bowed, a loud cry leaving her throat as his tongue found the little nub between her slick folds and flicked it.

Completely given over to the firestorm in her blood, Kagome released him to put her arms over her head. Pressing her palms into the headboard. Scraping her nails deeply into the wood while pushing against him. The erotic feel of Sesshoumaru's breath and tongue. The nip of a fang and his lips driving her wild.

Hooking her knee over one of his shoulders, she couldn't prevent the way she cried out with each movement she made. It changed her position so that she was opened wider to him. Making it easier for his tongue to delve deeply in and out of the most intimate part of her body in an erotic caricature of the act itself. The actions of his mouth, the way he growled when she thrust into him plaintively, was causing her brain to short circuit into incoherency. She was unable to stem the volume of her amorous moans as she felt his hand slide up to run gentle claws over her mate mark. The navy crescent moon and swirling magenta lines acting like a conduit that fed her desire directly.

As soon as he made contact with it Kagome felt her world explode. Her eyes flying open in disbelief as the pressure in her loins released. Sending her over the precipice she had been building to. Body stiff and arched off the bed, her nails digging in deeply into the headboard as she drug them downwards. The fast way he was flicking her clitoris with the tip of his tongue causing her to let out a loud keening cry that was nearly too loud even for her own ears.

Only when he at last let her go, moved to lay soft slow kisses on the inside of the thigh where her leg lay over him, was she able to flop back into the damp bedding. The silk having absorbed the sweat from her back as her temperature had risen from his ministrations.

Panting, perspiration covering her entire body and her mouth arid just as it had become last time, she tried to swallow in between gaining her breath. Finding it difficult to accomplish as felt him tenderly put her leg back onto the bed. Lovingly nuzzling his way back up her body. Placing a random kiss or nip of fangs as he went, until he was laying mostly on top of her. Keeping his weight from crushing her by placing his arm alongside her head, running his claws through the damp hair at her temples.

His eyes were half-lidded. The iridescent amber orbs mellowed to a warm golden hue, his muscles lax and unknotted. Reaching up tiredly, she placed her palm over his cheek, swallowing again. Her heart constricted when he immediately turned his head to kiss the inside of her palm where her newest scar lay, the area still tender and now a little achy from overuse, before leaning his face into it. Like a large feline seeking attention. His hair mussed attractively and crimson color staining his pale cheeks.

Her heart and lungs slowly coming back to normal, Kagome had never felt so utterly relaxed in her entire life. Completely satiated and lazy. As though moving even an inch was a monumental effort that took more energy than she possessed.

Rubbing the stripes on his cheek, she managed a lopsided grin. "I think you nearly killed me, Sesshoumaru."

She could easily tell by the blatant male pride on his face that he was pleased at her words. The rich timbre of his chuckle making her toes curl. It just wasn't fair. How this man could affect her by just expressing mirth.

"Hopefully that is meant in a good way, Kagome."

She didn't even mind when he kissed her softly with the scent of herself on his lips. How could she complain when he had been so skillful in bringing her to fulfillment?

Drawing back slightly, she asked with a concerned look, "But what about you?" She made a vague gesture with her free hand as a blush overtook her cheeks. "I mean, obviously you aren't as…uh….happy as I am."

"I love how the same woman who just came apart in my arms with my mouth on her, my tongue inside her, can't even say the most basic of sexual terms," he said with a smile, laughing when his comment caused her to slap his bicep in retribution as she blushed harder.

"Sesshoumaru!" Scandalized at how he spoke of such things so openly when she was so new to them, Kagome said, "Will you be quiet! What if someone heard you!"

Arching a silvery eyebrow, he gave her sardonic look. "Kagome, I think the other youkai in my palace hearing me is the least of your worries. It wasn't like you were exactly, shall we say, demure in your vocalizations earlier."

Freezing in mortification, Kagome gave a groan of embarrassment. Hiding her face in his neck while clutching at him tightly.

Kami, she had been loud! How was she ever going to live this down? She'd never leave this room again. She would just stay here for the next hundred years or so until everyone forgot they had even heard her and the Taiyoukai engaging in love play.

Just the thought that Akito or Kouga or anyone else may have heard what was going on in here made the woman want to just dive into a hole and hide. Either that, or curl up and die.

Sesshoumaru had the Tensaiga, right? He could just revive her corpse in a week or so. After enough time had passed so no one would even recall hearing one single human woman's voice raised in passion.

"Don't be embarrassed, Kagome. I love the way you sound when in the throes of passion. It lets me know you enjoy what I'm doing and gives me pleasure in turn," he said while cuddling her close, chuckling again as he rolled to his side so that he was no longer possibly crushing her with his weight. Rubbing a soothing hand down the side of her hidden face, he took pity on his shy miko. Knowing that she wasn't an exhibitionist by nature and that any thought that people she knew would know what had happened between the Taiyoukai and herself would mortify her. "Would it make you feel better to know that, for all intents and purposes, my personal chamber is basically soundproof? That unless someone were to stand right outside our door you could be as loud as you want and they wouldn't hear you?"

Silently, she nodded, continuing hiding her hot face against him. Praying he was telling her the truth and not just giving her a white lie to make her feel better. Not that he had lied to her before, but still.

Sighing, he cuddled her close in bemusement, his tail draping over her nude body in a zigzag with velvet possession. Leaving gaps of her creamy flesh exposed in between the silvery length of fur and bone. It effectively covered her modesty, crossing over her breasts and hips. Affording her a sense of privacy he knew she desperately needed right now.

Knowing it must seem ridiculous to need to coverup in front of him considering what just happened, Kagome was internally grateful for his consideration. Love pulsing beneath her ribs to travel down the tether to where his own heart lived. The ready answer of him sending the same back to her helped calm her. Soothe her battered dignity and relax the tight coil of her muscles.

She felt him place a tender kiss on the top of her head. His arm tightening as he did so in a hug as he sighed again, though it held no censure or impatience. Just an amused sort of resignation. As though to say, it made no sense to him why she would be so shy, but he accepted it.

Her heart ablaze with emotion for this youkai, she hugged him as tightly as she could, looking up to connect her mouth to his in a lingering kiss filled with the entirety of how she felt. Thankful beyond measure that it was he and not someone else she would be spending the rest of her life with.

When she finally broke away to gaze into the eyes of the lover sharing her pillow as they lay side by side facing each other, a tender smile tilted his lips.

"I love you too, you foolish woman," he said softly, rubbing the backs of his fingers along her cheek before gathering her close. The label he constantly attributed to her sounding like the sweetest of endearments with the way he said it.

Chest tight with emotion, Kagome lay against him, the steady beat of his heart slowly sending her back to sleep. Contentment and a feeling of peace pervading throughout her entire body.

The sensation of finally belonging. That she was accepted. At finding a home.

Of being enough.

Holding it close to her heart, Kagome pushed away any worry or doubts about what tomorrow would bring. Of hanyous, wolf princes, court intrigue or shikon shards. Tonight, she was just a woman lying with the man she loved.

Everything else could go to hell.


	52. Special Consideration

Kagome came back to consciousness slowly. Her entire body was permeated with a sense of such utter satisfaction and laziness that her brain was slow to catch up with the waking of her muscles. Eyes half-lidded and languid, the miko yawned loudly without bothering to cover her mouth and rolled over, uncaring how the blanket she was tangled in tightened about her legs until she could hardly move.

Sniffling, she rubbed the sleep from her blue-grey orbs, yawning again before raising her arms to stretch. Grunting with the effort, she arched her back and pointed her toes before relaxing back into the plush mattress. Warm and comfortable in the cocoon wrapped about her slight frame as she stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Her body felt sore and her skin a bit over sensitized. Not in an unpleasant fashion, but definitely enough to make her frown and take category of her limbs as she wiggled her toes. Frowning, she was mildly wondering why, despite the small discomfort of overtaxed muscles, she felt contentment like she hadn't known in a long time. Once her mind finally caught up with the sleepy female she gasped loudly and shot up in bed, nearly falling out of it from the way she was still bound by the thick comforter.

The sudden chill of cool air against naked flesh had goosebumps covering her with a shiver, Kagome frantically clutching at the duvet to try and bring them up to cover her nudity. The damn thing wouldn't be budged, however, from the way she was entangled, so she settled for grabbing her pillow to hug tightly to her chest instead in a bid for modesty.

Memories came flooding back from the previous night, the blush on her cheeks traveling down to her breasts as she twisted her head to check beside her. It was with a small sigh of relief that she found herself alone in Sesshoumaru's bed. Nothing but the indent of his body and a few strands of silver fur to denote he had been there. Judging by the amount of light coming through the windows it must have been noon or later, Kagome biting on her thumbnail as she replayed what had transpired between them.

Just the thoughts alone were enough to reawaken her desire, the miko clenching her thighs together and her nipples tightening to awareness. Any type of sexuality was so new to the woman that the more she recalled what they had done together the more awkward at herself she felt. What the Taiyoukai had done to her and her reactions to his ministrations, it made her groan in embarrassment and bury her hot face within the down filled bedding she was clutching like a lifeline.

Had she really been that wanton woman who had writhed against his mouth? Her vocalizations loud enough to drown out any reservations she might have had about what they were doing?

Kami, how was she going to face him in the light of day? Last evening kept echoing over and over in her mind until she was nearly dizzy with it.

But his words. The way he had looked and the subtle nuances in his icy voice that had warmed with caring, helped to calm her racing pulse until it was no longer thundering in her ears. Raising her head enough to glance over her makeshift shield, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, bidding herself to calm the hell down. To take stock of everything and think it through as best she could.

Last night had been full of revelations and so much emotion that it was difficult for her to even keep track of everything. In the intimacy of the darkness in the bedchamber, it had been so much easier to just take hold of her feelings and express them. The cloak of the night had offered her a certain amount of protection, even if she knew that he could see her just as easily in the shadows as in the rays of the sun.

Whispered words against your lover's mouth as you lay naked and spent against one another were much less harrowing to utter than the following day. She was convinced of it. Because right now, she was trying to gather the fortitude just to dress and make her way down to the hot spring with one of her guards.

Just thinking about how those two demons had the advanced sense of smell to discern what had taken place between their leader and her was enough to make Kagome wish for the ability to be invisible. To just sneak away without being observed to the large building that would offer a nice balm to her soreness of today.

Not to mention Kouga and Inu Yasha! Kami, how the hell was she supposed to handle that?!

Especially considering one of the aforementioned demons had been determined for years to make her his mate. True, she had never desired to be eternally bound to the wolf prince, but still. With the issuance of the mating bond between her and the Taiyoukai there was no way the ookami's suit would be anything but null and void now.

Did that mean Sesshoumaru had already informed the two males what had happened to save her life? Kikyou must have said something to Inu Yasha considering they were a couple now, right? So, by process of elimination that probably also meant Sango, Shippo and Mirokou would be well aware too.

Talk about no privacy! This entire 'you live in a huge castle where you can never have a secret or hide anything' business was going to be hard for her to handle. While she might be outgoing, Kagome still valued keeping her life relatively private.

Yet, when you lived with a bunch of creatures that could smell and sense anything from your heartbeat to who you had slept with, how was she supposed to deal with it?

It made her balk in offense by just imagining such scenarios. Anger and irritation making her frown so that, even though she knew deep down it was pointless, she couldn't even just keep stuff to herself without others knowing about it.

The sudden feel of the mate bond activating made her start in surprise. The miko still unused to how it worked and what it could do to her emotions. Sesshoumaru must have sensed her upset because now there was a soothing radiance invading her system. Effectively dousing her desire to growl and pitch a fit just for the sake of doing so to release her pent-up aggression.

She couldn't help the softening of her features anymore than the tentative appreciation she sent back towards her mate. It felt as though he had given her a warm embrace filled with understanding. As though his claws were running through her hair as he held her close. Reassuring her everything would be okay.

What was even more amazing is how well it actually worked. The stiff set of her shoulders uncoiled, the harsh hold on her pillow loosening as the bubble of frustration and panic which had been building beneath her ribs began to ebb.

Kagome was so lost in the dark about everything. Even if Sesshoumaru had explained broadly all that had happened and what it meant, there were still too many unknowns for her nerves to settle completely. Even with the strength of what the inu youkai was sending her way, it couldn't completely dispel the anxiety felt about the emptiness she felt at her miko powers being contained. She knew they were there. Could even vaguely feel them, but it was as though the entire connection was filled with a thick miasma she was unable to penetrate.

She had been effectively blocked from accessing her own internal weaponry and, like a soldier who found themselves bereft of their favored piece of steel, she felt naked. Exposed and vulnerable. As though she had been stripped down completely and set off to fend for herself in the woods.

Sesshoumaru had said it wasn't essential. That, to him at least, he could care less if she was a priestess of spiritual power or not. Her labels did not concern him. He saw her for who she truly was, faults and all, and accepted them anyway. Despite the years of a hanyou yelling them out or her own self doubt poisoning her until her confidence had taken many mortal blows. Until, some days, she had felt as if it was nonexistent.

The Taiyoukai might not worry over their loss, but a huge part of her did. Not only in relation to her usefulness, but because they were hers. Yes, unwieldy with no sort of structure they may have been. But they were still hers.

Sighing dejectedly, she looked down at the palm which now held her newest scar where the arrow had pierced. Studying the puckered raised lines that marred the surface, cutting through and obliterating the lifelines which once graced her skin.

Her body was becoming a veritable patchwork of battles lost at this point. Each scar she had received was a reminder of a folly. A decision made which had been incorrect and resulted in physical consequences. And, yes, she was woman enough to dislike having them there. Finding them unattractive, and so adversely, figuring others saw them the same way.

Again, that same wave of soothing light settled over her. As though, even if he was not there physically, her mate was offering what solace he could to the distressed miko. She was grateful for it, actually. It reminded her plainly that even though she may be desolate or feel low, that she had someone to depend upon who would help her through it.

Hadn't he done so time and again already?

Sesshoumaru had a way of ferreting out her insecurities and laying them to rest in a way which helped her. He made her see things in a different light than anyone else had. His pragmatic mind offering solutions or advice that were sorely lacking within her own muddled brain. She was just too damn close to the problems to figure them out herself.

Shifting about where she sat, the need to bathe had her grimacing in discomfort. She was going to have to bite the bullet and just get dressed and go. Canine noses be damned, but she wanted to be clean!

Plus, soaking in hot water always helped her to think anyway. And if it was one thing the miko needed to do to come to terms with how her life was irrevocably changed, it was think. Ponder out the knotted strands and make orderly sense of them.

A sudden knock at the door had her tensing, alarm a sharp dagger in her stomach as she prayed whoever it was wouldn't just come in without being bid to do so. Which was a completely illogical fear since not once had anyone just walked in like that except maybe the Taiyoukai she was now bound to.

It still didn't calm her racing heart though.

"Yes?" She called in a wavering voice, holding the pillow tight defensively.

"My Lady? It is Teisa. Lord Sesshoumaru asked me to see if you would like to be escorted to the hot springs. Afterwards, if you might wish to take your meal in your private quarters?"

Relief nearly made her dizzy at hearing the female's voice. Even if she could possibly scent what had happened it was just so much easier to take from another woman than a man.

Heart warming at the consideration the Taiyoukai was displaying, Kagome began untangling herself. Tossing the pillow haphazardly to the side while sliding free of the bed to find her scattered clothing.

"Yes, thank you, Teisa. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready to go." Shoving her arms into her shirt, buttoning it quickly, she frowned while trying to find her panties. Where the hell were they?

"As you say, My Lady. I will be out here awaiting you." They were words which held no emotion. No sign of reproach or possible speculation at the orders she had been given or why.

Another thing the miko was grateful for. That the Taiyoukai had sent someone she knew who wouldn't make her more uncomfortable than she already was.

After searching under the bed, both sides of the floor, even under the small nightstand, Kagome gave up and just put her pants on anyway. Forget it. She'd just go commando and be done with it. Who knew where the inu youkai had tossed them last night?

Twisting her hair up into a sloppy half ponytail, she shoved her feet into her shoes, lacing them tightly. It was only as she was heading past the low-slung table surrounded by pillows that she saw her bag sitting there. Bulging at the sides and securely fastened.

He must have had everything delivered to his room. It was a blatant reminder that she was now moved into his chambers. That no longer would she have a place of her own. Was it odd of her to experience a little thrill at this realization? That she found it endearing enough to smile softly just at the thought of placing her folded laundry next to his in the towering armoire in the corner?

The time era she came from, it was not uncommon for couples to live together outside of formal marriage. In fact, her friends were already doing so for the most part and each of them had confided how much they were pleased at sharing living space with their significant other. Secret smiles paired with soft gazes as they talked about something as mundane as fixing dinner in their own household.

Kagome had never fully understood the appeal until right now. Even she had the insane desire to take care of her mate in some small way. After all, they were affectively wed, at least in his culture if not hers.

"Teisa?" She awaited for the youkai to answer through the door before adding, "Would you be so kind as to make certain food is sent to Sesshoumaru for me? And please, make certain they have a warm fresh pot of tea sent as well."

"It will be done, My Lady," the female soldier replied, her footsteps fading down the hall as Kagome began rummaging through her bag to retrieve what she would need for bathing. Carrying the oversized filled backpack just wasn't feasible at the moment, so she would have to just traverse the halls in her pjs and try not do be too mortified by it.

Hopefully not run into too many people either.

She felt a ridiculous amount of satisfaction at such a small gesture. As though it was her shy way of giving her new lover a kiss on the cheek to show her affection. She inwardly hoped he would understand what she had meant to convey by making certain the Taiyoukai was fed. Perhaps the mating bond would help with that?

Kagome was still pretty much in the dark on how the entire thing operated. Instinctually, she felt as though she understood it perfectly. But logically? Still totally in the dark.

It would be something she would broach to Sesshoumaru the next time they were together, the idea of seeing him face to face making her grin for no reason and happiness fill her heart to bursting.

She loved and was loved in return. It felt wonderful, exhilarating, and yes, even a little frightening at the intensity of their bond. The future appeared brighter suddenly than it had for a long time.

Akito prayed for patience while he listened to the cacophony that was the entire kitsune clan ensconced in one of the smaller dining rooms in the castle. His body had recovered well so that, though easily fatigued, he felt strong enough to quit his room and meet up with his mother, father, and siblings.

However, the overly boisterous company he was keeping wore on his frayed nerves until he was finding it difficult to sedately sip his tea. To keep his face in its customary placid lines, the fingers about the cup lax, the nails not gouging the sides of the fine piece of china.

As though sensing his mood, the cool touch of his mother's delicate hand enclosing his upper arm had him turning to regard her with an arched navy brow. Her expression mirrored his own with a knowing smirk, the sunlight bathing her beauty in sunlight from the open windows until her pale skin fairly glowed.

She was built so elegantly, this short woman who had given birth to five sons who towered over her slighter frame. The daintiness of her bone structure hid a core of solid iron, however. For it was their mother who ruled their household with the ease of any well accomplished general one might find in Sesshoumaru's court.

Cobalt eyes set within a high cheek boned face of pale skin that appeared finer than the castle's best dishware angled down into a small pointed chin. A pair of full rosy lips standing out as stark as the dark blue snowflake which graced her brow. Its spires and arcs as graceful as the creature it adorned. Hair the color of bluebells was set within an advanced braid that reached to the middle of her spine, the length of the tresses shorter than half her childrens'. She wore a silk ensemble that any lady of high fashion within the demon world would be jealous of. The layers of her lilac kimono with white cranes flattering a body that more represented a young woman's than a matriarch who had birthed five large sons.

The youkai heritage they all possessed would have seen to that. Keeping her muscles tight and her features young despite the fact of being well into her hundreds.

Her voice was warm, the smirk growing larger to show a flash of her fang as she leaned towards him to whisper conspiratorially, "Which one of your brothers would you like to pummel first?" Sweeping her gathered family with open pride and a large dose of playfulness, she added, "I'd go for Keisuke first if it were me. Anyone that noisy needs something shoved in his mouth to muzzle that kit."

Unable to stop the grin her questions incited, he pretended to give it grave consideration, eyeing the other males over the rim of his cup. "I don't know. Toryn is a close second for a hit on the back of the head. I don't know how much more I can handle the reenactments he is doing to describe what he's been up to serving the Lord of the Eastern Provinces."

Her delighted laugh had her mate's eyes seeking the source, the tall kitsune with the lengthy waves of navy blue trailing down his back and over his shoulders. Opalescent eyes softening at the sight of his second oldest and mate, he smiled as he drank his own beverage. Contentment painting the features of the typically stoic youkai. Pearly-blue orbs warmed subtly as they traced the fine visage of his mate, pride and love encompassing him, the simple navy snowflake of a five-pointed star with rounded edges emblazoned upon his smooth brow.

"Indeed, I think you might be right!" Look turning devilish, she arched her eyebrow again. "Should we take turns on putting these kits in their place?"

Akito felt his irritation of moments ago bleed away under the tender love of his mother. She could always diffuse every situation that presented itself. So adeptly, in fact, that each male in her life was convinced there was nothing the female couldn't fix. A carry over of when they were young and the strong female kitsune faced anything with a type of negligent humor that made her all the more enrapturing to their father.

In the arctic fox household, there was no doubt in any of their minds that mother could make everything right. Even at their advanced ages.

"How are you feeling, son?" His father's deep voice called across the table from them, the older youkai ignoring how whatever tale Toryn was telling to Najaro and Keisuke had the younger kit come dangerously close to falling into him.

"Tired. But….better." He kept his replies brief. Still ill at ease with admitting to any type of weakness even in front of his own family.

The sharp eyes of the arctic kitsune clan patriarch read easily between the lines. His silent regard making Akito shift about where he sat with a grimace. Feeling like a kit again under such perusal from his father. Rotating tense shoulders within his customary uniform he had managed to don today, he tried to ignore the way his father looked at him.

"Well, as fit as you typically are, you'll be back to battle readiness in no time, Akito." His father set his cup down, holding it with one hand while resting the other on top of his laced knees. "Your charge is well and your master pleased with you. Everything will settle down after a few days."

"You're making our son uncomfortable, Hitoshi darling," his mother said in reproach, releasing her child to take up her own tea. "You know our kit doesn't like it when you blurt out what his worries are in front of the others."

Hitoshi waved a clawed hand at his mate's words. "Akito knows I mean well, Atsuko."

"You know what they say about those who mean well, darling." Atsuko gave her spouse a pointed look before a crash had her scowling in annoyance. Glaring at Keisuke who had managed to somehow knock over the vase of irises on the table, sending blooms and water everywhere, she bit out with a growl, "If you kits don't settle down I'm going to lose my patience!"

Her tone had all six males straightening where they now sat. Even his father's broad shoulders tensing as he eyed his angered mate warily while remaining silent. He had learned long ago to give Atsuko free reign in the raising of their children and to be intelligent enough to sit back and only get involved when asked. Better them than him being on the receiving end of her ire.

"It was an accident, mom." Keisuke's cheeks were painted in a bright blush that clashed with the features that so resembled the woman across from him. Using a cloth napkin, he began to soak up the excess liquid, Toryn obligingly putting the vase aright while shoving the flowers back into with no particular order. Totally ruining what probably took a palace servant an hour to create.

"I have about had it with you and your brother's antics for one day." Giving each of her now recalcitrant sons a pointed glare, she patted Akito on his arm without looking at him. "Your poor brother doesn't need the headache of you idiots ruining his master's castle because you still behave like a bunch of unruly kits. And I doubt Lord Sesshoumaru would appreciate finding out you two have ruined his beautifully decorated dining hall either."

Akito caught Kiro's eye, the assassin smirking while he picked up chopsticks full of rice and ate them calmly. If it was one thing that could calm their two youngest brothers down it was being dressed down by their tiny mother. Neither of them were brave enough to challenge her authority.

Shamefaced and subdued, Toryn and Keisuke dutifully replied, "Yes mother" before subsiding quietly.

"Perhaps it would be prudent if I took our younger siblings out to the training grounds." Najoro, ever the peacemaker amongst the brothers chimed in. His calm and steady navy eyes glancing at the sunny weather outside the window.

"An excellent idea!" Hitoshi said with a grin as he stretched his arms above his head, moving his head about his neck after as though working a kink out. "Would Lord Sesshoumaru mind if your brothers decided to go join the other soldiers for some sparring, Kiro?"

Swallowing his food, Kiro placed the ornate golden sticks to the side of his bowl as he set it down. Rising, he said, "Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't mind, I'm sure." Narrowing cold blue eyes on the two youngest, he indicated the door with a nod of his head. "Come on, you two. Let's go burn off that excess energy you seem to have an overabundance of."

Scrambling to their feet, there were matching grins on Keisuke and Toryn's mouths as they began following their oldest brother from the room.

"I'll come as well," Najoro said, polishing off his tea before quitting the table to join the small group of kitsunes waiting at the open door. Turning to his brother and parents, he gave Akito a kind smile. "Don't worry, brother. Kiro and I will keep these two idiots out of your hair for a few hours. Let you catch up with mother and father."

"Thank you, brother." Akito was inwardly grateful to his middle sibling for thinking of the distraction the two youngest sorely needed. Najoro was always able to read any situation with crystal clarity.

Deciphering even the slightest of hints on how someone was feeling or what they desired. There were times, as they were growing up, it had been maddening and even embarrassing. But for the most part, they were glad to have someone in their family who understood them no matter what the mood or situation.

"Don't you four dare do anything to embarrass me while you're out there!" His mother called in warning with a scowl that was replaced by a playful grin as soon as they were alone. Looking towards her mate, she gave her signature smirk. "How long before Lord Sesshoumaru has enough and boots them from his training yards, do you think?"

Giving a sardonic tilt of his own lips that flashed larger fangs, Hitoshi replied, "Probably just long enough for Keisuke to drive Kiro up a wall and for Toryn to annoy the hell out of whoever else is sparring."

Chuckling warmly, Atsuko turned to her second oldest child. "Now then. Explain to your father and I all about this miko your Lord has taken as a mate. I'm dying to know just how it all happened." Clasping her clawed hands together, she sighed with a dreamy expression. "It all sounds so incredibly romantic from what I've garnered about the palace."

"Your mother is an avid lover of anything she thinks has romance to it," her mate said with an indulgent look as she stuck her tongue out at him before focusing on her son.

"You shush! Go ahead, son, tell me all the details and leave nothing out." She eagerly leaned towards him, eyes bright with a hint of the young kitsune she had been when she had first met their father.

The tales were legendary in their household on what it had taken for Hitoshi to win the fair Atsuko. His mother had made his father jump through more hoops, do more outlandish things in the name of love, than anyone else they knew.

But as their father was fond of saying. Anything worth having requires patience, cunning, and above all, a good siege. He must have been right because hundreds of years later they were happily mated with five strapping sons to show for it.

Warmth settling about his heart, Akito basked in the presence of his family and related what she wished to know about Kagome and his master. Their conversation lasting long into the dusk or evening.

Sesshoumaru quietly entered his chambers, traversing the private study through the doorway which held his bedroom. Inhaling deeply, he felt the beast within him settle at the scent of vanilla and apples that filled the room. He knew that Kagome would still be bathing, the miko having gone there with Teisa a while ago. He knew his mate would desire to be left alone to relax and unwind.

Seeing the contents of her oversized bag littered around the object, taking up much of the floor, he couldn't prevent an indulgent smile. She was just so messy in the way she lived. It was a complete opposite to the military aesthetic he had lived in for so long. For him, there was a place for everything and everything in its place. If something had no apparent use, he didn't have it. There was no room for frivolous or gratuitous items taking up the space of a stronghold fashioned for soldiers.

He recognized that learning to navigate around the pile of clothing, the random box of ramen, or even a few bottles of lotion strewn about with no apparent rhyme or reason was just one of the new things he would need to grow accustomed to. The Taiyoukai was used to having his personal space occupied by only himself. Even Rin had always had her own set of rooms in the royal wing, farther down the hall from his own. It would be an adjustment, learning to cohabitate with another being when he had been alone for decades.

Yet, he also couldn't help an inner anticipation for it either. As though he was looking forward to seeing just how Kagome began making the place her own. Witnessing the personal touches she would put upon their bedroom and castle. Not that he imagined she was the type of woman to go about redecorating the palace with an overabundance of feminine décor.

She was too practical for that. But, after staying in her own room in the future, her inner sanctum where the truth of who she was would be plain for anyone to see, he had no idea what to expect.

Would it be messier in his private quarters? Without a doubt. Would she find it easier to acclimate to her new life, becoming his mate and being the Lady of the Western Provinces, if given the freedom to make the space her own?

Probably. If it is one thing Sesshoumaru remembered even from when his own mother was alive, it was that females had a tendency to nest wherever they went. As though they felt the driving need to restructure any living space they occupied to suit their personal needs otherwise they couldn't be content.

So, if that meant he would forever be gingerly stepping over the edge of the comforter half lying off the bed so he didn't trip on it, then so be it. It was a small price to pay to have the miko from the future in his life. Taking up his thoughts, her small gestures of even sending him lunch touching his heart in a way no one had before.

While his needs were always met, mostly without him even having to voice them anymore, by the youkai in his castle, it wasn't the same as one's mate doing so. He found the difference one he actually liked the flavor of. That feeling of having occupied her mind enough so that she would find it irresistible to show she cared.

Which, even without the warmth traveling through their new mating bond, he would be able to see. The woman was nothing if not openly affectionate to most those who crossed her path. To be the person who received special attention on top of that made Sesshoumaru feel ridiculously smug. As though he had managed to best every other male in the world. It nearly made him want to do the completely uncharacteristic thing of shoving it in his idiot half brother's and the wolf prince's face. His more beastly nature smiling in malicious glee at the image. All for bearing smiling fanged jaws with superiority as it lorded over the other youkai how he had managed to obtain the female's love and devotion when they had not.

Inu Yasha had been a fool. Sesshoumaru always had known his brother was brash and irresponsible. Driven by his wayward emotions to act in a way that was more childish than mature. But giving away the miko's love for that of a living corpse?

That had to be the most idiotic thing his half sibling had done in his entire life.

And Sesshoumaru couldn't be happier for the hanyou's stupidity.

Let his half brother spend the remainder of his days cuddling next to a cold woman who was the stealer of souls. The Taiyoukai cared nothing for the sob story existing between the two. If Inu Yasha couldn't see what a prize he had held in the palm of his clawed hands by possessing Kagome's heart, then he deserved what his future held.

Sesshoumaru had no problem picking up the pieces left behind and bringing the woman in close. At first, he had balked at how she made him feel and behave. The emotions so foreign and alarming that he had but the one desire to have quit of them immediately.

However, after being in her presence, learning who she was, and allowing the ice around his heart to thaw, the Taiyoukai had found in Kagome a treasure of higher value than any that lined his coffers below the palace.

The wolf prince, he had always known was no threat. It had been obvious to anyone who could see that the miko held no romantic designs on the ookami. Just the thought of the mate mark blatantly out there on her shoulder for everyone to see made a sense of satisfaction fill his chest.

Even royalty from the Northern Lands wouldn't dare encroach on another youkai's claim once it was established. Wars had been fought for less than some overzealous demon attempting to steal away another's mate, and the wolf didn't possess a death wish as far as the inu youkai could discern.

He had already informed both his sibling and the wolf prince that Kagome and he were now mated. A conversation that had been surprisingly silent from the pair of demons who sat across from him in his study. There had been a stark resignation in Inu Yasha's golden eyes, his shoulders slouched and defeated, ears flat. He hadn't said much, which was shocking to the Taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru had been fully prepared to deal with an abundance of threats and yelling. Picturing when, he had played what he was going to say in his head before the meeting, that the hanyou would become indignant and mouthy at the news the woman he had known for years, who had held an infatuation for him, was now bound to the older brother he wasn't too fond of.

Instead, Inu Yasha had made him promise to take care of the miko with an icy glare, but not much else. As though he had realized even before Sesshoumaru where events would lead. That he knew what the outcome would be from the moment the Taiyoukai had fallen through the well into the future and become embroiled with the young female.

Kouga, however, had been more vocal in his outrage. Bordering on accusatory as he had demanded to know why the woman he had chased for years would suddenly opt to tie her life to the Taiyoukai's. It had made Sesshoumaru's eyes ring in crimson, his hand to curl tightly in a fist on the tabletop as the ookami's inflammatory words made him wish to simply reach over and break the prince's neck with a flick of his wrist.

The fact that Kagome was fond of the damn wolf was the only reason he had even hesitated. It served no purpose to emotionally alienate his new mate by killing someone she viewed as a friend. So, he had leashed his anger and gathered the icy calm about himself like a mantle. Distancing himself emotionally from the things Kouga said that made his inner demon want to bathe in the insolent male's blood.

Instead, he had even impressed himself with how calmly he explained that the only way to save Kagome's life was to do what he had done. That no, he had no regrets over it. That they were now joined together for life, and nothing the wolf said would change any of that.

He had well and truly lost the miko and it was time for the impudent cub to give up his pursuit since another demon encroaching on a youkai's territory was met with nothing but hostility.

It had taken longer than he would have liked, but the ookami had finally conceded defeat. Even he would not dare to take on the might of a newly bonded Taiyoukai by trying to take his mate from him. It was a bitter and angry wolf prince who had left the meeting. Slamming the door behind him before heading down the hall, out of the royal wing they were currently residing in.

Silence had reigned between the two brothers after the wolf's departure. The hanyou's ears flat and face unhappy as he stared down into his lap, his arms in their customary lacing about his chest. Sesshoumaru had waited without uttering a word. Arching a silvery brow as his brother gained his footing.

"Take care of her, Sesshoumaru." Harsh gold eyes clashed with icy amber as the hanyou let his arms fall to his sides, his hands in tightly clenched fists. "I hear you treat her like shit I'll come back and kick your ass myself."

"Duly noted," was all the Taiyoukai had said. After all, he wasn't about to wax poetic romantic nonsense to the half demon so it would assuage the other male's worries. The only one who deserved any of his more tender emotions was his adopted daughter and his new mate.

Nodding once, Inu Yasha had left without a backward glance, enclosing Sesshoumaru with a much quieter closing of the door than the wolf had.

He had only been alone for a few moments, preparing to go over the newest stack of correspondence before asking for Jaken when a knock had sounded. Frowning since he had no reason to be disturbed right at this moment, it had taken supreme effort to keep his countenance bland when he had seen a servant come in with a heavily laden tray.

"Lady Kagome asked that this be delivered to you, My Lord," the shy young male servant had said. Eyes downcast respectfully as they deposited his burden of tea and food on the polished top of the desk before bowing deeply.

"Thank you. You may go." Sesshoumaru had waited until he was alone once more before inspecting the various items spread out before him, a gentleness entering his amber orbs as he did so.

It would appear his mate was convinced he needed to eat like she did. He had told her countless times he didn't need to partake of sustenance as often as she did, but apparently that had fallen on deaf ears just like anything else he ever told her.

The woman had a way of pretending to listen then just doing whatever she wanted anyway. A most aggravating but also endearing quality about her.

As he had eaten, Sesshoumaru analyzed how her gesture made him feel. The warmth transmitting through the mating bond making certain he knew what she felt from what he had done by sending her Teisa. He wasn't ignorant of his new mate's personality. Especially after how she had behaved last evening when she had feared what they had done could be heard by anyone close by.

Not that he would have given a damn if they had heard. A very male part of him was even hoping they had, even though it was quite impossible. Letting anyone in ear shot know that he had pleased his lover so adroitly that it had made her lose control. But it was important to him to keep such things to himself. To privately know just how Kagome was in bed and realize he was the one who brought her to fulfillment.

His instincts in regards to looking after his new mate must have been correct if the impromptu meal was anything to go by. And he was finding that he actually liked the thought of her wanting to take care of him personally. Even if in such a small way.

He smirked, when as he moved the heavy comforter Kagome's pink underwear fell to the floor. Why that small scrap of cloth lying on his floorboards made him so smug, he had no clue, as he tossed them to lay in a corner as she was wont to do with dirty linen.

After straightening the bedding, their bond was too new to allow for even a servant to enter their bedroom to do the mundane task, Sesshoumaru then went to his armoire. Eyeing its contents in consideration, he moved his clothing to the side. Piling his haori, loin clothes, hakama, the sleeping pants he favored over a yukata, in tight stacks so that there were openings beside them.

Satisfied, he went and retrieved her backpack, placing it at his feet as he searched through it for her clothing. It was more difficult than it should have been to fold the odd material into any semblance of order. A frown of deep concentration marring his marked brow as he did something he had never done before in his entire life. What use did he have in learning the intricacies of laundering when you had servants to take care of it?

But having only one arm was making some of it tricky and more than a little frustrating. Until he was clenching his teeth and growling as he tried for the third time to fold a maroon sweater of hers that kept sticking to his claws. The only reason he didn't just settle for melting the offensive shirt was because he knew Kagome would have a few choice words for destroying her things. One did not begin a relationship with a woman by mangling her favored garments. Something he kept reminding himself as he finally accomplished a simple task that, if he had possessed two arms, would have been finished long ago.

It was rare for him to bemoan his new state of living. The loss of his appendage had been daunting, but not crushing. The Taiyoukai had refused to allow such an infirmity to adversely affect the rest of his life. He did not have the luxury of indulging in something as petty as self pity when there was a kingdom to run. Any sight of weakness by neighboring Lords would have been quickly and lethally noticed, and thusly, exploited. The other Taiyoukais wasting no time in attempting to rest control of his lands from him. Sesshoumaru had refused to entertain such foolish thoughts.

He was a Taiyoukai. A descendent from the great house of Taisho. The loss of one arm did not alter who he was, only how he looked.

True, he had felt a momentary qualm the first time exposing his body to Kagome last evening. Which had made no logical sense considering the woman had seen him in a state of undress well longer than he had her. Something he was determined to rectify, by the way. If he could spend days on end learning his mate's nubile young body. Taking in the glorious sight of her nude flesh bathed by sunlight then moonlight, he would have done so.

He would have eased her shyness with much kissing and caressing. Distracting her so well she forgot silly things like embarrassment or worry over her appearance as far as her mate was concerned.

Sesshoumaru had always found her physically appealing. Even when he had first met her, he had thought her features comely, if not as refined as what he was used to seeing.

How his father, that crafty old demon, must be laughing uproariously in the afterlife at the sight of his oldest son being besotted with his new human mate, Sesshoumaru could only imagine. Swearing he could all but hear the other youkai's laughter in his ears as he took exaggerated care in folding Kagome's underwear before placing them with the rest of their clothing.

Thoughts of his sire had a pierce of sadness knifing him in the ribs. Just as it always did whenever he thought of Inu Taisho. His parents had been taken from him too soon, to the Taiyoukai's mind. And that his father had known he would die and leave his sons behind was even worse in some ways. Yet, how could his father have told his children he wouldn't be there during their adult lives? That he had known a miko from the future would alter his sons irrevocably in one way or another?

To do so would have changed everything in inconceivable ways. It must have been a heavy sorrowful burden to bear.

Thank Kami his father had gone to see that ancient youkai of the mountains. Without him having done so, the Well would never have been built. Kagome would have never gone through it. And Sesshoumaru would now still be alone. Without even knowing of the gift he was missing out on by not having her as his mate.

But for the fact of his father's ill mate, and the events that took place after, Kagome and he would have never met. The very thought had his inner beast pacing and growling in denial. The snarling dog demon gnashing its teeth, tail swishing side to side in agitation, at the thought of not having the woman for themselves.

Kagome sending him loving energy down their bond enveloped the angered inner youkai. The beast all but rubbing up against the spiritual representation of her in his mind like a cat.

It was almost disconcerting. Having another being so aware of your innermost feelings. Especially since Sesshoumaru had prided himself for years on having none to speak of. Convinced he had eradicated every emotion from his life until there was nothing but frigid discipline in its place.

Leave it to Kagome to accomplish what no other being, save Rin to a certain extent, could. The woman had an innate ability to thwart all his attempts at control. Sliding past defenses he had believed to be absolute with an ease that had caused him many sleepless hours while pondering how it could be so.

It also unsettled him to some extent how readily he accepted his own feelings in regards to the miko. For someone who had fought with the tenacity of a cornered wild boar to be free of her, he was finding the yoke of his love for her easy to bear. Eager, even, to experience all it had to offer.

Yes, he could definitely hear his father, and even his mother, laughing at their son. The child he who had foolishly forsaken all of humanity and love with disdain. It had been telling enough when he had adopted Rin. Although he might imply the only reason for doing so was to repay a debt for the care she had given him during his convalescence in the forest after that fateful fight with his half-brother, deep down he had known it for a lie.

After all, he had brought her back to life after the attack from the wolves. If a debt had been meant to be repaid, that would have done so in full and then some. While Jaken might have accepted such paltry excuses, Sesshoumaru doubted that the youkai in the palace who knew him best did. Demons who had known him from either childhood to adolescence, would realize the truth of the matter.

For someone who vehemently denied having any sort of regard for humanity, he had taken Rin into his life with hardly a misstep. Thank Kami his reputation was enough to deter any teasing on the matter from anyone because he would not have taken such things kindly. Better they only see him as their leader. A Taiyoukai to be feared and respected for his ability to end lives paired with his fierce intelligence.

He shuddered to think what his soldiers would say if they could see their accomplished commander playing ladies maid to his new mate.

Finished with his task, he closed the heavy doors on the piece of furniture before carrying the considerably lighter sack over to where the few grooming implements he owned lay in precise rows on the top of the table against the far wall beside the mirror. There was more than enough room for him to unload the various lotions, hair-ties, and what must have been her era's form of makeup into precise columns. He didn't analyze how seeing her personal items placed beside his made him content.

He surmised his mate would feel more comfortable by keeping close to their rooms today. Her shy nature and recuperating health cause for her to feel the need to keep to herself for a while as she settled into her new role in life.

Articles like the food she brought as well as the first aid kit he let remain in the overused bag. Placing it back where it was previously before picking up her scattered things and putting them away. When she returned, if she felt the need to move anything to another place that was fine. But he had a suspicion him doing something like this would touch his mate's tender heart. Entwining her love for him firmly so that it would solidify with no hope of ever falling apart.

Sesshoumaru would not entertain the notion of her possibly coming to no longer care for him in the future. It made unease and what couldn't be trepidation slither in his abdomen, the Taiyoukai shoving it away. The youkai pup inside him, however, fretted in worry at the idea. Clawed hands clasping together and amber eyes pensive.

Labeling such ideas as foolish, he again, thrust it away. Their relationship was new and just beginning. Still in its infancy and he would not let shadows of doubt cloud what could be between them because of his insecurities.

Again, her warmth blanketed his senses. Her scent strong in his olfactory system as he breathed it in. She was fast learning how their bond worked. The emotions she sent his way gaining in strength.

He had always known his mate was as intelligent as she was beautiful.

Glancing out the window, he saw the sky was turning orange as the sun began to set, the scent of Fall heavy in the breeze which blew through the chamber. Going to the brazier, he made certain it was built up so the room remained warm. He would have to remember that Kagome felt the chill of the air more so than he. While it wasn't difficult to remember this with Rin, he didn't see to her comfort personally. So, had not gotten into the habit of making sure she was warm or fed. Even when she had accompanied him on his excursions in the forests of his lands it had been up to Jaken to take care of the little human. Sesshoumaru focusing all his attention on making certain their little traveling party was safe from humans, wildlife, or youkai. While it was unheard of to be attacked on his own property, there were times they had ventured beyond his borders and not everyone would forego engaging the Taiyoukai.

He had just straightened from bending over and closing the heavy metal door on the heating fixture when the sound of his mate's footsteps reached his ears. Turning to face the doorway, he felt how his heart skipped a beat as she walked through the door, her new guard being dismissed in the hallway by the smiling miko.

"Thanks again, Teisa, for taking me. And for making sure Sesshoumaru got the tea and food." She reached out to give the female youkai's hand a squeeze around the glaive she carried, the rest of the demon obscured from his view by the position he was standing in, her other arm full of her dirty clothing and bathing utensils. "I won't need anything the rest of the night except for maybe a tray sent in a while of food with some nice hot tea."

He was mildly amused to see she wasn't even aware he was there, waiting to see how long it would take the human to notice. Really, you would think after all the trouble she had been in over the years she would have more self-preservation than that.

"It was no trouble, My Lady. I will make certain that your requests are fulfilled."

Kagome stepped back, releasing the youkai with a thankful smile before closing herself in the bedroom. He arched a silvery eyebrow when she promptly turned her back to lean on the door, a heavy sigh leaving her body, eyes closed and head tilted back against the wood.

There were faint lines of fatigue and strain about her mouth. A look of weariness cloaking the miko he found unacceptable. She looked done in. Worn out and tired, as though she had spent the day training hard in the dojos instead of taking a relaxing bath.

He quietly made his way over to her, making certain his footsteps were silent as he came to a halt in front of his unaware mate. Running a quick glance over her, he reached out to run his hand down her cheek, Kagome starting in surprise and straightening so quickly he had to maneuver his claws from accidentally scratching her creamy skin.

"You look tired, Kagome. Was the bath not to your liking?" He took in the red thermal top and red and black plaid sleepwear she was adorned in. Gently pushing a few damp strands of hair behind the delicate shell of her ear, he waited for an answer.

"Sesshoumaru! You nearly scared me to death just now." Raven brows arcing down in a V, she asked, "How long have you been here?"

"For some time," he admitted softly, mesmerized by how the fading light of the sun cast a honeyed glow to her skin, a bright sheen to her blue-grey eyes.

Leaning her face into the caress of his hand, she slouched against the door. "The bath was wonderful. Thank you." She blushed brightly as her gaze skittered away to look about the room. "And….thank you for giving me Teisa as a guard today. I really appreciate it."

Her shyness had him softening towards her. His forehead coming down to connect with hers, catching her surprised glance with his own. "I am not blind, Kagome. I am well aware of my new mate's reticence when it comes to letting others know of her private life."

Blushing to the roots of her hair, she gave him a small self-conscious grin. Studying him for a moment, she leant forward to connect her lips with his in a slow tender kiss, Sesshoumaru responding in kind as he let his hand slide down to settle about her neck.

When she broke the kiss, she said softly, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

Nodding, breaking all contact with the miko, he stepped back to give her room to go about their quarters, watching her. It took her a few seconds to realize the bag she was currently looking through was mostly empty, her pile of dirty clothes laying beside it on the floor as she shoved her toiletries inside it.

As she stood from her crouched position, he watched as she slowly moved through their bedroom. Observing closely as she went to the armoire to open it and see her clothing put away, the woman standing there silently a couple of seconds before closing it and moving on to the tabletop which now held her lotions and such.

When she still said nothing, only ran light fingertips over one of her palettes of makeup without looking at him, Sesshoumaru began to experience uncertainty. Something he hadn't indulged in since he was a pup trying to survive his uncle's training.

Had he done something wrong? Was his mate displeased?

Kagome felt emotion choking her windpipe, blinking back tears as she saw that her bag had been unpacked during her absence. The moisture wasn't due to sadness or upset. No, it had everything to do with the reality of seeing her stuff now with his.

Clearing her throat, eyes over-bright as she gave the silent watchful Taiyoukai a smile, she asked, "Did you have someone come in and unpack for me? That was very thoughtful, Sesshoumaru."

"I took care of it personally for you."

"You did?" Her expression incredulous, she came to stand beside him, staring up into his handsome features. She just couldn't picture this dog demon doing something so menial as this.

"When a youkai is first bonded to his mate they find it almost impossible to share their personal space with another demon. Even one who is just a servant and there to put the rooms back to rights, clean the chamber, whatever the case may be." His tone was careful as he continued to look at her with those amber eyes of his she loved so well.

It took her a second to figure out what seemed off about him. Once she did, Kagome felt tenderness and compassion take hold of her heart and squeeze. Her inu youkai appeared unsure. As though nervous of what her response would be to what he had done.

Wrapping her arms about his lithe frame, she hugged him as tight as she could, burying her face in his chest, reveling in the feel of the way he clasped her back without hesitation.

Turning her head so her cheek lay flat against his breast, listening to his heartbeat, she said quietly, "That has got to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." She was rewarded with a bombardment of his joy at her words through their link, Kagome moving to look up at him. "I really am a lucky woman to have such a considerate mate."

Judging by the way his iridescent eyes lit up and a pleased smile curved his lips, that had been the correct thing to say. Who knew Sesshoumaru Taisho, great lord of the entire Western part of Japan, could be so caring?

Kagome felt inwardly ecstatic that she, and she alone, would be the one female in the world to find out.

"It pleases me to make you happy, my mate." Brushing the back of his knuckles from her temple to her chin, nuzzled his nose against hers. Placing a quick firm kiss on her lips before tracing her features with loving eyes. "You do look tired, though, Kagome. You should consider resting again."

Making a face, she stepped back in the circle of his arm. "I'm sick and tired of always being in bed, Sesshoumaru. I feel like all I've done all week is lay in bed or sleep my life away."

"That as may be, you do look fatigued. And I don't like how that wears you down." There was an implacable set to his lips and eyes that let her know he was very serious about making certain she got more rest.

Pouting up at him, she hugged him while swaying and saying in a cajoling tone, "But it's boring laying in bed all day. All I get to do is stare at the ceiling or look out the window."

"You cannot find entertainment by reading one of the various novels you brought with you?" He arched an eyebrow at her, letting his body move from side to side with hers. "I hope you realize that your friends visiting you just yet in here isn't an option."

Squashing the feminine indignation she felt at his high handed manner, she reminded herself he didn't meant it as autocratic as it had sounded. He was a newly mated dog demon who had said he would be possessive of her for a little while until their link firmed and became permanent. She needed to adjust her sensibilities for him for now. Shaking her head, she kept moving side to side, glad to see he was doing the same.

"I am well aware that a certain inu youkai I might know has found a possessive streak that refuses to calm down despite what reason might dictate." Kagome gave a laughing shriek when her words caused him to growl at her playfully before nipping at her, the woman leaning back to avoid him.

"It is rude to tease that inu youkai when he can't stop thinking about how much he wants to join you in that bed or how beautiful you would look nude and bathed in starlight."

His words caused a delicious spiral of desire to flow through her bloodstream. Gasping as she blushed at the images it created of the both of them. Heat settling in her loins and her nipples tightening in response.

"As always, you aren't playing fair, Sesshoumaru." Her voice was breathless as he drew her slowly up against him with a purring growl that settled against her mouth as he kissed her.

"And as I have said, Kagome, I don't remember ever claiming to have said attribute." Nipping her lower lip lightly, he deepened their kiss when her mouth parted, his tongue sweeping in to taste of her.

Clutching at his back, she pushed against him helplessly. Unable and unwilling to hold back and stifle the way he made her feel. Their breathing was ragged and temperatures high when they broke apart, his cat like pupils dilated as he gave her a stare filled with erotic promise.

Gulping, licking her lips to which he immediately followed the action, her voice was husky when she said, "Terrible Youkai."

Smirking, he nuzzled her cheek before placing a kiss where stripes would be if she was a youkai. "Foolish woman."

Chuckling, she easily picked up the thread of this new game, kissing his chin before quipping, "Arrogant Taiyoukai."

"Gullible girl," his voice purred out, the rumbling from his chest causing her heart to race as he kissed her other cheek.

They were still swaying, the brushing of their bodies heightening their desire for one another as she said, "Ice prince."

Nipping her earlobe in retribution, he gathered her closer as she shuddered in reaction. "Beautiful princess."

Heart melting with his words, she tightened her hold on his back, her fingers twisting in his haori. "Handsome dog demon."

She felt the smirk of his mouth before he took the lobe in his mouth and sucked gently, the sensations from it causing her eyes to roll back in her head and her legs to go weak. When he moved his hand to slide beneath her shirt and splay open palmed on her spine, pulling her lower body firmly into his, she gave a small whimper of need. Their bodies now joined together as they continued to sway slowly. Gently.

Tracing his tongue down the side of her neck, she let her head fall to the side to give him better access. Groaning loudly and fisting a hand in his hair when he nipped at the mate mark. Her body was becoming fluid. Hot and malleable in his hand and mouth as he gave the area another scrape of his deadly fangs before laving it afterwards.

Panting, Kagome was glad he was holding her so close since she doubted she would still be standing. The sensations were too intense, too overwhelming for her to be concerned with little things like being able to stand. Hell, she couldn't even think let alone support herself.

She was disappointed when, instead of latching onto the mark as he had done last night, he worked his way up her throat. Kissing her jawline in feathery brushes, he kissed her again before releasing her mouth. Breathing hard, Kagome lifted heavy lids to stare into his fiery orbs that were half open. It took her a good few minutes for her brain to begin working again. Her legs to stiffen so that he was no longer bearing most of her weight as they remained connected. It was a good thing they had stopped moving since she didn't think she would have had the wherewithal to not topple over, such was the strength of her reaction to his ministrations.

Kissing the tip of her nose affectionately, he massaged her lower spine with firm strokes, unknotting the muscles there.

"As much as I would love nothing more than to make love to you, I'm afraid there are still matters that must be seen to." His expression truly was regretful, as though the thought of not finishing what he had started grated.

Nodding, Kagome let go of his hair run a caressive palm down his side. She was pleased when it caused him to stiffen, eyes to reignite at such an innocent touch.

"I understand. I'm well aware that you have a castle to run, Sesshoumaru, and don't resent you for it." With a gentle grin, she kissed his cheek. "It isn't like you can take a real honeymoon or anything since you run the entire Western hemisphere of Japan after all."

"What is a honeymoon?" he asked with a puzzled frown.

Chuckling warmly, she kissed his cheek again. "In my time, when a couple get married to one another it is customary for them to go somewhere afterwards. To be alone so they can….celebrate their union in a romantic way."

She refused to let herself blush, damn it! Her words had been innocent enough, even if they had brought to mind erotic imagery.

Intrigued, he leant back so he could view her fully. "Alone in what way?"

"Oh, it just depends on the couple. Sometimes you travel overseas to a foreign country for like a week or two. That way you can vacation and see sites that are brand new. Create memories with one another that neither of you have ever experienced before. Making it special." Tilting her head to the side, she thought about it a moment. "Other times, when finances or family or whatever doesn't allow for that, some people just stay at home but don't have to work. That way the couple can focus solely upon each other and nothing else. It just depends on the people."

"Interesting," his voice was contemplative as he thought over what she had said. His gaze far away as he ran through her words and analyzed them.

It made her smile. The way her Taiyoukai couldn't help but pick apart everything to see what it meant or how it functioned. She would bet he couldn't prevent himself from doing so if he tried, the trait just a part of who he was. Taking things at face value just wasn't in his nature.

"But I completely understand you have a ton of things to do." Nodding in affirmation, she made sure he could see how genuine she was being. She honestly didn't hold it against him for having duties to attend to just after they were 'married'. "I'm just happy with any amount of time we can spend together."

Humming in thought, he gave a vague nod of his head. Lost in thought for another moment before refocusing on her upturned face. Giving her a quick hard kiss, he released her to step back. Kagome reached out to straighten the fabric of his clothing, smoothing the creases in the lapels of white and red silk.

He quietly stood while she fussed over him. Content to let her perform what was now becoming a common action from her. Once satisfied his clothing was back to rights, Kagome gave him a warm smile.

"There! All back to normal and looking like your typical This Sesshoumaru Has No Emotions self." Her voice lowered to mock him while she said his title, the teasing grin on her lips underlying that she wasn't making fun of him. Just playing.

"This Sesshoumaru is completely enamored of his mate and would much rather she be removing his clothing rather than fixing it. But I'll be content with her smoothing my haori for now." There was a definite meaning behind his statement. One that had her heart racing and stomach clenching as a result.

Damn the man for being so sexy! It was ridiculous!

Feeling daring, she replied while blushing scarlet, "And your mate would love nothing better than to get you naked as well. But you have things to do."

His laughter had her heart turning over in her chest. Butterflies taking flight in her abdomen and flitting about in a frenzy.

Would she ever get used to this Taiyoukai's smile and laugh? Kami, she hoped not. She hoped it would always cause this same reaction to her insides anytime she heard or saw it.

"I promise you, Kagome, while I am working my mind definitely won't be on answering correspondence or addressing concerns in the palace." Smirking, he gave her another soul searing kiss before fixing her with a stern look. "Promise me you are going to rest? I don't like the look of fatigue you have." Cupping her cheek, his thumb smearing at one of the dark smudges beneath her eye, he added suggestively, "I would much rather see you wear a look of passion instead."

Clasping his hand to her face, Kagome smiled shyly. "I promise to be bored as hell while you're working. Happy?"

"Yes," he said resolutely. Smirking down at her before drawing away with obvious reluctance.

She watched the change come over his features. The way his face smoothed to bland lines, the coldness return to his eyes, the way he straightened to military attention as though readying for battle.

Feeling a pang at the altering, she placed her palm over his heart, looking at him imploringly. "Promise me you'll make up with Shurin. Okay? He's miserable and nearly died trying to rescue me, Sesshoumaru. The rain-child loves you as much as Rin or I do."

"It will be taken care of, Kagome." Grasping her hand, he lifted it to his lips to give her knuckles a lingering kiss that had her blood heating.

At this rate she figured red would be her new skin tone whenever she was around this Taiyoukai.

"Thank you. Now! Off you go!" Waving him on his way, she walked past him to begin rummaging in her backpack for a book.

She might as well read since she hadn't had the chance to yet. She'd light the various candles and settle at the low-slung table and see if she couldn't occupy herself with a good story. Hopefully, it would while away the hours until her mate came back.

"I will return as soon as I am able and make certain dinner is sent to you here. If you have need of anything, do not hesitate to let someone know. I know you gave Teisa the evening off, but she is down the hall in Sora's old room if you need her." He waited to see her nod before leaving. Once more the proud frigid ruler of Taisho castle.

Even though she hadn't gotten the chance to get into a deeper discussion with him, Kagome was exceedingly glad of the small slice of time Sesshoumaru had set aside to come see her.

The time couldn't pass fast enough. She missed him already.


	53. Ecstasy

Despite what she had first thought, Kagome was able to completely lose herself in the novel she was reading. Lounging on the pillows sideways, one elbow propped on the table where two small plates containing amanatto and dango resided. She had taken a light repast of miso, rice, vegetables and freshly grilled strips of beef and was pleasantly surprised when the shy male servant also revealed the sugary delicacies once he came to collect her dirty dishware.

Having never had such sweets during this period of Japan, Kagome had even offered the young male youkai serving her some. The poor lad blushing as red as his uniform as he respectfully declined before rushing from the room. He had never dared to even meet her eyes or linger long enough for her to ask his name, so quick had his visits been.

She had wondered if perhaps it had to do with not only her new social status within the castle, but also with the fact that Sesshoumaru had already explained having visitors to their rooms would be frowned upon. If that was the case, then the miko knew the next few weeks would be a test in patience in endurance for her. Kagome had no plans to sit inside these four walls for who knew how long. Not that he had forbidden her to leave by any stretch of the imagination. But it was a concern she would have lain to rest once she had a chance to speak with him this evening.

Darkness had turned the world outside to shadows hours ago, the various candles lit throughout offering her soft ample light to read by. Turning a page slowly, totally engrossed in her fantasy book, she absently reached over and tossed a few of the amanatto into her mouth. Savoring the sweet flavor of the candy as she pushed it about with her tongue, sucking on the hard beans for a moment before chewing.

Truly, food tasted so different in this time era than her own and she was mostly convinced it was because of the lack of pollution and processing it underwent. The sugar was sweeter, the salt more savory, so that if someone was a true foodie she could imagine them becoming enraptured with tasting the various edible delights feudal Japan had to offer. It also helped that the palace was sure to have an abundance of fresh food which was properly stored and prepared for her.

She really had no clue as to what full blooded demons consumed, and wasn't sure she even wanted to know, honestly. But having Rin in residence meant that there was more than enough available for a human to eat without the worry of possible food poisoning. She highly doubted Sesshoumaru would put up with dirty kitchens. The palace itself was kept so meticulously spotless she often wondered just how large the army of servants were to be able to keep up.

The soft strains from her radio filtered through the air. Calming and peaceful. Aiding in the relaxing atmosphere of the chamber as she slowly flipped another page, eyes darting back and forth rapidly. She had put in the one cd that was mostly classical music. Appreciative as always that Souta knew her well enough to give her a huge variety in listening material.

It helped to relax the miko completely until she actually could enjoy the book in her hands. Without looking, she patted around on the table until her fingertips felt the rim of a plate, walking her fingers over it until she could grab the end of one skewer. Biting into the sweet ball of pink rice, she munched happily. Letting the combination of violins, dessert, and a good read take her away from her current reality to imbed her deeply in a fantastical world with knights errant saving damsels from evil warlocks.

She barely glanced up when Sesshoumaru came in through the study door, her blue-grey gaze sweeping his tall frame quickly before returning to the words written on the page. Out of her peripheral vision she saw him head to the armoire, open it and move clothing about until he had what he needed. Taking another bite of her dango, Kagome heard him walk about their room until he was behind her, disappearing from view for a few moments where the sound of silk sliding over skin could be heard. Not that she registered the fact that the Taiyoukai was changing, so enraptured was she in a battle scene between the lead and the villain.

When he sat behind her, his long legs framing her own and his chest warm on her back, she settled back into him. Continuing to read as she moved onto the dark green orb on the skewer to nibble at it absently. Putting his chin on her shoulder, he hugged her about the middle, his long hair tickling the side of her face as he peered at what had her focus. The scent of the soap he used mixed with his own personal scent enveloped her in a soothing cloud that made her sigh happily.

"What are you reading?" The deep timbre of his voice rumbled attractively along her spine causing her to lean against him fully.

"Shh, I'm at a good part," she mumbled distractedly, taking another bite of her dessert.

Silence lasted all of a minute before he broke in with, "You do realize that if the main character actually did talk like that no woman would ever believe he was there for her and not the male villain."

"Mmhmm," she hummed, not even listening to what he was saying.

Leaning his head against hers, another couple minutes of nothing but an orchestra broke the quiet of the room until he said with open derision, "This male is a deplorable warrior. Completely without discipline and easily let by his emotions. And is that his real name? Seriously?"

Irritated, she scowled before dropping the empty skewer to pick up a full one, shoving it behind her towards his face without looking.

"Eat this and be quiet for a few minutes! You're ruining the mood!" Shifting about, she turned to the next page, picking up where she left off before being interrupted by a certain Taiyoukai.

Mumbling to himself about 'irritating mates who showed no respect', Sesshoumaru dutifully took a savage bite of the overly sugared ball of pink rice, chewing with more force than was necessary. Taking the skewer from her lax fingers, he held it up to her mouth, watching as her lips opened and she took a much daintier bite of the sweet confection. Becoming engrossed with seeing the dango disappear in her mouth, the tip of her tongue running along her bottom lip where some sugar remained. His thoughts turning completely carnal as she innocently ate and read.

When she felt the hard length of his erection pressing against her lower back it brought her out of her book instantly. Blushing as she held the novel facedown, holding her spot with a finger between the pages. Nudging the side of his face with hers, she shook her head when he offered her another dark green ball.

"No thank you. So, how was work?" It felt odd to call what he did something so mundane when it was an entire section of a country he oversaw, but she had no idea what else to label it as.

"Too long," was his quick reply as he set the food back on the plate before wrapping his arm about her midriff, hugging her to him. Laying a kiss at the spot beneath her ear, Sesshoumaru cuddled her close, relishing the contact. "Did you rest at all?"

"You mean sleep? No, I started reading and that was that." Smiling, she kissed his striped cheek and enjoyed their peaceful moment together. Holding his arm to her as she swayed a little where they sat, staring with unseeing eyes at the table where an ornate cherry wood stand held his twin swords.

For so long her life and his had been chaos. Uproar after uproar causing both their lives to go in disarray. Now, Inu Yasha had Kikyou to supplant her for shard detector, and Kouga's romantical pursuit would be over. The threat of the assassins had been, for all intents and purposes, neutralized as far as she knew with the defeat of Aion. So for this single moment in time they could simply be a pair of romantically involved people who were thrilling in the discoveries of one another.

Thoughts of his uncle had her shifting about to sit more firmly in his lap, bringing the slow side to side movements to a halt. Keeping their contact where they leaned upon one another, his cheek at her temple, his breathing a steady cadence to her ears.

"Sesshoumaru, is Aion still alive?" For some reason it bothered her to voice the word dead.

Yes, she had hated the dog demon for what he had done to herself and everyone else, but she wasn't a murderer by any stretch of the imagination. Her conscience was assaulting her just at the thought that she might have killed someone else, even if they had probably deserved it.

"I have Yoshin verifying that right now. Yoshin is a vulture youkai in my employ who is what you would understand to be a master of spies. I'm awaiting confirmation of my uncle's demise any day now." Holding her close, a heartbeat later he asked quietly, "It bothers you? The thought of having slain him?"

"Yes." Grimacing, she placed her book facedown on the table before turning until they faced one another. Hanging her legs over his, her hands on his bare chest, suddenly craving the intimate contact. "I know it makes no logical sense for me to do so. He was an abusive bastard who earned his death, whether dealt by me or someone else. But…yes, it bothers me a great deal."

Studying her a few moments, Sesshoumaru searched her pensive expression. "If the spy master returns and does confirm that Aion has perished as a result of your attack, I will be displeased if it causes you distress. However, I will also feel satisfaction that my mate is strong enough to defeat a formidable inu youkai that more demons had fallen beneath his sword over the centuries than can be counted."

His response had a surprised laugh leaving her throat. Unsure whether she was actually comforted by the dog demon's words or not.

"I'm at a loss then." Shaking her head, she trained her eyes on the muscled plains of his pectoral muscles. Fingers flitting about his collarbone as she attempted to explain. "A part of me is humbled that you would see someone like me, just a simple human girl, in such a way. Be proud of what I had done. But…." She trailed off, locking troubled blue-grey orbs with his steady amber, "I just can't reconcile having possibly killed someone. Even your uncle."

Frowning, he clasped the side of her waist, clawed fingers drumming as he pondered what she had said. Neither of them aware when the cd ended and the room became silent around them. Watching him anxiously, Kagome had to physically keep herself from gnawing on her bottom lip, knowing he would just draw attention to what she was doing so she would stop anyway.

Which was unfortunate because it really did help her release some tension, even if it was in a miniscule way.

"Then all I can offer to put you at ease is my word that no matter what the outcome, I will be there to help you through it. Aid you in navigating the quagmire of your conscience from the aftermath." Shrugging expressively, he tilted his head to the side. "I will not say I understand how you will feel. I am a Taiyoukai, after all. Death is an integral part of who I am and how I live. All youkai hold within themselves their baser animalistic desires closer to their hearts than any ningen possibly could. We do not shy away from violence and ending lives. We enjoy it on some level."

"Enjoy it?" Kagome's face clearly showed how shocked and appalled she found his statement. Inching back a bit so that her hands fell away to the tops of her thighs, gripping the soft flannel there with tense fingers.

"It is so." Silver eyebrows coming down in a V, the Taiyoukai tightened his hold on her, preventing her from withdrawing further. "I will not lie to you, Kagome. Even if it makes my new mate ill at ease to hear such things, I will always speak plainly. Any subterfuge used to assuage your worries would be ill conceived and a detriment to our union. Building the foundation of our mating on unstable ground, ensuring its downfall in the years to come." He paused a few tense moments before adding, "You will have to take me as I am, or not at all."

Feeling how tense the atmosphere had become, his claws digging into her ribs enough where she could detect the barest hint of their prick through her red thermal, she tried to defuse the situation. Not because she felt as though he would harm her. She trusted Sesshoumaru with her life and never worried he would hurt her in any way despite his brutal nature.

But, because she was getting bombarded with his upset through their link. His face may have barely shown a ripple of what he thought, but the mating bond was glaringly honest. Nearly saturated with the influx from the dog demon who had a hold of her.

It made her joints stiffen as goosebumps arose over her entire body. Her nape prickling with a primal awareness that was nothing sexual and completely subconscious. A left over of her ancient human ancestors facing off against a deadly predator with nothing but a stick to stave off death.

"Hey," she put a calming hand on the bicep where his arm was missing, rubbing her palm up and down in a soothing manner. "I never said, or want you to think, I wouldn't accept you. Okay? That because of being who you are I'll turn away in disgust or fear. It's just…" she glanced down helplessly, trying to find a way to make him understand. "Try to understand that before traveling with you, my only experience with demons and their natures was a hanyou and any unfortunate youkai who had managed to get a hold of a shard. Which, even you must admit, barring Kouga and yourself, were all lesser demons. It's not the same. You can't compare yourself to them."

"Your previous encounters or acquaintances are immaterial to me." A wave of irritation slammed into her through the bond, making her grimace. "My only concern is how you decide to see me."

Growing impatient at the way he wasn't listening or understanding what message she was trying to convey, she grabbed the sides of his face. "You obstinate youkai! Will you listen to what I'm telling you? I love you. I will learn to adjust to being exposed to what living with a Taiyoukai and his mannerisms mean. But you have to make allowances for the fact that it is going to take me some time to do so!"

Flashing a fang at her, his voice was gruff when he said, "Foolish woman, how long is that going to take?"

"Yare, yare," she grumbled, ignoring the way the aura synchronization was pushing and pulling at them. Doing its best to bring their emotions back to an even keel. "You can't put a time limit on that! It isn't like I can tell you, 'oh gee, Sesshoumaru, give me a week and a half and I'll be all set'. It will take as long as it takes."

Displeasure painted his features. Drawing the corners of his mouth down, his amber eyes turning hard and body becoming taught. She tried to remind herself that Sesshoumaru was a demon. A canine youkai that was unused to not having control of everything around him. Anything that came into the orbit of his life he was able to adroitly order or manipulate to his satisfaction. Allowing for no anomalies that might throw his world off kilter.

A gasp left her lips when he suddenly wrapped his arm about her. Pulling her forcefully into his tall frame. The action causing her to become plastered to his front from her chest to where she sat in his lap. Her hands losing purchase of his head to frantically clutch at his shoulders as she lost her balance.

"Your words are not a comfort, Kagome." A growl surfaced in his chest, rumbling through her, causing her heart to pick up in pace. "I would know now. Do you accept me or not?"

Like a thunderbolt, she finally understood what was happening. Why he was displaying aggressiveness towards her when he had been nothing but kind and affectionate since their mating bond had been initiated. There was a quick flash in her mind of the small youkai he had been as a pup. The miniature Sesshoumaru pacing and clutching together his clawed hands anxiously, his face scrunched up with a tinge of fear.

It wasn't that he was demanding an answer in order to nail her down or force her into something. Nothing to do with him being the prince to a great house who was accustomed to getting his way just for the sake of doing so.

No, this was Sesshoumaru showing his version of being afraid. Of realizing he had opened himself up to emotional harm by allowing himself to thaw enough to love someone else. A person who didn't give blind devotion like Rin. But a grown woman who possessed her own thoughts and ideas on what she would accept in a mate and what she would not.

In essence, the Taiyoukai was scared and would never dare admit it. The realization causing the rough edges of her anger to soften. Dull the irritation and frustration of before as Kagome did what she always had whenever coming across a wounded creature. She did everything in her power to soothe. To offer succor in a bid to ease their suffering. Heal them so that nothing but healing scars remained of the damage done before.

"Oh Sesshoumaru," her whisper was compassionate as was her gaze, touch tender when she moved the bangs from his brow as he continued to glower at her. The emotions coming through their bonds were in turmoil. Oscillating wildly between joy at her touch and disquiet at being found out.

"Cease looking at me like that, woman. I do not care for it," he bit out, going so far as to try and lean back from her. Loosening his embrace as he tried to put distance between them.

But Kagome was having none of it. She was just as stubborn as any inu youkai.

"I'll never ever leave you. Ever. Not as long as I draw breath into my body and my heart beats." Remaining attached to him by lacing her arms around his neck, following his movements when he tried to pull away, she kissed the underside of his chin when he evaded her lips. "You don't have to worry that my love for you will change just because of the way your instincts demand you behave."

"Foolish woman! I am afraid of nothing. Fear has no place in my life and was eradicated long before I met you." He moved his head to the side in a bid to keep her from connecting her mouth to his.

Kagome simply raised up enough to kiss his striped cheek instead. Her legs holding him tighter as his movements jostled her about.

"It's okay. It's okay." She punctuated her sentence with another gentle kiss upon his face. Knowing that it was too much to ask of her proud demon to admit to feeling such a thing, even if the mating and synchronization bonds were proving otherwise. "I accept you. All of you. Even if sometimes in the future I hesitate or seem to back away from you, I'm not rejecting you. Just learning who my new mate is."

It took longer than she would have liked for the slope of his shoulders to sag, his hand at her back to unclench in the fabric of her shirt. Kagome kept sending as much temperance as possible through the link, nuzzling his chin while waiting for him to yield.

Worry over him pushed her own shyness aside. Emboldening her to go from kissing the corner of his tightly closed mouth to nipping the spot near his juggler. This time when he tried to evade her, she took a page from his book and bit down giving her best dog demon growl. Not to break skin, but enough to leave indents in his flesh.

Kagome was completely unprepared for what her impulsive clamping of teeth around the pulse in his throat resulted in. One second, she was sitting on his lap determined to give the recalcitrant dog demon a taste of his own medicine in obstinacy, and the next, the world tilted in a swirl of silvery tresses and the white of the ceiling. Dizzy, it took her a second to realize she was now on her back, the multiple plush pillows absorbing her weight awkwardly.

It made her spine arch, her shoulder blades digging into the velvety material. Reflexively, she had hooked her ankles when her world had tilted on its axis, cradling Sesshoumaru's hips with her own, the fur of his tail tickling her bare feet and ankles. How she had managed to keep a hold of his neck, she had no clue. The miko was just grateful that she hadn't bit down hard enough to hurt him since them moving had made her jaw close tightly on what it held.

She only let go when claws danced playfully up her ribcage where her shirt had ridden up. Making her squirm in reaction. Unable to hold back a laugh that was no doubt highly inappropriate considering how serious her mate's face was.

He loomed over her. The picture of coiled strength from the flexing of his abdominal muscles to his taught thighs and shoulders. His breathing had become uneven, leaving his parted lips faster than was normal. A blush staining his striped cheeks and his gaze molten enough to sear her own as though she had looked straight into the face of the sun.

Intensity radiated from the Taiyoukai poised over her, his hair falling over the shoulder where his arm was missing, pooling on half of her chest and the floor. Unable to read his thoughts, Kagome stared up at him wide eyed, absently twisting her fingers in the hair at the base of his skull.

She couldn't tell if he was angry, upset, or what. Even their bond wasn't presenting more than a vibrating hum and offered little in way of an explanation.

"You have to be the most maddening woman I have ever met." There was a liberal amount of growl woven into the words. A noise that no human vocal chords could hope to replicate, but still had the effect of making excitement begin to smolder inside her.

"What? You marked me, it's only fair I get a chance to do the same," she said with mock indignation, secretly proud of the light red of the skin on his neck where she had bit him. Too bad it would disappear in seconds, but at least she had gotten to see it! Relaxing into the down-filled cushions, Kagome poked him in the chest. "Besides, I learned that maneuver from you. I figure you growl and snap enough, I should get to as well."

He scoffed. "If that was your version of a growl and bite then the youkai world has nothing to fear. Demon pups cause more damage than that within their first year."

"Well obviously I went easy on you. I didn't want to really hurt you, did I? Otherwise you would be lying on the floor injured, wailing in despair, and in need of a healer." Tilting her chin at a haughty angle, Kagome waited to see his reaction to her teasing.

His eyebrow arched and she could see he was trying to keep the scowl on his face with effort, his lips twitching with the barest hint at a grin. "You overestimate your capabilities, Kagome."

"And you don't fear mine enough, Sesshoumaru," she quipped back, wiggling until the knot from one of the tassels at the corner of a pillow was no longer digging into her hip.

"What is there to fear, exactly?" He asked, arching an eyebrow as his palm slid up until his claws hit her bra.

It was hard to keep her concentration when he began moving his hand back and forth, one claw sliding just beneath the band. With great effort of will she continued with the current game they were playing.

"You mean besides being a slave to my devastating beauty?"

He rolled his eyes, smirking as a second claw joined its brethren to stroke the underside of her breast beneath her bra. "Oh, a truly crushing weapon indeed."

"Ex-exactly," she stuttered, anticipation and desire clouding her mind. "I bet when people see us together in public they will take one look at me and know I managed to ensnare the regions most powerful Taiyoukai with just a glance. That the great Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands was unable to resist my sophisticated feminine charms."

His laughter filled the air, the mirth written over his features causing her breath to catch as it always did when presented with a happy Sesshoumaru. Kagome thought she would never get used to seeing it without her body coming alive. Despite all her joking just now, she knew that if anyone were to see them as a couple they would surmise it had been she, not he, who had become enraptured with a glance.

And damn if they weren't nearly right.

"You will get your chance to judge their reactions for yourself when you are presented to the youkai high court."

Another claw snuck beneath her bra, her heart thundering so loud in her ears that she almost missed what he said.

"Wait. What? What presentation?" Brain clearing quickly from the haze of sexual desire, Kagome felt icy panic begin to replace the heat in her blood.

Leaning down, he kissed her tense lips lightly, rubbing his nose with hers before leaning back to gaze at her. "Your formal presentation. Now that you are the Lady of the Western Provinces and the new mate of a Taiyoukai it is expected to have you attend a formal banquet in honor of our union." There was a derisive curl to his lip as he added, "Though, really, it is just so the neighboring Lords and Ladies can get a look at the Taisho house's new human mate. It is an excuse so the other Taiyoukai and their Ladies can look you over and judge if I have either made a decision that heightens or lowers me in their esteem. Something I care nothing about."

"Wait, so let me get this straight." Kagome swallowed thickly, anxiety blossoming in her chest until it felt like an elephant was sitting on her ribs. "You're telling me that I'm going to be attending some super formal meet and greet with the most powerful youkai in all of Japan? Just so they can assuage their curiosity on whether you've lost your mind or not by taking me as your mate?"

"In general terms, yes," he nodded with a subtle shrug of broad shoulders. "Not that their opinions matter, but it is tradition. One I will not shirk simply because I, myself, find it a distasteful amount of posturing and waste of time."

Groaning, she let go of him to flop back onto the pillows, covering her face with her hands in despair.

This was a disaster!

She didn't have the first clue how to behave like a woman of any court, let alone a high youkai one. How the hell was she supposed to do it? Face who knew how many powerful demons who would only be there to scrutinize every little thing she did. Just imaging their censure and derision was enough to have her stomach somersault with nausea, anxiety building higher.

"Kami, this is a nightmare," her voice was muffled by her hands, but she knew he heard her clearly.

"I fail to see why this has you so upset. Yes, it will be tedious, but it is not as though you are being sent to the gallows." He gave her a confused look, completely uncertain why she would be feeling as she did over something he considered to be so small.

"I might as well be," came her miserable mumble, Kagome sighing dejectedly as she lowered her hands to place them on his biceps. "Sesshoumaru. I have not a clue as to what to wear, how to address them, if there is a special way I need to greet them. Anything."

"Firstly," he shifted until he was kneeling, helping her to sit up as well, "you will be wearing the formal junihitoe as is fitting for your new position in society. Second, you are now the Lady of one of the most powerful Taiyoukai in the entire country. You address them as equals despite the blood flowing through your veins being human. There will even be those who are from less impressive holdings you can ignore altogether if you so wish. Last, if it worries you this much then I can always acquire a tutor for you. Someone to coach you on correct youkai high court protocol."

Kagome nodded vigorously as his words gave her hope that she just might not make a fool of herself in front of a room full of powerful demons. "Yes! That would definitely make me feel a lot better if I had someone who could teach me. I just don't want to embarrass you."

"Suffer embarrassment from what, precisely? From you possibly taking a misstep in your gita? Or by how you treat everyone with respect and courtesy, whether they deserve it or not?" He gave her an arrogant look down his nose. "The good opinion of others is inconsequential. I will be proud to have such a beautiful intelligent mate reigning by my side no matter what anyone else may say."

Throat thick with emotion, she gently smoothed the ivory swath of his hair over his shoulder. "I love you so much. And because of that, I will do everything in my power to follow the tutor's instructions. To earn the faith you have placed in me for the presentation."

Sighing heavily, Sesshoumaru gathered her close placing his chin on the top of her head after brushing a kiss on her temple. "You do not have to earn my faith, Kagome. It is given freely along with everything else I am or possess. Do not worry about the upcoming ceremony. Everything will be fine."

"When is it being held?" She tightened her arms about his back, allowing the steady thud of his pulse to calm her raging emotions.

"Traditionally, the new Lady of the Western Lands is presented during the first new moon of the month following their union. Some long forgotten ancestor decided on this by saying the only lunar body present that evening should be the youkai from the Taisho house. The crescent moon is believed to be my family's sigil since our house was incepted. That way nothing could distract from her beauty." He moved his cheek along her scalp so that his lips lay beside her ear. Kagome shivering in delight at the feel of her lover's warm breath brushing the delicate organ. "I used to believe it foolish. But now, with a mate of my own, I can understand the sentiment behind it. I have no doubt that you will outshine any stars that evening."

"Charmer," was her breathless response as she tried valiantly to collect her scattered wits. "That is very romantic, though. Of a previous dog demon to do such a thing for the woman in his life."

He put enough distance between them to meet her eyes with a smirk. "Difficult it may be for inu youkai to admit to any feelings of tenderness. Yet, they do not have issue with displaying it for whomever they might choose."

"A truth I will be eternally grateful for." A gentle smile curved her mouth as she placed a quick kiss over his heart before hugging him tightly again. "So, when is the next new moon?"

"Within a fortnight. Ample time to organize everything needed for your presentation. Rooms will need to be prepared for the visiting Lords and Ladies, the stables cleaned to allow space for the extra livestock. As well as detailing the menus for edible fare and beverages, the main hall to be decorated, your tutor to be acquired, and the fitting to begin on your ceremonial wardrobe." The Taiyoukai arched a silvery brow at the groan she let out, running his hand through her hair soothingly. "Naught but your garments and tutor need concern you, though. I am perfectly capable of seeing to everything else."

"Is it enough time for our bond to….solidify? I know you have said that youkai get very possessive in the beginning until it has done so." Kagome was unsure she had used the right term in describing the youkai version of cementing a relationship, but he seemed to understand what she meant without a problem.

"While I will never tire of 'bonding' with my mate," he nipped her bottom lip playfully. The way his eyes glowed with banked heat letting her know exactly what he was implying, making her blush. "The answer is yes. I am certain I can quell my more demonic tendencies where you are concerned to abide an evening of bowing and scraping from a gaggle of courtiers."

"Are there none who will attend that you actually care for?" She knew the dog demon to be prideful and even egotistical when it came to how he saw himself. In the way he took great care in the representation of the Taisho holdings.

But, there had to at least be a few other youkai out there in the world whom Sesshoumaru actually held a high regard of. Right?

"Youkai behavior does not follow the same strictures as those in daimyos' keeps. We find it hard enough to coexist without rending one another apart with claws or fangs, let alone create some type of camaraderie amongst us. The Taiyoukai who smiles at you today could be cleaving you in two tomorrow without a qualm at your demise as he steals your lands. It is just the way of things in our society." A negligent shrug accompanied his words. His expression unconcerned with the images he had painted.

"That sounds so lonely though." Kagome couldn't imagine living such a solitary existence. To be alone all the time without anyone to talk to or share things with.

She was a social creature by nature and balked at the thought that her new role in life might isolate her from her friends. Or her family, for that matter.

Speaking of….

"I'll still be able to go back and see my family, right? Even though we're mated now?" Just thinking of never seeing her mother again had tears brimming her eyes, a lump to form in her throat.

"Calm yourself, my mate. There is no reason you should not be allowed to visit your mother, brother, and grandfather most any time you desire." The naked relief in her blue-grey eyes had him cupping her cheek, brushing the stray tear away that flowed over her skin. "I would not expect you to adopt every aspect of youkai life. It is blatantly aware to me that you cannot thrive without the love and affection from those you care for. I would not see your sprit wither and die from denying you this."

Holding his hand close to her face, she leaned into his touch. "Thank you. I don't know what I would do if I could never see them again."

"A baseless worry. You can venture to the Well any time you so wish as long as you are properly accompanied by either myself or Akito." He brushed his thumb beneath her eye, careful of his claw so it wouldn't harm her. "An escort must always attend such visitations for I will not take your safety lightly in this matter."

"Of course," she agreed easily. "Besides, I am interested to see if your coming through that day was because of your injuries, or if it is possible you could always do so from the beginning."

If Sesshoumaru was able to travel to the future with her, then there were so many things she wanted to show the Taiyoukai. A ton of new experiences she wished to expose the stoic dog demon to so she could see his reaction. Not to mention, there was the tiny issue of her explaining to her family that she had 'married' while she was in feudal Japan.

Not just to anyone, either. No, it was to a male they hardly even knew whose station in life was basically royalty.

It wasn't the same as if she and Inu Yasha had bonded instead. An occurrence she was certain her family had believed would happen until recently when she had returned all those weeks ago after he had made his choice. She had went from an unrequited crush on the hanyou to an all out love affair with his older brother. A person who held immense political and physical power in the youkai world and all of Japan.

Still, she couldn't even begin to guess what her mother's reaction was going to be. Even if she hadn't related what had transpired between herself and the Inu Yasha all those weeks prior, Kagome believed her mother must at least have had an inkling.

Maternal love was like that. It could ferret out lies and truths with the ease of Sesshoumaru's poison whip slicing flesh. Always, her mom had been able to instinctually know what her children were up to. Whether it was something they would get in trouble for or not, she had always somehow known. Catching them many times when they were younger when they had been so certain their plans for subterfuge were foolproof.

"It is something I have wondered at length upon as well," he admitted softly, his expression turning introspective, his words holding a hint of something she couldn't identify.

"Either way, I am looking forward to seeing them again. It is going to be interesting breaking the news to my mom that her only daughter has managed to get 'mated' to a demon since the last time I saw her." Unable to stop, she fretted at her lower lip in worry.

Kagome really wasn't sure how well this was going to go over in the Higurashi household, and she fervently hoped that Sesshoumaru's ability to traverse the magical pathway of the Well hadn't been a fluke. She desperately wanted him to be by her side when she went back to the future next time to let her family know that her and Sesshoumaru were now mated for life.

"Whatever fears your family may have about my ability to handle your welfare will be put to rest. They will be in no doubt that you will be well cared for. Your every need seen to." He tapped a claw on her bottom lip, reminding her to release the abused piece of flesh.

Smiling in answer to his proclamation, the miko moved onto the next item on her inner list of things to discuss.

"I know our bond is still new, but, I'm still able to go about the castle and visit my friends, right? Like Akito or Sango or whoever?"

Head canting to the side, he pondered her questions, his tone careful. "Other female company is not a potential threat, and therefore acceptable. Your personal guard you can see anytime you would like. Akito's loyalty and honor would never be cause for concern and I am aware that both have shifted to you completely. Even more so than myself, it would seem." There was a sardonic tilt of his lips that flashed a canine. "I am certain he will be return to being your personal guard and wish to spend time in your company. Not that he is particularly wanting for attention right now. My castle has been descended upon by the entire arctic kitsune clan. They have traveled to visit the Akito when they received word of his injuries."

Guilt pummeled her at the mention of the harm she had done to the ice demon.

Kagome offered him a wan grin, blue-grey eyes sorrowful with self-reproach. "I'm excited at the thought of meeting his family. But….will they want me intruding on their time together? Especially since I'm the reason their son nearly died."

"There is no malice held against you for what happened, Kagome. Akito must have told you as much himself when you went to see him upon your return." Amber eyes gentle, tone reassuring, Sesshoumaru gave her a soft kiss. "I know for a certainty that the kit's mother, Atsuko, is anxious to make your acquaintance."

"Truly?" She asked hopefully. Wanting terribly to grasp onto what the Taiyoukai said and hold it close in a bid to assuage her guilt.

If his mother wanted to meet with her then Akito must have forgiven her. Right?

"Do I make a habit of telling my foolish mate falsehoods so she doesn't indulge in aimless worry?" Was his answer as he gave her an arrogant look that she had grown accustomed to over the years.

"You're right." Frowning, she growled out with mock anger, "Foolish mate indeed! We can't all be as perfect as Lord Sesshoumaru. Great Taiyoukai of all Western Japan."

"Insolent wench!"

He shocked a shriek followed by laughter out of her when he growled low in his throat. Deadly fangs snapping playfully near her neck as his claws flit along her ribcage. Kagome twisting and writhing as she tried to evade him. Her heart soaring and a smile on her lips as she began kicking her legs while trying to wriggle away from the dog demon.

"Stop! Stop!" Laughing hard enough that tears came to her eyes, she tried to tickle him back, sorely disappointed when her questing hands did nothing but make his muscles tense. "Don't make me bite you, Sesshoumaru."

Nipping the base of her throat, she felt his smile against her skin. The Taiyoukai's devilish delight at what he was doing rippling over her along their mating bond. "This Sesshoumaru is completely unimpressed with his mate's threat of retribution."

As he continued to let his fingertips dance along her skin, her jerky movements skittish as merriment bubbled from her throat, Kagome fisted hands in his hair and pulled in an attempt to dislodge him.

"Well this Kagome is going to follow through on her threat if her mate doesn't stop." Showing him she meant business, she gave the silvery locks another yank. Skin flushed as she began to perspire beneath her pajamas.

In answer she felt the hot brand of his hand splay across her abdomen. His amber eyes fiery and liquid as he placed his forehead against hers in what was now a familiar sign of affection from the Taiyoukai.

The erotic promise in his gaze shifted the mood from playful to incendiary. Kagome's breath catching for an entirely different reason as she panted, his mouth so close she felt the brush of his lips with each exhale.

The kiss he gave her was slow and deliberate. Allowing her the chance to regain the oxygen in her lungs while setting her blood on fire in the process. Eyes sliding closed, Kagome lost herself in his embrace, her hands moving to run in a caress over his shoulders, her nails lightly scraping his skin.

A purring rumble left his chest. His arm snaking around her as the length of his tail wrapped about her midriff. Without breaking contact, he stood, her legs tight about his hips as he carried her to their bed.

As her back settled against the velvet softness of the duvet, Kagome pulled away with a gasp. The candlelight bathed his naked torso in shadows. Ivory hair and the markings of his heritage in stark relief against the honeyed shade of his skin.

When he bent down to recapture her lips, she pushed against his chest with gentle hands. The dog demon immediately halting at her silent plea to wait.

"C-could you please extinguish the lights?" She gave him a nervous smile, letting her legs fall loose from his body to hang off the side of the bed.

Even though she avidly sought the love play with her mate, she still did not have the confidence to indulge in it without total darkness. Despite knowing he could see her without a problem in the black of night, it still made her feel better. To think that she could hide her imperfections from his sharp amber eyes, possibly disappointing him with the state of her body.

"Of course." He planted a quick firm kiss on her trembling lips before rising from the crouch he had been in. Moving about the room to snuff out any illumination.

As soon as he left, Kagome quickly gained her feet and began shedding clothing. Hastily stripping down before diving under the covers, a blush riding high on her cheekbones as she picked at a stray thread on the blanket she had clutched to her front.

Darkness intimately enclosed the chamber. Her eyes unable to adjust quick enough to see him move, only able to hear his approach. The subsequent motion of him climbing in beside her sounding incredibly loud to her.

Turning on her side, her eyes searched the pitch black for him, her hand reaching out until her fingers brushed naked skin. Scooting over, she blindly felt along the hard plains of his chest, up to his neck to twine her arms about it. Hooking a leg over his hip, an irritated scowl painted her face at the feel of silk against her inner thigh.

"You're still wearing pants?" There was disappointment heavy in the question.

Eagerly tilting her face up to meet his lips, his hand cradling her cheek, Kagome's nipples grew taut, a deep longing ache building between her thighs. Causing her to clutch at his tall frame. To rub herself against him.

Running soothing knuckles along her temple, she could finally make out his outline beside her when she next opened her eyes. His luminescent gaze shimmering through the darkness inhuman and erotic to the miko.

"I would not presume anything where you are concerned." Nuzzling her, he brushed her face again. "There are plenty of ways to find pleasure with one another. I do not mind waiting until you are ready to go further."

Kagome searched her feelings. Seeking any sign of reservations or alarm at the thought of becoming one in truth with the male in her embrace. Delving thoroughly into her conscience to ascertain that making love with Sesshoumaru would not leave her with regrets in the morning.

Their mating bond came to life in her mind's eye. The bright platinum rope of light now thicker than the last time she had seen it. The feral bristling of the dog demon he was turning to a welcoming purring growl from the essence of the youkai bound to the tether. As though it recognized her and avidly sought her attention, the sensation of fur brushing her skin as if a large canine had rubbed against her.

No. She had no reservations about going to bed with her lover. Of becoming his completely.

"Make love to me, Sesshoumaru." She punctuated her demand with a wanton kiss that lacked in skill, but more than made up for it with raw passion.

He gave a growl against her lips as he took control of the kiss. Tilting her head to allow him better access as his tongue delved deep into the moist caverns of her mouth. His tongue sweeping inside to taste every inch of her.

Desire was a writhing serpent snaking through her system. Drawing her body taught as a bowstring as she arched and strained into him. Molten heat collected in the apex of her thighs, the feel of his erection through the silk of his pants creating a delicious friction as she undulated. Eager to embrace the shivers of need that had her center becoming wet.

Sesshoumaru kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her chin. In a scorching a path down the side of her throat that had her digging nails into the muscles of his back. His hand found her breast, his thumb and forefinger plucking at the taut nipple in a way that had her moaning loudly as she rubbed against him again.

Rolling her onto her back, he settled between her thighs as she opened for him completely. His weight upon her increasing the hazy fog of sexual desire that had overtaken her brain. Turning her into a being of pure instinct and emotion. One that held no logical thought, only the ability to feel.

She was going to protest at the feel of silk against her legs, demanding he remove the garments, when he suddenly clamped around her mate mark and sucked hard. Digging her heels into the mattress, Kagome dug her nails deeper, dragging them down his back, his body stiffening before pushing into hers.

As the coil inside her built higher and higher with each pull of his mouth and lave of his tongue on her shoulder, Kagome felt herself rushing towards the edge. A groan leaving her when he stopped what he was doing just before she came. The hollow ache inside her almost painful.

His touch turned soothing. The stroke of his hand leaving her breast to gently cradle her ribcage as he moved it up and down. His kiss, when he met her mouth with his own, slow. Calming her racing pulse and the mad thunder of her own blood filling her ears.

But the ache never left. She felt an intimate emptiness that made her restless. A desire to be filled by him as old as Eve. Her leg hiking up to rub his flank, her toes sliding back and forth on the back of his calf as she undulated.

When he positioned himself away from her enough to evade contact, she growled in irritation and frustration. Holding him tightly as she raised her body off the bed in a bid for her loins to connect with his.

"Sesshoumaru." His voice was said through a clenched jaw. Her eyes accusatory as they met his own in the dark.

"Easy, love. Easy," he whispered into her mouth as he stroked her bottom lip in a silken caress of his tongue before sucking on it. When he was rewarded with her obediently opening her mouth, his tongue tangled with hers again.

Head falling back on the pillow, tossing it from side to side, Kagome whimpered with need as he trailed his tongue down the length of her throat. Tasting her collarbone before moving on to suckle at her breast, drawing her nipple deep into his mouth. Nipping her in a pleasure pain that had her bowing her back into an arch as a strangled cry left her throat.

By the time he began moving lower, Kagome was in constant motion. Running her hands over any part of him she could. Over his shoulders, down his back, over his chest as she scraped her nails over his nipples. Delighting in the shiver of his own response that had his breathing become ragged.

As he worked his way down her body, she let go of him to fist handfuls of the silken sheets, the blanket discarded long ago. He ran his tongue down her sternum, delving into her navel a moment before continuing his trek. Kagome splaying her legs without hesitation as sexual want became a roaring predator in her body. Searching for sustenance. Insistent in its need to be fed.

Even though he had done this to her before, she was still not totally prepared for the sensation of his mouth covering the damp heat of the curls at the apex of her thighs. The first feel of him nuzzling her there almost more than she could bear.

His tongue traveled the length of her inner thigh, his voice a husky murmur in the dark that had her melting from the inside out.

"I love the way you smell." Another nuzzle that was quickly followed by the hot stroke of his tongue. "I love the way you taste."

His words were a new form of aphrodisiac that left her speechless at their intensity. Her hands leaving the sheets to find the headboard as she had before, her nails scraping the wood. They rhythm of his tongue stroking the secret heat of her was sensual. Carnal and unapologetic as he moved her legs further apart. Exposing more of her sensitive flesh to him. Finding the tiny hard nub there. Swirling and sipping at her continuously before slipping further to delve inside her body.

Moving her hips in time to the penetration of his tongue, Kagome once more began to teeter close to the edge of release. His hand sliding to cover her breast, claws just short of the mate mark. She tried multiple times to move her body in just the right way so that the deadly nails would find it. Desperate to ease the pressure that left her bereft.

Just when she thought she had managed to maneuver herself in the right position he stopped what he was doing. His hand sliding away, mouth journeying back up her body. Tasting the salt on her skin every so often in fleeting licks that were maddening.

Over and over he performed the same ritual. Bringing her to the edge of fulfillment before pulling back. A constant wave with no crest. The force of it making her near to sobbing with the lack of relief, her head tossing side to side and skin slick with moisture.

During one of his trips back up her body to place her nipple in his mouth, his hand still dangerously close to brushing the markings on her shoulder, Kagome grabbed a hold of him. Hands insistent as she forced him upwards.

Grumbling with annoyance, she gave him a look from narrowed eyes when he finally was abreast of her. The fingers clasping his striped cheeks tense, a dark scowl marring her brow.

"Sesshoumaru. You are driving me crazy!"

Chuckling lowly, he kissed her tenderly. Undemanding and infinitely tender. Waiting for the flat line of her lips to soften and open. Brushing aside the damp hair at her temple, his lips butterfly brushes on her nose, forehead, and cheeks.

The only saving grace was that, somewhere along the line of him pleasuring her with his mouth and coming back to her face, his pants had gone missing. His skin hot enough so that the sweat from her own caused them to stick together luxuriously.

Nibbling at her earlobe, Sesshoumaru pressed his head against hers. "Patience, my mate. I want this to be good for you."

"My patience left about thirty minutes ago," she ground out. Trapping him against her body by lacing her arms and legs about him, his tail a seductive stroke along her shins.

Kagome wanted to feel him inside her. Be consumed within the blaze of their passion until nothing else existed except the two of them. Bask wantonly in the joy of their union. Drive him as wild with want as he did her.

The vibration of his laughter rumbled through her torso. A tantalizing sensation that made her quiver in reaction to it. Thighs clenching about his waist, the feel of him sliding against her wet cleft new and exhilarating.

Being a virgin, she might have been more reticent if her mate would have allowed her to think. But the way he was rocking against her in a mockery of what their joining would be drove her nearly insane with need. A maelstrom of writhing bodies and rushing blood that made her forget any type of maidenly modesty as she lifted her hips in a bid to connect them.

Huffing in annoyance that what she was doing wasn't giving her the result she sought, Kagome let another grumble leave her chest as a sign of her displeasure. Ceaselessly gyrating even though it hadn't worked thus far in giving her what she wanted.

Leaning his damp forehead against her own, his breathing ragged, his teeth clenched shut as he stared down into her frustrated eyes. His voice a strangled gush of air upon her lips as he bit out, "Woman, you're going to kill me if you keep doing that."

"Good!" She wiggled her bottom half while digging into his shoulders for leverage. Almost managing to put him at her entrance so that he would then sink blissfully into her. "Because I think it's only fair when you've made me so frustrated that I don't know whether to bite you or kiss you."

A shudder shook his tall frame at her words, the glow of his eyes eerie and beautiful as they blazed into her own. The curtain of his hair enclosed them thickly in a warm blanket of sensuality that tickled her skin, the tip of his tail traveling seductively down the front of her leg from her knee to the tips of her toes, making them curl.

"Impatient female. You would think at least in this you would allow me to determine what is best." He moved his hips up and down slowly a few times, kissing her deeply when she went to voice a rebuttal.

The way he rocked against her had her neck arching, the muscles strained and the beat of her pulse a rapid staccato exposed to his predatory gaze. The Taiyoukai capturing it within his mouth with a rough suckle before licking the area.

Kagome twisted and strained. The erotic pressure building back into an inferno that set her vision ablaze so that she had to close her eyes against it. When she would have protested once more, she was forestalled by the latching of his lips on the mating mark. Conscious of nothing else save the rhythmic pull of his mouth. The wet heat of his tongue. The tantalizing nip of his fangs.

Loud cries left her throat. Her mouth dry and voice becoming hoarse as she gave herself over to the orgasm that crashed over her. The force behind it shocking and exhilarating.

It was as she came apart in his arms that he slid himself inside her. The sharp stab of pain quickly forgotten as he continued to work at her neck. The hard length of him filling her wet sheath gloriously.

His movements were slow and measured as he thrust in and out of her. The soreness a fleeting memory as his claws tangled in her hair, scraping her scalp lightly. With every invasion of his body into hers Kagome became lost in the passion of their union. Fingers clawing deeply down his spine, body arching to brush swollen breasts into him as much as possible. Trying to take him deeper into herself.

The entire time he kept a hold on the crescent moon surrounded by swirls imbedded in her skin. Sesshoumaru's breathing harsh and uneven has he began to move faster.

She could feel him stretching her with the ferocity from the tempo of his hips. Thrusting and pushing into her over and over again. Pleasure spiced with the barest hint of pain turning her from a coherent logical woman into a primal creature driven by wanton desires. The fever of her passion intense and all consuming as she felt her body reach the precipice. Teetering there for a few moments before flying over the edge, her second climax more intense than the last. A keening cry leaving her arid throat as she rode through the myriad of sensations and Sesshoumaru's quickening movements that continued for only a few moments more before he followed her into release. His teeth clamping into her soft flesh at the mark as a feral growl left him. His body stiff and taut, skin filmed in perspiration.

Swallowing, Kagome attempted to regain her breath, whimpering as he let go of her mark, laying a quick lick and a gentle kiss on it. Nuzzling his way back to her mouth, he kissed her with a slow tenderness that nearly broke her heart.

Her legs slid from around his flanks as though boneless, her hands skimming down his arms to fall limply by her head on the pillow. Her body felt heavy. As though her muscles were weighted down. Skin saturated from the combined temperature of them both. She was still panting lightly, when he suddenly rolled so that she was on top, their bodies still joined. Unable to summon the energy to adjust into a different position, Kagome lay upon his heaving chest, her arms lightly encircling his head against the down-filled cushion. Fingers absently twining about his damp bangs at his temples.

The relaxing feel of his palm rubbing her spine in soothing strokes had her settling over him like a fat contented feline on their owner's lap. Placing a stray kiss near his heart as she let herself gradually regain its equilibrium.

Now that she was no longer consumed by sexual desire she was becoming sore, even though he was no longer hard inside her. Causing her to wriggle a bit to find a more comfortable position that had her inner muscles lodging a quick protest that made her go motionless.

As though sensing her discomfort, her mate used his tail to gently slide her free of his body. The disconnection causing her to hiss at the sting it caused while he settled her a bit to the side so she was now laying partially on his front. Her head beneath his chin. Arm and leg tossed negligently over his tall frame.

She felt him nuzzle the top of her head, Kagome lazily tilting back enough so she could receive the soft touch of his mouth. A caress that held nothing to do with lust and everything to do with love. Their mating bond a living pulsing vibration between them.

Brushing her sweat cheek with the back of his knuckles, he gave her a look of concern. "I am sorry if I hurt you, Kagome. I know that it can be painful for a woman's first time and I would only give you pleasure in our bed."

The chuckle she gave was a little abrasive against her abused vocal chords. Affection and love a peaceful contentment inside her heart where he lived.

"Trust me, Sesshoumaru. You gave me plenty of pleasure." This time she gave him a gentle sweep of her smirking lips to his. "Unless you're deaf I'm pretty sure you realize that, though."

He gave a bark of laughter, his arm a tight band that held her close. "I might not have been deaf before, but I may be now."

Embarrassment had her giving a groan, as she hid her face in his throat. Cheeks flushed and hot as he chuckled at her reaction. "Kami, I'm sorry. I can't help myself! How was I to know I'd be noisy in bed? It isn't like it ever came up before, you know."

There was a faint spark of possessiveness from her lover through their link. His hand cradling her face to lift it so he could stare into her shy blue-grey eyes. His voice holding a liberal amount of a growl as he said, "It is not for anyone else to know. That my mate behaves as she likes during intimacy is not something which should be common knowledge." Smirking roguishly, he gave her nose a playful nip. "Besides. I like the sounds you make. Hearing how much you enjoy what we do increases my own pleasure tenfold. I would have you no other way. Do not apologize for being passionate, my mate."

"I'm just grateful no one else can hear me." Releasing a long exhale, she put her face back to its previous spot near his collarbone, feeling more at ease by what he said.

This was all new to her, after all. While she wasn't ignorant of the act of love making, or even of how some people enjoyed themselves during the act after hearing plenty of anecdotes from her girlfriends in the future, it was still a shock to realize she was loud. That her impulse was to respond as vocally as possible whenever under the influence of her Taiyoukai's amorous ministrations.

But, honestly, could anyone blame her? Let them be made love to by a dog demon who was as skilled in the bedchamber as he was with a sword or his whip, and see if they could remain silent.

Not that she would ever share, but still…..

The beat of his pulse combined with their previous exertions made her to feel tired. Her fingers tracing abstract patterns near one of his nipples. Circling around the flat disc before lightly scraping her nails over it.

Snuggling happily into the warmth of his body, she kissed his sternum, her eyes sliding closed as she said in a sleepy voice, "I love you, Sesshoumaru."

"As I love you, Kagome," he whispered. The brush of his lips upon the crown of her head making her smile.

The heavy length of his tail zigzagged over her naked form. Offering adequate cover that kept the chill of the room from transmitting to her drying skin. Both of them physically spent and satiated, the bonds between them sturdy of construction and operating at full force.

Placing his hand possessively upon her hipbone, Sesshoumaru ran two claws back and forth on her lower stomach near the scar of the shikon no tama. Feeling a sense of completion she had never known, Kagome held the love of her Taiyoukai close to her heart as she drifted off to sleep. Letting it enshroud her within a cloak of caring. With a sense of home. As though she had at last found the missing piece of herself that had left a gaping hole by its absence her entire life.


	54. Aphrodisiac

One of the hardest things Sesshoumaru had ever done was to leave his mate's side. To quit the warmth of their bed that contained the woman he loved, the miko barely stirring as he got dressed quietly. Lingering only long enough to brush the hair from the side of her face, cradle her delicate chin between his claws as he gave her drowsy lips a soft kiss in farewell. She had already slid over to his side of the mattress, his pillow clutched to her chest. One creamy thigh peeking out from beneath the heavy blanket he had draped over her naked form.

If it weren't for the demands of his kingdom, he would have gladly remained in a state of equal undress while cradling her to his chest. Waking her in another few hours to make love to her again, as he had twice more during the night. Yet, he also knew that the amorous appetites of his heritage were stronger than a regular human male's would have been. And she would be sore today from his attentions last night. Her body in need of recuperating after being initiated into the act of making love with a Taiyoukai.

So, with herculean will he had leashed his own desires. His adoration of her surpassing whatever sensual musings he may have wanted to make a reality where Kagome was concerned.

One thing that pleased him immensely was the state of the platinum tether that linked them. The strength of the mating bond now complete and sturdy. Impenetrable and impervious to being broken by anything save in the event of either of their deaths. Such was her hold upon him, that Sesshoumaru wasn't fully convinced that if he did lose Kagome, he would be able to carry on much longer. Instead, joining her in the afterlife with nothing but anticipation at the chance to see his mate again.

It was disquieting. That the ferocity of his devotion to the small female was potent enough to warrant such ponderings. A frown marring his marked brow as he walked through the quiet halls of the palace on his way to the hot spring to bathe and change. Prepare for the copious amounts of meetings, debriefings, orders, and acquisitions it took to keep the Taisho holdings running.

The peace of his castle was a balm to his nerves. Most others still asleep, including the majority of servants, at this early in the morning when the sun had barely begun to lighten the frigid autumn sky with the purple blue of a bruise. Save for the sentries who were always posted no matter the hour, the rest of his keep was in repose. For once without the sounds of footsteps rushing about on wooden floorboards. The clang of steel from the training grounds or the cacophony of voices heard from orders being shouted or youkai engaging in conversation.

The chill of upcoming winter was in the air that caressed his face as he exited the warmth of the castle. Vapor from his exhales floating about his head, a stray cold breeze ruffling the fur of his tail as he traversed the gardens to where the steaming domain of the huge building which housed the hot spring lay looming in the distance like a crouched dragon. Wispy white trails floating through the air where the high windows lay as the heated temperature inside met with the much lower one of the outdoors. Frost covered parts of the ground and the various vegetation he passed. The flowers and leaves coated as though with sugar that sparkled attractively even in the wan illumination present.

Eyes sharp, he barely gave a nod to Musashi and the other guard who stood at attention at the entrance of the building. Waving away the cougar youkai's reach for the door when he went to open it for his master. It was not uncommon for the Taiyoukai to acknowledge his soldiers without a word. A thing he was grateful for this morning since he was lost in thoughts about his mate as he went inside and made his way to the inner chamber without hesitation. The humidity of which causing his clothing to become damp almost instantly, the sharp scent of the minerals in the water stinging his nostrils.

He couldn't prevent a small smirk from gracing his lips as he began to undress. Thinking of how he knew most of the youkai within his command could easily detect the smell of his mate on him. Knowing what had transpired between the two of them last evening. It was something he would be certain his shy mate never became aware of, for the most part. She was intelligent enough to figure it out to a certain extent, but he knew if she understood the full magnitude of it then he would never be able to draw her out of their chambers again. The woman hiding in embarrassment and shame at the lack of privacy.

Hell, he still didn't have the heart to remind her that even though his room was, for all intents and purposes, soundproof, the windows were wide open. And youkai hearing was extremely acute.

Telling her of these things would cause her nothing but distress, and Sesshoumaru refused to be the source of any such emotions where Kagome was concerned. Having a mate who, metaphorically speaking, was fragile enough to bruise easily would be something he would need to accustom himself to.

Including that of the demons who served the Taisho holdings. He would have to tell Jaken to reiterate to them all that they were not to ever cause the diminutive human to get upset. That there would be no teasing, good natured or no, about being able to detect anything but the bonding scent from her. Or that they had been able to hear her in the throes of passion.

Not that he was pleased about the latter. He would prefer to afford her the courtesy of letting her keep a semblance of her personal business not being gossiped about around the castle. It also didn't help that his possessive instincts disliked immensely that any other male would know anything about her when it came to a sexual nature. That privilege was his and his alone.

He would simply have to commission one of the youkai he had for construction to figure out a way to replace the windows of his bedroom. What they possessed now was woefully inadequate.

Sliding into the welcoming heat of the water, he quickly bathed. Washing his hair and going far enough out to dunk completely under to rinse away any lingering soap from the lengthy tresses. Pushing them to his back with a practice motion he had had to perfect after the loss of his arm, Sesshoumaru wiped the moisture from his face, clearing his vision. Once clean, he allowed himself the luxury of settling on the smooth surface of a natural rock formation that doubled as a bench to sit upon. The water lapping at his chest as he leaned his head back to rest upon the stone and close his eyes.

He would need to obtain Kagome's tutor first. Even before he managed anything else to do with the running of the palace, he would see to her needs before anyone else's. It was just what a mate did, if he was worth anything with a smidgeon of honor. His father had been excellent at catering to his mate's every need. Sesshoumaru having witnessed time and again how the powerful Taiyoukai had gentled for the female bound to him.

How he would ascertain their desires beforehand and provide them. Personally seeing to their comfort and happiness in a way that still managed to make Sesshoumaru's chest tighten with some unnamed emotion. Thoughts of his mother flitting through his mind. Her beautiful striped visage with its crescent moon, so like his own, dark against her ivory skin.

He liked to imagine that his parents would be proud of his choice in a mate. That they were together in whatever existed beyond the mortal veil. Watching over their oldest son with indulgent smiles and happy hearts. Glad that he had unbent enough to take a hold of true love and bind it to him forever. Not throw away the chance for real happiness despite the bitterness of his youth clouding his mind.

A part of him knew it was only Kagome's stubbornness that had allowed it to happen. That if it hadn't been for one human female's obstinance in the face of his anger. Her endless forgiveness and patience that met his growling and snapping of fangs with a compassion that lay all his threats to waste. Humbling him with the intensity of the way she fearlessly felt and expressed her emotions. Then it was more than likely he would have foolishly discarded it out of hand.

The same way his idiot half brother had tossed away the chance to keep the woman by his side. It continued to perplex Sesshoumaru how Inu Yasha could have seen the naked affection in Kagome's blue-grey eyes and still turned away from it. Pushing it aside to embrace a colder version of the girl from the future.

However, his stupidity was the Taiyoukai's gain. For that alone he was almost thankful to his younger sibling for choosing someone else over Kagome.

Almost.

In his mind, Kagome had still suffered a slight against her by what his brother had done. The childish way he had gone about handling the situation causing grief to lay the miko from the future low.

He also did not understand how people seemed to lump Kagome and Kikyo together. Acting as though the two women were opposite sides of the same coin. To Sesshoumaru, they didn't even resemble one another. Whether in appearance, mannerisms, or spirit.

And he prided himself on having exceptional eyesight.

Muscles relaxing as he soaked, his thoughts turned to his parents once more. A wrenching soul deep desire to have shown his new mate to them causing his breath to hitch. A pain like a serrated blade between his ribs making him shift about where he sat.

Squinting to stare blindly up at the cathedral ceiling with its thick dark wooden beams, he imagined what their reactions would have been. Played differing scenarios through his mind's eye as he saw himself presenting her to the royal couple. Kagome shyly smiling at them as she was wont to do when nervous about facing others she wasn't completely comfortable with.

Picturing the way his mother would gaze upon the small miko with kind golden eyes as she welcomed her to the family. His father's energetic embrace as the exuberant dog demon grabbed her up in a crushing hug. Kagome's relief and delight as she returned the impromptu gesture as best she could as a blush stained her cheeks. The pride in his parents' eyes as they approved of the choice their son had made in choosing a woman who loved with the same fierceness of any true inu youkai.

Yes, he could clearly see how it would have been. The loss of it never coming to fruition making him grimace as his heart gave another pang.

The previous Lord and Lady of the Western Lands might have been both feared and revered by every other youkai and Taiyoukai alike. The power and dominance they wielded absolute. The faces they presented to the outside world frigidly beautiful with expressions that gave nothing away.

But to those they loved. The pup they had created from the joy of their own union, Sesshoumaru had known nothing but love and acceptance. Their laughter, smiles, playfulness, and even their anger whenever he had gotten into some mischief or other.

His had not been a childhood of icy control. It resembled nothing of the adulthood he had lived after their untimely demise and the tutelage of his sadistic uncle. The days in Taisho palace had been full of tenderness and happiness. Of a tightly woven family unit who loved each other freely with a total lack of inhibition.

It was only now, when he was mated to Kagome, that he allowed himself to remember everything. Now confident enough to face the past without angrily slamming the door shut on his memories. Avoiding the emotions that were laced within them.

For the first time, Sesshoumaru let the waves of sadness and sorrow roll over him. Let it break upon the banks of his stoicism to ripple outwards into his heart. Accepting the pain and desolation of their loss while keeping near the joy and happiness he had received from them.

They may have been taken from him too soon, but he would no longer dishonor their memories by trying to forget them.

They deserved better than that from their son.

He remained in the spring as long as he dared before finally leaving the hot water to dry and dress. A new set of garments and comb always available to him by the servants keeping the armoire where the drying linens were stored fully stocked. They knew how fastidious their master was and always made sure he would have clothing available anytime it would be needed.

Running clawed fingers through the damp fringe of his bangs, the Taiyoukai went back outside. Offering his guards another nod as he retraced his steps back to the inner palace.

The keep had come awake during his long bath. Hallways bustling with activity and training drills taking place outside and in the dojo.

Coming to his study, he leafed through the towering pile of letters awaiting him at the corner of his desk. Amber eyes alighting on the hot pot of tea and mug that offered a fragrant flavor to the air as he inhaled. The morning sun's golden rays bathed the room and its occupant in gold. As though the towering youkai in white and red were gilded in the precious metal.

A knock sounded on his door, Sesshoumaru seating himself behind the low table before calling, "Enter."

Jaken's tiny body came rushing in. His black hat askew and staff of heads tapping loudly against the highly polished floor, the sound irritating to the dog demon's sensitive ears.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little youkai cried in a voice that never seemed to know he was indoors and that the youkai he served could hear better than most.

"Jaken." The one icy word made the toad demon freeze in the middle of his bowing and scraping. The force of the halt causing his headgear to come dangerously close to sliding off his bald pate. Once his frigid amber eyes met bulbous yellow, he said in the same tone, "Cease that gratuitous racket and tell me why you have disturbed me."

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama." Straightening his hat as he stood before his master, green clawed hands clutching tightly to his staff, Jaken stated in a scandalized tone, "Did you know that miko has been ordering the servants about?! In complete disregard for how chain of command works at Taisho palace?! It is outrageous, My Lord!"

"I sincerely hope for your sake that you are not referring to the new Lady of the Western Lands who is also my mate." Arching a silver eyebrow at the little demon who was now opening and closing his beaked mouth comically, Sesshoumaru's voice was cold enough to freeze boiling water as he continued. "Since Lady Kagome now holds such a revered position it would be wise to remember that she is second only to myself. Ergo, if she wishes to order the servants to wear nothing but their undergarments and have them make daisy chains to decorate the palace, then it will be done."

He was inwardly pleased at how his words caused the toad demon to drop to the floor and prostrate himself. His screechy voice abrasive as he began spouting all nature of apologies for his transgression, the staff of heads banging the wooden boards over and over. Jaken realized by the Taiyoukai's words and facial expression that he had made an egregious error where the miko was concerned.

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama! This Jaken never meant to offend or imply that Lord Sesshoumaru's choice in a mate was anything but perfect. Your judgement is, as in all things, impeccable!" Regaining his feet, he said passionately, waving the tall piece of wood with its collection of skulls atop it about. "Why, there is not another Taiyoukai in the land who has chosen such a mate! Her beauty! Her poise! Her grace! All other youkai shall see her radiance next to Sesshoumaru-sama's and be in awe!"

"Jaken." Again, the one word forestalled anymore screeching. The little youkai falling silent as he waited for his master to speak. "Aside from coming here to sing the praises of my mate, what else did you want?"

"Forgive this Jaken his impudence, Sesshoumaru-sama! I came to also offer my apologies." The hands about his staff were fidgeting, his webbed feet shifting about as his yellow gaze darted away.

"Apologies for what?" Sesshoumaru sincerely hoped his retainer wasn't ruining what was promising to be a peaceful morning by rambling on about some nonsense that he had no desire to be a part of.

Gulping, Jaken's eyes met the Taiyoukai's briefly before sliding away to study the floor with interest. "I took a letter addressed to you some time ago without your knowledge and read its contents." Stepping forward, he waved his arms about while staring into the impassive face of the inu youkai while all but yelling, "But I quickly returned it before its absence was noted and told no one of what it said!"

It took Sesshoumaru a good two minutes of delving through the past few days before he finally had any idea what Jaken was referring to. The vague memory of scenting the toad youkai's swampy odor on the letter his uncle had sent him flashing through his mind. Considering the retainer having done so was null and void at this point since he was awaiting news of Aion's probably demise, Sesshoumaru purposely let the anxiety ridden demon suffer for a while.

After staring at Jaken coldly long enough that sweat had begun to appear along his green wrinkled forehead, the Taiyoukai finally said, "I see. Do you make a habit of invading my privacy and reading my personal correspondences often?"

"Never, Sesshoumaru-sama! This was the only time I have done so, and I am extremely sorry I would dare to do such a thing. To transgress upon your good will in such a manner." Tears brimmed in the little youkai's eyes as he made a motion as though he would toss himself to the floor again.

Something Sesshoumaru had not the time nor inclination in entertaining.

"This will be your one warning, Jaken. You will not get another." Narrowing his eyes in as open threat, Sesshoumaru waved the toad demon to silence when it looked as though he were about to open his beak again. "Incidentally, I was preparing to summon you anyway. I need you to retain a tutor for Lady Kagome. A youkai who can teach her the mannerisms of being the Lady in a high youkai court. I expect you to have located candidates and presented a list of them to me before midday."

"Of course, My Lord! It will be done as you say. You can count on this Jaken to find the most accomplished demons in Japan who will aid our Lady in her tutelage. She will be the pride of Taisho palace!" Chest puffing up in pride at being handed such an important task, Jaken straightened his askew hat once more.

Waving his hand dismissively, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the first letter in the pile. Saying without looking up, "You may go. Have Shurin located and sent to me at once."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He didn't even bother looking up as the toad demon quit the room and closed the door. The sound of his webbed feet growing fainter as he scurried down the hall to do his master's bidding.

Sesshoumaru was in the middle of perusing the report on the quantity of new provisions needed to make sure the warriors at his disposal remained armed and clothed during the winter months, when there came another knock at his door. The fresh scent of rain filtering into his nose, denoting the arrival of Shurin.

"Enter," he commanded as he continued going over the figures suggested from his master at arms.

Letting the subdued rain-child wait at attention across from him a few moments before setting the piece of paper aside, Sesshoumaru sensed the tension in the weather demon. Pinning the other youkai with a considering look as he took in the unblemished form of his aide. A quick glance showing that he was none the worse for wear despite being impaled during his unsuccessful rescue of Kagome.

The rain-child stood straight and tense. His electric-green eyes cold, lips set in a firm thin line as he refused to meet the Taiyoukai's stare. Instead, looking at a point over the inu youkai's shoulder in silence.

"Sit, Shurin." Sesshoumaru arched a silver eyebrow at the way his aide did as he asked, but still would not meet his gaze. His spine so stiff it could have held a metal rod through it. Laying his hand upon the desk, he drummed his claws a few times against the wood. The steady beat the only noise in the room. Unable to help himself, the Taiyoukai smirked while needling the rain-child. "Still pouting, Shurin?"

Electric-green eyes flared brightly then narrowed as they slammed into cool amber. Shurin's hands turning into fists upon his marron clad knees as he bit out, "Not at all, My Lord."

"Ah, I see. Then the refusal at first to even look at me stemmed not from some inner feeling of being wronged. But of being distracted by the amazing color of the walls of my study instead." Sesshoumaru could all but see Kagome staring at him with disapproval at the way he was handling this meeting with his aide. Her censorious frown and glaring eyes telling him exactly what she thought of his tactics.

Cruel as his methods may be, they did get the desired result of the rain-child dropping his gossamer thin calm façade. Replaced by the youth's typical sporadic behavior that was a part of his youkai nature. His moods as mercurial as the weather he could summon at will and twice as unpredictable.

"You are being unfair, My Lord! I am not pouting, and I am not upset." The fact that all this was said from between clenched teeth in a voice seething with anger belied the words.

"Of course. You are the very picture of serenity," Sesshoumaru said mockingly with a light smirk. Raising his clawed hand towards the rain-child when he opened his mouth to protest. "Peace, Shurin. Peace. I did not call you here to engage in inane conversation or petty arguments."

Shurin's eyes narrowed, an unhappy frown turning down his lips as he searched the Taiyoukai's face a moment before asking, "Why did you ask to see me, My Lord?"

"I wish to offer my regrets in how I treated you over the last weeks, Shurin." He could see his words shocked the other youkai by the way his lips parted, electric eyes widening as he stared at Sesshoumaru in incomprehension. The high ponytail holding the black river of his hair shining with blue highlights as it caught the sun. "Lady Kagome informed me of everything you did for her during her captivity with Aion. Relating to me how you even became injured during the defense of her."

"I would never leave Lady Kagome to the mercies of your uncle, My Lord. Especially after knowing how much she meant to you." Shurin swallowed hard, his throat moving with the motion, eyes pleading. "You must know by now that I never had anything to do with whatever Aion or General Kaizon had planned. Nothing to do with the assassins sent after you."

"Yes. I am now fully aware." Tilting his head to the side, the sunlight bathing the long white tresses radiantly, Sesshoumaru added, "Lady Kagome also has informed me, on more than one occasion, that my handling of you has been cruel. Something my new Lady Mate is quick to admonish me for on your behalf."

Surprise had Shurin shifting about where he sat. "Lady Kagome dares to chastise you, My Lord?"

Smirking, flashing a large canine, a chuckle left Sesshoumaru's throat. "I daresay Lady Kagome would dare anything to anyone if the mood so took her. The new Lady of the Western Lands has an uncommon penchant for completely disregarding what would be considered proper etiquette amongst youkai society."

The rain-child's expression softened, his body settling upon the cushion in relaxed ease as he shook his head with a laugh. "I am just surprised you would allow it to be honest. But, knowing the Lady as I do, I can see her doing exactly as you say."

"You will find that all of my good will and patience is taken up by my Lady Mate." Amber eyes turning tender despite his frigid tone, the curve of the Taiyoukai's mouth losing its harsh edge, he said, "I have no doubt she will test the limits of both during our time together."

Eyeing his master closely, Shurin exclaimed in a surprised whisper, "You love her."

"Yes." His answer was without hesitation. Completely genuine by the intensity of emotion put behind the one word.

He would not openly reject his feelings as they pertained to Kagome. To demean what she meant to him in front of his subordinates or the other powerful youkai in the region. Doing so would translate to either shame of their union, or that he worried his regard for the miko would affect his ability to protect his lands. Diminishing his ruthlessness in others' eyes. That, because the human woman held his heart, he was unsure whether he would be able to protect her or not since she hailed from a weaker race than his own.

Sesshoumaru knew that what he felt for his new mate made him anything but weak. As it had given his father the same strength years ago when protecting the human female who had borne him a son. The savagery of his nature would manifest magnified. Ready to answer any threat with swift and violent brutality. The worry and concern for Kagome would make him more deadly and formidable a foe than any previous time of his life. Including when in the defense of Rin.

So, no. He would not hide how he felt about the woman who warmed his heart and his bed. The future mother to his pups and the ruler at his side.

Squaring his shoulders, he added to his awestruck aide, "And since I hold Lady Kagome in such high regard, I am mending the relationship I once held with my personal aide. She has requested I do my utmost to reinstate you to your previous position at my side as well as to 'be nice' to you. As she put it."

"Of course, My Lord. I would be happy to offer any assistance to you I can. You have never lost my loyalty, no matter what the circumstances." Words fervent and eyes bright with emotion, the marking upon his brow standing out starkly in his pale skin, Shurin leaned forward eagerly. "Please tell Lady Kagome that I'm incredibly grateful for her kind words! Let her know how sorry I am that I wasn't able to protect her while she was with your uncle and that I hope she forgives me."

"Your concern in that regard is unwarranted. Trust me, the Lady's ability for forgiveness is boundless in its capacity. A fact you shall realize for yourself the next time you see her." Nodding towards the pile of letters that were only marginally smaller than when he first arrived, Sesshoumaru's expression turned cool once more. "I need you to begin organizing these into columns of importance. Then I'll need you to take down orders to be given to the guardsman and master at arms about the security needed for the upcoming presentation ceremony that is being planned for Lady Kagome."

"Yes, My Lord!" Shurin's smile was huge showing the sharpness of his teeth as he quickly gained his feet to draw alongside the seated inu youkai. Already reaching for and sorting through the stack of dispatches.

Bending his head to read one of the letters Shurin had set in front of him, Sesshoumaru added in cool tones, "Shurin, I also would you like to instruct Teisa that, once my Lady Mate awakens, she is to have a bath drawn and taken to my private quarters for Lady Kagome. She is to use only the servants who do not possess a keen sense of smell. She will be fatigued, and thus, needs her rest. I do not want her disturbed for any reason. She is to be provided with every available comfort. All of her needs seen to with efficiency and discretion." Glancing out of the corner of one eye, he pinned the other male with a flat stare. "Do you understand?"

Blushing while ducking his head, Shurin bowed deeply before rushing for the door. Calling over his shoulder, "Absolutely, My Lord! I will see that My Lady's comfort is seen to. You can rely on me!"

Sesshoumaru didn't even bother to reply as his aide all but ran from the room, the door closing with more force than necessary behind him. Sighing deeply, he poured himself some tea. Sipping at the hot beverage as he went back to going through the morning reports and requests, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his mate.

He had meant the underlying warning in his orders to Shurin. Sesshoumaru would brook no mistakes in the handling of Kagome. Shurin would see to it that it was common knowledge about the castle that their master would give no quarter to anyone who would treat the new Lady of the Western Lands with anything but the upmost respect paired with sensitivity.

Kagome would be given every consideration in all matters. So, if that meant the youkai in the castle had to pretend as though they couldn't see, smell, or hear to make her comfortable, then so be it. If anyone did anything to offend her then he would easily rectify the situation by making the lack of tact a reality by removing whatever disagreed with her by the flick of a wrist and his poison whip.

He had enough servants and soldiers roaming about that a few missing a nose, eye or an ear would pose no real problem.

Glancing out the window, he cradled the heated ceramic of the cup, drinking it slowly as he savored the fleeting moment of silence. Already he was missing the presence of his mate. Even with the mating bond a strong tether that relayed comfort and security vibrating between them, it still fell short of actively being in her presence. He would much rather be naked and entwined with her right now. Losing himself in her body and scent. The sound of her cries sounding heavenly in his ears as he brought them both to bliss.

Another knock at the door broke into his carnal thoughts. Whoever the newest intruder asking entrance effectively drawing him away from inner fantasies that had the stirrings of desire settling in his loins.

Squaring his shoulders and setting his features into implacable lines, Sesshoumaru refocused on performing his usual morning duties. For the first time in his life a little resentful of the fact that there were so many every single day. His new relationship had birthed a new longing for solitude. To shirk his responsibilities and remain at Kagome's side without fear of being descended upon by any manner of demons vying for his attention.

What had she mentioned before? An explanation on something she referred to as a 'honeymoon'?

Sesshoumaru had to agree with the sentiment. The more he was thinking about it the more he was beginning to believe that humans had created at least one thing right. Taking Kagome somewhere that they could be alone for a fortnight did have immense appeal. Doing whatever they wished whenever they wished. Basking in each other's presence without the need to worry of possible intrusion. The Taiyoukai able to carry his mate to bed anytime the mood struck him instead of placing the needs of his people above his own.

It was something he would give further thought to once he had a chance.

Kagome wiped sweaty palms on her jean clad thighs. Worrying at her bottom lip with a frown of trepidation, shifting from one foot to the other while staring at the door that led outside their bedroom and into the hall.

Hair still damp from her recent bath, she ignored how the heavy black braid had caused the back of her navy-blue hoodie to become wet along her spine. The thick fabric clinging to her skin cloying.

It had been a pleasant surprise, the bath her youkai had provided for her once she had awoken about an hour ago. The light of the afternoon sun comforting as she had left the comfort of their bed. When the miko had slipped on the long silk of Sesshoumaru's robe, wrapping the cool material about herself, the bottom of which drug behind her like a train, her hands all but covered to her fingertips, she had inhaled his scent deeply. Giving in to the urge to breathe in the fragrance that belong solely to him and gave her a sense of security.

Shivering at the cold temperature of the room, she had added wood to the brazier before debating on what she should do. Kagome had no doubt that she smelled strongly of her lover and their love making. A blush riding high on her cheeks as she recalled the various ways Sesshoumaru had brought her to ecstasy throughout the dark hours of the night.

But she also knew that any youkai with a keen olfactory system would be able to just as easily divine what their master and his new mate had been up to, and it made extremely self-conscious. Which presented the dilemma. Dared she leave their room to venture throughout the entire palace to get to the hot spring and bathe? Passing countless demons with their sharp noses and knowing glances?

She simply didn't have the confidence yet for something like that.

Her heart had nearly swelled to bursting when Teisa had chosen to rap upon the door and inform her through the piece of wood that, if she so desired, Sesshoumaru had seen to it that she would be able to wash inside their quarters today.

Sending waves of gratitude his way through their link, Kagome had readily grabbed onto the solution. Taking the comforter from the bed to wrap it about her from shoulders to her feet. Smiling shyly without holding the gaze of the troupe of servants who had brought in a large copper tub and began filling it with steaming water.

Thanking them profusely as they departed, she had wasted no time stripping and climbing into the makeshift bathtub. Finding the act of getting clean in the middle of a bedroom just a tad surreal.

Her muscles sighed in relief as the heated liquid had swirled about her naked form. Glad to receive any type of balm to the strain they had been put under. Washing and shaving quickly, her legs and arms protesting the movement as she did so. Before last night, Kagome had always thought she was in exceptionally good physical shape.

After all, traipsing on foot around the wilds of Japan had made her lean and filled with stamina. Even if she had lost weight that was slow to return, the lack of exercise in her own time, surely engaging in sexual congress with her man would be easy!

Or so she had thought.

Yet after spending just one night making love with her new mate, she wasn't so certain. Even the muscles inside the apex of her thighs were sore where he had claimed her with both his tongue and his body. Not that she was particularly surprised about that, so much. Being a virgin, she had known to expect discomfort for her first time, including feeling a sting or a twinge randomly throughout the following day. She just considered herself truly fortunate to have chosen such a considerate lover. A male who put her needs well before her own so that, small amount of pain or no, the sensual pleasure had completely eclipsed it.

None of her girlfriends had ever said anything about how wonderfully fantastic sex was. They had gone on at length, with red faces and much secret giggling, the different ways they enjoyed time spent with the men in their lives. Confidential whispers imparting a random position or sex act they favored over another. But none of those women she knew had said a thing about a lack of control. Of being driven to near madness by what their lover did to their bodies or how it made the entire world fall away until nothing else existed outside the two of them.

She had only assumed something like that was written in books. As much a female fantasy as the current novel she was reading about a knight battling a warlock. Nice to imagine, but hardly true.

So, either she was extremely lucky in her choice of lover, or Sesshoumaru and she had a connection such that it obliterated what was considered real and fake.

Perhaps it was heightened because of the aura synchronization and mating bond? Amplifying everything beyond what was considered normal?

Laying back so her head was supported by the fat rim of the tub, she put her washcloth over her eyes. Letting the peace and warmth soothe her body and mind. Thinking about what it was she would do to take up her time today until the dog demon returned.

He had said she could go about wherever she wished. Do pretty much everything she had before, within reason. What was laying heavy on her conscience, however, were thoughts of Akito and his family. Of what his parents and siblings must think of the woman who almost killed their son and brother.

While Sesshoumaru had reassured her that there was no reason to worry, she still couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to set things right. Apologize in person for what she had done and take whatever censor the arctic kitsunes may throw at her.

Which brought her to her current situation. After deciding her course of action, she had left her bath. Drying herself and dressing absentmindedly before braiding her hair. Applying deodorant, lotion, and lip gloss to her chapped lips as she geared herself up for the confrontation she would be initiating.

Swallowing, feeling as though a stone was stuck in her throat, Kagome squared her shoulders and pushed the nervousness coursing through her system away as best she could. Irritated that anxiety remained behind to squeeze her lungs and tighten her chest as though am elephant was sitting on it.

Opening the door, she met Teisa's cherry colored eyes, nothing but a faint scar over the one which had held a bandage all those weeks prior when she had first met the demon in the infirmary. The youkai's long orange hair was in a low ponytail, her bearing straight and features impassive as she turned to the miko. The glaive in her clawed hand steady and deadly blades pointed towards the ceiling.

"Teisa, I wonder if you would be so kind as to send a request to Akito and his parents." She didn't think she could handle dealing with the possible anger of all five brothers and their mother and father. Her voice wavering a bit, she added with a grin that didn't meet her troubled blue-grey eyes, "I would like it if they could come to Sesshoumaru's personal study attached to the bedroom. Perhaps you could arrange for tea and a light repast as well? Whatever food youkai typically enjoy is fine."

"Of course, Lady Kagome. I will see to it at once." Teisa turned to make her way gracefully down the hall, her tall frame and ease of movement making Kagome a tad envious.

It must be nice to be a creature who always appeared perfect and made the simple act of walking nearly an artform. She was never so deft on her feet! Tripping into or falling over something most every day.

Retreating into the haven of the bedchamber, Kagome breathed in and out a couple times. Centering herself and calming her frazzled nerves. Heartbeat quicker than normal and her hands clammy despite rubbing them on her pants again.

She didn't think Sesshoumaru would mind that she was asking the three foxes here to their private quarters. Since the dog demon used the formal office for conducting business for the palace, holding her makeshift tea party in the personal study should be fine.

Making her way into the simple room that contained a couple of scrolls of the Taisho crescent moon and sakura blossoms hanging from the walls, she vaguely wondered at how sterile everything seemed. If she was to live here, then it was something she would soon rectify. Kagome thrived on having her personal belongings and mementos around her.

Pictures, knickknacks, books, her favorite blanket. Anything that brought her joy she kept within sight so she could look at them whenever she felt like it. Content to be surrounded by what made her happy.

Aside from the low-slung table, variety of thick cushions bordering it, the random candles spread about the room and the bookshelf that held various rolled documents, it still wasn't as though someone used it often. That this room had a particular owner who spent a large amount of time there, pouring over documents or reading.

Well, now that she was here, and this would be her home, she planned on bringing some of her things from the future and installing them here. No matter what Sesshoumaru thought, she needed to have familiar items about her to settle into her new home. He would just have to deal.

Closing the bedroom door, she tried not to pace as she waited for the kitsunes arrival. Forcing herself to sit down on a large red cushion, lacing her legs so that they wouldn't become fatigued at kneeling for long. A stray twinge between her legs making her blush as she shifted about to get more comfortable.

Attempting to distract herself as she waited, Kagome twisted about to look at the shelf lined with scrolls and envelopes behind her. Shrugging while randomly grabbing a yellowed roll of parchment that held a broken wax seal of red on it. The three sakura blossoms she associated with Sesshoumaru's crest taking shape when she put the separated pieces back together.

Hesitating but a moment at invading the Taiyoukai's privacy, Kagome finally shrugged and unrolled it. Certain what she would be reading was just another report from either one of his outlying properties or possibly a supply requisition form.

Her eyebrows nearly disappeared into the fringe of her bangs when she realized she was reading a personal letter from Inu Taisho to his oldest son. The bold slanting lines taking up a considerable length of the paper.

She couldn't help but read what was written. A surreal feeling overtaking her senses when she realized that the previous Taiyoukai of the Western Lands was talking about her and the construction of the Well used to traverse time.

Eyes impossibly wide in her pale face, Kagome reread the passage about the building of the Well and how the seer had informed him of her coming to his sons. It even had her heart clenching painfully inside her breast, when she read the Great Dog General's words as it pertained to her. That he had seen her image in a pool of water and divined that he believed she would bring positivity to his sons' lives. Children he had known he would never see the adulthood of. Be there to help them navigate the complexities of maturity and what it meant for his oldest son to rule a veritable empire.

It made tears come to her eyes. Sadness pierce her heart and leave her breathless as she carefully rolled the scroll closed. Gently placing it back where she had found it before sitting to wrap her arms about her updrawn knees. Staring up at the ceiling as a stray tear tracked from the corner of her eye and down her cheek and throat.

Sesshoumaru's father had known about her. Known she was coming from the future and, from what she could garner of his words, had implemented the building of the Well as directed by the youkai he had gone to see. Though what supplies he had used, the exact location to dig, or even what spells he had cast upon the innocent looking vestibule, she did not know.

What Kagome was sure of was that now more than ever she wished that she had had the chance to meet Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru's father in person. She had always believed him to be an impressive Taiyoukai, but now…now she was even more convinced of how much he had loved his family. Adored his mates and his children in turn.

It made her heart break. The thought of what the Taisho house had suffered throughout the centuries. The loss and love that had shaped and molded the Taisho heirs into the men they were today.

Mood melancholy, it took her a second to compose herself upon hearing the knock at the study door. Pulling the waves of love and caring Sesshoumaru had begun to send to her through their link close. Chasing away the chill of sorrow to be replaced by the bittersweet warmth of her new relationship.

She would have to tell her mate she had read something of his that had been extremely personal. Apologize for intruding, but also let him know that there was nothing he could not talk to her about. Whether it be about his past, parents, or plans for the future. Anything. She would be an integral part of his life and be any type of support system he needed to succeed.

"Come In." She was inwardly proud of how normal her voice sounded. A friendly smiling reaching her shadowed blue-grey eyes as Teisa appeared in the doorway with a small group behind her.

"My Lady. I have brought everything you requested." The female's tall figure stepping to the side presented the miko with an unobstructed view of Akito and his parents.

Gaining her feet quickly, socks slipping a bit on the highly polished floorboards, she made her way over to the three kitsunes who came inside to greet her.

"Akito!" Sharp eyes quickly perused his tall frame in his blue ensemble with white sakura petals at the collar and sleeve. The shade complimenting his pale skin and amazing irises.

It was with a huge sigh of relief that she saw he looked completely back to normal. No signs of stress or fatigue present like the last time she had seen him upon first waking in the palace after her rescue.

"Lady." His frigid pearlescent eyes thawed mellowly as he gave her a small grin.

The trio of youkai moved to the side to allow a servant to go by carrying their burden of food and beverage she had requested. Silently laying everything out until most of the tabletop was covered with various cups, plates, eating implements, covered food and a teapot.

Avoiding meeting the eyes of his parents, Kagome kept her attention on Akito's expression. Grateful that there was no sign of anything but affection from her personal guard. While not reassuring enough to ease the tight band of worry about her chest fully, it did lessen it a few notches, so it wasn't as excruciating.

Kagome barely waited for them to be enclosed in the room, Teisa and the same young male servant of before going back to her post outside after closing the door, before launching into the tall ice demon.

Akito automatically caught her to his chest, staggering a little at her impromptu assault. Typically, what the miko had done wouldn't have even budged him. But with his health still recovering he wasn't as strong as he would like to have been.

Ignoring the speculative looks from his mother and father, the arctic kitsune wrapped his arms about her tightly, laying his chin on the top of her head. Breathing in deeply he inwardly smirked at how her usual scent of apples and vanilla was now woven into the much stronger one of his master. The Taiyoukai's natural odor saturated into her very skin as much as her mating mark would be as soon as their bond had been initiated and completed.

In fact, he was mildly surprised she had asked to see him and his family. Not because he hadn't desired to. But because it was a well-known fact that youkai were very possessive and wary whenever first mated. Especially a Taiyoukai.

For whatever reason, the more powerful the demon the harder their beastly natures took hold of them whenever in the throes of the mating bond being crafted.

Perhaps Lord Sesshoumaru had not informed her of this and so she didn't know?

Yet, he couldn't have rejected her offer to meet this afternoon either. Doing so would be disobedient to the new Lady of the manse. No soldier in the keep, be they personal guard or visiting ambassador, like Lord Daija, could refuse a summons by either her or Lord Sesshoumaru. To do so would be grounds for immediate punishment. Quick and severe to work as a deterrent for any future such transgressions.

More importantly, even if the Taiyoukai had not informed her and she asked to see him and his parents, he knew it would hurt her if he had sent word back that was anything but acquiescence. Spending the amount of hours he had around the small female hugging him tightly had allowed him to understand Lady Kagome and how she lived. Openly. Her every thought and emotion completely bare to whomever bothered to glance her way.

And he would not be the cause of her feelings to be injured on account of him. Firstly, as her friend and secondly, as her personal guard. Lord Sesshoumaru's anger over Akito daring to return her embrace or no. The arctic kitsune cared enough for his new Lady that he would gladly take the risk.

Either way, he was pleased to see her again. The aura synchronization activating and flowing pleasantly through her skin to his. Twining about his heart and filling him with a sense of contentment.

His master was a lucky bastard indeed.

The slight layer of sadness that kept transmitting from her to him via the link made him squeeze her close for a moment. Offering her whatever physical contact she had need of to feel better. He knew that being able to touch was as natural as breathing to her. That if someone were to deny it to her, purposefully back away, it would wound her terribly.

"I'm so glad to see you again." Her voice muffled by the cloth of his haori, she blinked back tears as she leant back enough to give him a watery smile. "I feel as though I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Not nearly so long, Lady," Another small grin tilted his lips, the pearl blue of his eyes calm as they regarded her in the circle of his arms. Searching her features a few seconds, he let a smirk show, a bit of fang flashing. "I see being the mate to Lord Sesshoumaru agrees with you."

Blushing to the roots of her hair, Kagome laughed while releasing him. Retreating a few steps, waving a hand dismissively, the other tightly clasped about her midriff. "I'm not going to lie. Being with Sesshoumaru does make me happy, Akito." Look turning tender, she added softly, "I couldn't ask for a better mate."

"I am pleased at your happiness, Lady." Giving her a soft smile, he tilted his head to the side, the white of his bangs flashing in the afternoon sun. "It also brings me joy to know I shall continue to be your personal guard in the future. The message was conveyed to me earlier today from Lord Sesshoumaru."

Eyes carefully avoiding looking anywhere near to where the two older kitsune stood quietly watching the interplay of their son and their master's mate, Kagome fretted at her lower lip a moment.

"Are you sure you still want to be my personal guard, Akito?"

"As I have told you before, Lady, I do not blame you for what happened. I hope over time you will learn to believe in the validity of my words. I bear no negative emotions to you for something that was no fault of your own." He stared at her seriously. As though he was trying to make the miko understand the truth of his words.

Reaching out to clasp the wrist of one of his hands, she nodded, her features pale and drawn from the joy and blushing of before. "Then I am truly grateful to have you as a friend and that you aren't mad at me."

Placing a hand over hers where it lay against his forearm, Akito applied gentle pressure to her fingers. Careful not to exert too much since it was the hand which held the new scars. The part of which he could feel was rough and pink on the back of the appendage from where the arrow had traveled through it.

"Always, Lady." Moving to take her hand into his, he drew her with him to stand in front of his patiently waiting mother and father. "My Lady, may I present my parents. My father, Hitoshi, and my mother, Atsuko of the arctic kitsune clan."

This is the part she had been dreading. No longer could she distract herself with Akito and pretend not to see the pair of ice demons with features akin to the one who held her hand. Bolstering her flagging courage, she pasted a friendly smile on her lips and took the plunge. Raising pensive eyes to stare into the cobalt blue of his mother's, the same pearlescent azure of his father.

"I am so pleased to finally meet you, Lady Kagome," Atsuko said with a kind smile that reached her eyes. Bowing deeply, her lilac kimono complimenting the bluebell hue of her braided hair, she straightened, placing a hand on the forearm of her mate. "We have both heard so much about you from our son we have been quite anxious to make your acquaintance."

Swallowing thickly, Kagome kept the tilt of her lips firmly in place as a spike of shyness had her saying, "Oh but I'm the one who is honored! Once Sesshoumaru told me Akito and Kiro's family was here I couldn't wait to meet you. Tell you how much I adore your son and how thankful I am for all he has done for me." Giving the tall male in blue a gentle grin, she said, "He was the first friend I made here. Without that friendship I don't know how I could have settled in at the palace as well as I did."

"We are pleased that our son is held in such high esteem from the new Lady of the Western Provinces, My Lady." Hitoshi's expression mirrored his mate's. Kindness and a little bit of humor painting his handsome features. A sudden smirk had a fang flashing, the look causing the kitsune at her side to stiffen and Atsuko's eyes to narrow as they looked up at her mate. "Especially since knowing you seems to bring him out of his shell! He always has been a reserved little youkai. A kit who takes himself too seriously. It is good he has found someone who will make him relax and loosen up."

"Father," Akito bit out with an annoyed glare, the other demon simply chuckling in response.

"Hitoshi, darling, you are making our son uncomfortable. Something, I am most certain, I have already warned you about recently." Atsuko's smile turned hard, her fangs present and the look in her eyes causing her mate to wave his hands in a placating manner.

"Now, now, Atsuko. I am sure Lady Kagome knows I am merely teasing." He had the grace to give the miko he was referring to a sheepish grin, the hand of his mate on his forearm digging into the muscles there. "Forgive me, My Lady, if I spoke out of turn."

"Not at all," Kagome said, feeling herself relax as she watched the way the kitsunes bantered with one another.

For all intents and purposes, they resembled any loving human family unit, including Kagome's own. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the three of them loved one another to death.

Feeling considerably more at ease now that it didn't appear as though Akito's parents were upset with her, she made a gesture towards the laden down table with an arched ebony eyebrow. "Would you care to join me for some refreshments?"

"Of course, Lady." Akito finally released her hand to move towards the food and tea.

It took Kagome a moment to realize as they all stood facing one another around the table, taking the position she knew Sesshoumaru usually held for herself, that no one was sitting down because she was still standing. Flushing while feeling self-conscious, she quickly retook her spot on the large plush cushion. Reaching out to begin pouring the tea as the others mirrored her actions.

As she brought the next mug over to herself and began filling it with the fragrant green hot liquid, Kagome became aware that everyone else was watching her silently. The older ice demons' showing a bit of shock while Akito's face was one of mellow indulgence.

Uncertain why they would be looking at thusly, she paused in what she was doing to ask with a puzzled grin, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even wait for you to say yes! Would you prefer something else? Perhaps I should have sake brought?"

Sharing a look with her mate, Atsuko, who was seated across and to the right-hand side of Kagome, said carefully, "No, My Lady. Tea is perfect. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in providing us with such fare. It is a pleasant surprise."

"What my mother means to say without just coming out and doing so is that it is unheard of for the lady of a Taiyoukai to be the one serving, Lady." Catching her surprised glance, Akito explained, "Such things are meant for servants. Not something you would ever see inside one of the other youkai palaces."

Mortified at her social faux pas, Kagome figured she couldn't get much redder at this point. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Something as simple as serving these demons tea she had managed to mess up! Kami, how the hell was she ever going to be ready to face demon nobles from neighboring regions at this rate in less than two weeks?!

Not prove a total embarrassment to her new mate and his noble house?

Even with whoever Sesshoumaru got her as a tutor, the situation was beginning to feel hopeless.

Wishing the floor to just open up and swallow her whole, Kagome gently set the teapot back down, folding her hands in her lap afterwards with an embarrassed smile.

"You'll have to forgive me. I-I am woefully uneducated as to the proper way the Lady of the Western Lands should act. I'm afraid I haven't spent much time around demons who live in palaces and what the correct way to behave should be." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she valiantly tried to push away the torrent of humiliation drowning her.

"Do not worry over it, My Lady!" Atsuko gave her a sympathetic look as she glanced to her son in understanding. Recalling her kit had told her the new Lady of the palace was from another region whose culture was a mystery. "We would love some tea if you would be so kind as to pour us some. It is a great honor to have the Lady of the castle show us special attention."

It made her feel worse, that Akito's parent was treating her in such a nice manner. Knowing that the arctic kitsune's family was too considerate to say what they were probably thinking.

That the Taiyoukai they served had erred in his choice of mate.

Sighing heavily, Kagome finished filling the four mugs, avoiding the sharp perceptive eyes of the youkai assembled as she took a sip. Sesshoumaru sending her soothing sensations along the mating bond didn't even help to calm her down.

Atsuko placed a hand on her son's forearm, her cobalt eyes pleading as she implored her kit to do something to put the now subdued miko at ease.

Shockingly, it was the older male arctic fox who broke the tension hanging over them.

"My Lady," Hitoshi's deep voice brought Kagome's attention back to the handsome youkai. The simple snowflake on his brow and the long wavy length of his hair highlighted from the sun's illumination. "Akito tells us that you take care of a little kit of your own."

Thankful for the change in topic, Kagome eagerly picked up the thread of conversation, hoping to blanket over her misstep. "Yes! His name is Shippo. I found him, orphaned, a few years ago and have loved him ever since. He is such an adorable and energetic child."

"It is commendable. To take in another's offspring. Especially one from another race." Atsuko's eyes were genuine in their praise of the human female. Her maternal heart aching at seeing the poor girl struggle not to show just how ashamed she felt. "I bet he is quite a handful at times. I know my kits were when that age. Even now, my youngest sons can try my patience."

Kagome laughed. Images of the little red kitsune making her heart lighten fractionally.

"He definitely can be very demanding! But I also know that it is just because of his age. I am hoping he will settle down more when he begins his lessons with Rin." Kagome felt shock at her own words as soon as they left her mouth. Hiding her reaction behind the rim of her cup as she took a sip of the green tea.

She had always intended to see if Sesshoumaru might take in Shippo at Taisho palace. Once the Inu Yasha Tachi had arrived and she had seen his reaction to Kiro and Akito it had made it glaringly obvious that traveling the wilderness seeking shards from murderous youkai was no place for a growing child. Be they human or kitsune.

Even before her mating had taken place, she had silently resolved talking the stoic dog demon into allowing him residence here. She would have even gone so far as to threaten to stay on longer if that is what it would have taken for him to agree.

The idea of which making her chuckle to herself and shake her head to dispel the image of her a week or so ago. How the two of them had interacted with one another, all the while coming closer together. Tying themselves to one another more surely than if they had been sewn side by side with diamond filament.

How funny life was.

A month or so ago she was depressed. Completely unhappy with her life, every aspect of it, and what her future might be. And now here she was!

Basically, youkai royalty, married to one of the most powerful beings in the entire country and expected to aid in his ruling of said provinces.

Yes, fate had definitely pulled a fast one on her. But, considering the loving relationship she now found herself in, she would let it slide.

"Please," She waved a hand towards the covered black bowls emblazoned with the triple sakura on their sides in varying sizes. "Do help yourselves. I must confess, I have no clue what the kitchens prepared for you." Giving a sheepish grin, she shrugged expressively, hand tight about the mug she held at her chest. "I'm afraid I simply told them to provide whatever demons like to eat. Sesshoumaru has only ever told me what they won't partake of. Not what they will."

Kagome figured it was safe not to reach over to uncover anything or start laying food on plates after her error with the tea. She was just going to sit quietly and try to prevent herself from making anymore humiliating mistakes, thanks very much.

Akito removed the covers, setting them aside carefully before taking the chopsticks and spoons provided to fill the fine white china, with crescent moons around the edges, centers. Not bothering to ask if they even wanted any.

Lady Kagome had been upset enough today. So even if the staff had sent up nothing but dango and dried fish, he would have made them eat it. Just to please her.

"It looks lovely, Lady Kagome. Thank you, Akito." Atsuko gave Kagome another friendly smile, a kind look to her child as she passed a plate over to her mate. "It looks as though your chefs have outdone themselves!"

Arching an ebony brow with a grin, Kagome asked with interest while looking at what the bowls contained with interest, "Really? I'm afraid, besides the rice, I don't recognize any of it."

Deftly using the golden chopsticks between his clawed fingers, Akito picked up a round dark crimson piece of what looked to be fruit. Holding it up in the sun where the thick juices of it coated the slightly squishy ball as it was held, a few stray drops falling back into the bowl.

"These are particularly rare, My Lady. A delicacy typically only reserved for the highest echelon of our society." He turned it this way and that, the sun reflecting on the dark red gooey surface, what looked like small lighter colored striations showing along its sides.

"I see. What is it?" Kagome leaned closer with a frown of interest. Fascinated despite herself after hearing his words.

Apparently, when she had given the order the servants had outdone themselves in a bid to please her. The fact that the Lady of the castle was personally entertaining anyone considered important and thus deserving of nothing but the best. To showcase how prosperous and well situated the Taisho household was. Showing off in their own fashion.

Catching her eyes with his own, he gave her a small grin. "This is what is known as a shukketsu hato fruit. They are not something I have ever known a human to consume, or even be able to acquire. The region they are known to grow is isolated and ruled by the tiger clan of that mountain range. They are known to guard their precious orchards and their bounty jealously. Only a handful of Taiyoukai are even on speaking terms with the toro youkai, let alone able to talk them into parting with these. It is considered prestigious to have them in your food stores."

"Bleeding heart fruit?" Listening avidly, tea forgotten as she tilted her head while looking at the small bowl that held about five pieces of the rare food. "Can a human consume them? Or would it be poisonous or something?"

"That is something I cannot say." Giving the fruit a considering look, he glanced over to his father and mother. "Can either of you remember hearing of a ningen eating these?"

Both kitsunes firmly shook their heads in the negative.

Hitoshi picked up one as well to look it over himself, pearlescent blue eyes intent. "As Akito said, My Lady. The tiger clan would never hand over any shukketsu hato to anyone who wasn't a youkai. So, the probability of others having eaten any is fairly zero."

"Interesting." Kagome settled back in her place, eager to learn more about what was also on the table. Her thirst for knowledge always insatiable. Pointing to another bowl that held strips of dark greenery that resembled peppers in a clear liquid, she asked Akito as he placed the fruit on his own plate, "What is that?"

Dutifully picking what had caught her notice between them, Akito's frigid tones were cool and concise. "These are much more common and easy to come by, My Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru has holdings which grow these themselves so that they can be distributed throughout his kingdom. This is a kanashimi root. Given its name because of the bitterness of the liquid it holds."

"The bitter sorrow pepper." Rolling the words around her tongue, she leaned forward to sniff at it delicately. Wondering if she could smell the acrid scent which would denote something that would make your tongue rebel just by tasting it. "Do you pickle these?"

Popping it into his mouth as his parents began eating themselves, he shook his head. "No, My Lady. The use of pickling would be too aggressive to youkai senses. It is best to chill them in sugar water. It allows the harsh taste to mellow so it isn't so sharp when it is eaten. Since they are easy to grow and harvest, they are given with each meal for your youkai soldiers. A superb source of energy and nutrition."

It took her aback. Someone telling her that hundreds of deadly youkai who served the Taisho house were now considered hers as well. Odd and a tad unsettling to realize that being Sesshoumaru's mate came with the responsibility of hundreds of lives and how to care for them.

"Hmmm," humming to herself, she pointed to the bowl next to the kanashimi. The second to last container that didn't hold rice, but instead, what looked to be a salmon pink paste with flecks of black in it that reminded her of bubblegum which had fallen in the dirt. "I've never seen that before either. What about that?"

Kagome couldn't hear enough about her first glimpse into true demon life. Having only traveled with Inu Yasha and Shippo, who she provided most of the food for, it was all new and fascinating. Igniting the fire of her academic heart into an inferno that burned for the tinder of knowledge.

"Ah," taking the tiny gold spoon laying next to it, he dipped it into the mushy material. A small mound of it on the end as he held it out to her with a smirk. "This, I will have you taste and then see if you don't recognize it, Lady."

A skeptical smirk on her face, Kagome set her tea on the table before gingerly taking the spoon from him. Eying its content dubiously, sniffing at it. "Am I going to regret this if I eat it?"

Akito's laughter had his parents giving one another a speaking glance. Hitoshi nodding towards his kit and Lady Kagome, the miko's expression turning pensive as the smell of the pink mash made her nose wrinkle a bit.

Aktsuko raised her eyebrows, with a tiny shrug. Neither of them having seen their second to oldest child be so relaxed. So open, with anyone except for his own family, and even then, it had become rarer as the years past.

Flashing his fangs as he full on smiled, Akito said, "I promise you, Lady, it will not harm you. If you ignore the odor, which apparently is not too appealing to you, you may find you like it."

Shrugging, figuring you only live once, Kagome slipped it inside her mouth and tried not to breathe through her nose. Truly, the smell closely resembled overly ripened fruit. As though it had begun to ferment and go bad.

It was a pleasant revelation that it was sweet and grainy on her tongue. The tiny black dots of it resembling poppy seeds as she rolled it around. Savoring the texture as it melted, releasing more of the flavor that held a floral hint to it.

She did not, however, recognize it at all. What it was a complete mystery to the miko as she pulled the spoon from her lips, placing it to the side of her mug.

Swallowing the food down, she laughed while raising her hands, rotating her shoulders as she did. "You got me, Kito-kun. I have no clue what I just ate. Do I want to know?"

Chuckling, Akito ate a quick bite from his bleeding-heart fruit before answering. "No guess at all, Lady?"

Tapping a finger to her chin, she gave the bowl a considering look. Trying to analyze what her taste buds were telling her. See if she recognized anything about it.

"Quit teasing Lady Kagome, Akito," his mother admonished with a slight grin, her mate eating sedately beside her. Content to remain silent as he usually did when in social gatherings.

"Oh no, it's fine!" Giving the female fox a smile of reassurance, she trained thoughtful blue-grey orbs on the patiently waiting guard. "I'm going to have to say maybe…..a type of strawberry?"

"It is a type of fruit," Akito said as he smiled. "Try again, Lady. Take another taste if you like. My parents and I, being from much colder regions, don't care for it that much."

Kagome took another spoonful. This one larger than the one the artic kitsune had given her, eagerly sliding it between her lips. Nearly moaning in ecstasy as it hit her tongue for a second time. It tasted even better than the first bite! As though its potency and flavor had become accentuated so that various shades of fruit and floral notes filtered into her mouth.

It made her think of warm days and sunshine. Of hot afternoons that were best spent languishing by the seaside because of the higher temperature.

"Our son is teasing you, My Lady." Hitoshi set his chopsticks to the side with a grin, his plate now empty as he picked up his mug of tea with both hands. "Shall I give you hint?"

"Please!" Kagome said straight away, the volume of her response drowning out Atsuko's reproving look.

The female kitsune's words of, "Hitoshi, don't encourage him!" becoming lost in the miko's exuberance.

"It is another fruit that is found readily throughout the entirety of Japan. Not only in Lord Sesshoumaru's provinces in the West. It also usually can only be found ready for picking during the hottest days of the Summer. In fact, it can oftentimes be found at wedding receptions." The artic clan's patriarch hid a grin behind the rim of his mug, waiting to see if what he said had helped the human puzzle it out.

"Really, My Lady, I must apologize for the males in my family." Atsuko pinned each youkai with a look that spoke volumes, offering Kagome a much gentler one as she added, "Despite my best efforts, they still do not possess the etiquette I attempted to drill into their thick skulls."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Atsuko. I'm actually having fun right now!" Kagome was telling the truth. This type of easy camaraderie she had missed since not hanging out with Sango and Mirokou. The hours of banter, joking, shared laughter. She was pleased she had found a semblance of that in Akito and his parents. Licking her lips, a light coating of pink making them stand out starkly in her pale face, she put the spoon back on the table. "Summer, huh? Hmmm….."

Delving deep into her memory of all the fruit she had come across during her vast journeys with the Inu Yasha tachi, Kagome hummed in thought. Trying to recall if she had seen what Hitoshi was describing while trekking through the heat in search of a shard.

The problem was, they didn't really forage all that much whenever the group was on the go. She brought food and whatnot for all of them. So, picking random fruit from a tree or bush they came across wasn't really something they had done.

But she would give it a shot anyway. See if she got it right. Honestly, she had no idea what trees or plants bore fruit at what time of year or when you harvested them. Horticulture or the production of orchards had never been on her radar of things to learn. Now that she was the new Lady of the Western Lands, however, she would need to educate herself so that she could help Sesshoumaru run his holdings. Be an asset to her mate, not a detriment.

Just thinking about that type of knowledge gathering made her happy. That she would further her academic lifestyle that had been all but ignored for most of her teenage years.

"A type of apple?" It was a definite question and not a statement, pouting when Akito shook his head. Tossing up her hands, she pleaded, "Alright, Kito-kun. Tell me what I've just eaten."

"The paste you have eaten is a type of satonishiki. Part of the cherry tree family that humans eat often. The only difference being that these are a variant specially cultivated by youkai orchard masters so that they don't contain a pit. Only the small black seeds you have seen and tasted." Arching a brow, he stated blandly without a hint of his thoughts, "They are known to sometimes be seen as an aphrodisiac. So some demons have claimed. Though I cannot, personally, say if that is valid or not."

Blushing deeply, Kagome tried not to let that tidbit of knowledge throw her completely off balance. The word, aphrodisiac, brought to mind Sesshoumaru and her writhing together in their bed hours before. The miko viciously quelling the sensations that came to life in her body, knowing that now was not the time or place to dwell on anything carnal. Being in the presence of kitsunes who could easily smell how she felt.

Clearing her throat, determined to be as mature and adult as possible, she ignored the heat of her face that made her want to fan herself. "I see. Well, it was my first time having it, as far as I know. It tasted good."

Her inner voice was mocking her. Making it difficult not to hide her flaming cheeks with her hands from the three across from her.

Way to go. Just toss out there to Akito and his parents how much you loved eating something that makes you want to jump your mate, supposedly. Awesome.

"Now you've embarrassed her!" Atsuko slapped her son's and mate's shoulders in turn. An aggravated frown sweeping her bluebell eyebrows down into a scowl. "You two should apologize! Making poor Lady Kagome feel any discomfort is rude. Especially knowing she's newly mated! That is a delicate time for any female."

Flinching at the strength behind his mate's 'love tap', Hitoshi gave the red-faced miko a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Lady Kagome. I'm afraid years of my mate's attempt at civilizing my sons and I has been fairly impossible. Deepest apologies."

Nodding firmly, the female kitsune arched a brow at her son. "Now you. Go on, apologize." She folded her arms across her breasts, waiting.

"I am sorry, Lady, if I have offended you or caused you to feel upset." Giving Kagome a bow of his head, Akito added, "Forgive my transgression."

Again, Kagome was thinking about finding that elusive hole to go hide in. The recalcitrant looks from the two male kitsunes making her more uncomfortable. The scarlet on her face darkening to clash with her hair and eyes.

"There's no harm done, Akito, Hitsohi." Laughing nervously, Kagome impulsively reached across the table to give Atsuko's hand a squeeze where it lay next to her plate. Blue-grey eyes staring into the other female's surprised own. "Please, Atsuko, there was no harm done. Besides, I'm happy to learn about anything that concerns my new mate. Even the types of food he grows on his lands."

"As you say, My Lady." Atsuko's own grin held shades of confusion as she unobtrusively drew her hand from beneath the young human's. "Let me tell you what this last dish is. Since apparently my mate and son cannot be counted upon to do so without getting into mischief."

The last was accompanied by a severe look to both males. Neither of them daring to meet her gaze as Hitoshi drank his tea and Akito finished his food.

Picking up the bowl that held the last few strips of what Kagome assumed was raw meat, she tilted it towards the miko so she could see it better. The red liquid it swam in flowing toward the edge, but not overflowing.

"This is simply raw strips of beef, My Lady." Taking not of Kagome's curled lips and wrinkled nose, she chuckled while placing the dish back on the table. "It must seem odd to you, that youkai eat their meats without cooking them, usually."

"Yes. Absolutely." Kagome swallowed the revulsion she felt at being told what the three youkai had eaten with relish was steak tartar. Definitely not something she would be asking a bite of in the future, thanks. "Is there a reason why demons never grill or bake the flesh of the animals they consume?"

"I am not sure, Lady." Akito eyed her as he thought about what she had asked. "It has just always been this way. Since I can remember. I do know that cooking the meat can sometimes react adversely to our systems. Making us ill."

That, Kagome had not known. A flash of guilt over what she had made Sesshoumaru eat in her time making her grimace. Why the stubborn Taiyoukai hadn't just flat out told her why he didn't eat what she was offering, she didn't know. But now she felt bad that he had choked it down.

Damn dog demons and their pride! He should have said something!

Mistaking her expression as being directed at them, Akito added quickly, "I realize it might be considered disturbing for you, My Lady. I apologize if saying so has given you a moment's disquiet."

"No, no." Raising her hands in a placating way, she grinned. "It's just culture shock, Kito-kun. Just me understanding how different the norms and taboos are between youkai and humans. I'm glad for it, frankly. It helps me to understand my mate and his needs better."

She was going to give said mate an earful this evening when she saw him too. Not telling her that what she was feeding him while he lay there, injured, was probably causing him to be nauseated. It made her irritated. At herself for not knowing better and him for remaining silent on the matter.

Pushing aside her annoyance, she instead focused on her guests. Thankful when Akito replaced the lids on everything and stacked the dirty dishware to the side. The less she saw of the uncooked cow muscle the better.

"So, please, tell me all about your family. I'd love to hear more about your other sons."

Kagome and the three kitsunes spent the remainder of the afternoon talking. Easy laughter and relaxation filling her with contentment as her fears of being the cause for censure amongst the arctic foxes bleeding away.

* * * * * #####*****


	55. Inebriation

Sesshoumaru dismissed the youkai across from him with a bland expression. A frustrated frown marking his brow as soon as he was alone within the confines of his study.

That last one had been all that remained of the tiny list of demons Jaken had brought him a few hours prior. Each male or female youkai he interviewed completely inadequate in teaching his mate the proper decorum she needed to know for the ceremony.

The dull throb of a headache at his temples had him pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. His eyes tightly shut and his shoulders tense.

His retainer's choices were deplorable.

Either they were prejudiced against Kagome because of her heritage, a sentiment they would never dare display in the presence of the Taiyoukai she was bound to but was still easy for him discern. Or they simply did not possess the knowledge he desired to be imparted to his miko.

When a knock came to his door, he sighed heavily. Letting his hand fall to lie flat on his desk, smoothing his features back into cold stoic lines.

What now?

"Enter." One silver brow arched as an unknown male came in before closing the door softly behind him.

His tall frame encased was in an ornate dark purple silk with varying shades of silver swirled about the fabric. The haori he wore over his hakama was made from as fine a fabric as Sesshoumaru's own, pointing to this person being very wealthy and high up in society. His long black hair was tied high upon his head with two long strips hanging over his pointed ears to trail down his broad chest. A black and silver sash was laced about his lean waist, the twin eel skin pommels of a katana and wakizashi peeking from the haori. The same pattern as the sash was repeated in the woven chord tied in a large limp bow to hold his inky tresses back. There were platinum straight earrings dangling from his lobes, the swaying from his footsteps making them flash in the later afternoon sunlight.

What caught the Taiyoukai's interest the most, however, was the mask. Decorated white with swirls of red over white, a snarling muzzle that resembled any Taisho ancestor in full inu form over the lips, the male wore over his face. Obstructing any view of his countenance save the pale skin tone seen from its edges, his exposed throat, and clawed hands. Even with his acute eyesight, Sesshoumaru could not discern the demon's eye color as he came to a halt serenely before the dog demon.

Clawed hands joining, he bowed deeply, his mask remaining in place by the thick black ribbons attached to its sides and tied underneath his ponytail.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." Straightening, his voice resonated, deep and modulated. Cultured in a way that spoke of good breeding. "I have come to offer my services in tutoring your new mate, Lady Kagome."

Inhaling the male's scent deep in his lungs, he inwardly frowned while outwardly remained the picture of cold indifference.

He was unable to pinpoint exactly what he was smelling. The pleasing subtle odor not one he had come across before. There was no hint of soap or musk. Of trees, dirt, anything of the outdoors. Not a trace or nuance of what this youkai's heritage was or where he had hailed from. His scent was disturbingly elusive.

"I am not aware you were summoned to meet me." Studying the relaxed slope of the male's shoulders, he gestured for him to take a seat with a nod of his head.

His unknown 'guest' lowered himself to the floor with a grace only seen in the best trained courtesans and courtiers. Such a simple gesture performed this expertly meant hours of drilling. Of days spent in grueling discipline as one achieved that amount of perfection.

"You did not, this is true." Nodding, his voice clear despite its covering of the mask, his kneeled frame ramrod straight and absurdly proper. "I took it upon myself to travel to Taisho palace once I heard that you had taken a human mate. I was delayed in arriving by a few days since I was not in the area."

"I see." Sesshoumaru's headache increased as he strained amber orbs to delve into the eye-slits circled in crimson. The fact he couldn't see the eyes of who he was talking to bothering him on a visceral level. "The mask is necessary?"

"I am afraid that an egregious injury has left me with a pattern of scarring that most find alarming, My Lord. Keeping the covering in place puts others more at ease than if they were to gaze upon my ruined countenance."

Sesshoumaru could detect no lie in the words. In the lack of acceleration of the heart which beat inside the youkai's breast sedately. Not a hint of sweat or unease.

"Very considerate of you." Sesshoumaru allowed cynicism to color the icy nuance of his words. Letting the other youkai feel his disdain. "And I should employ you to teach my new Lady Mate why, exactly? I do not recognize the design on your clothing as belonging to any particular house. Nor is there any sigil present to denote which noble you are associated with."

"That is because I do not 'belong', per say, to any such house, My Lord. I am of noble birth, in a way, if that puts you at ease as to my pedigree." Clawed hands set open palmed on his thighs, he continued. "I would be honored to aid the new Lady of the Western Lands for her presentation ceremony."

It perturbed Sesshoumaru that this male wished to be near his mate when he hadn't the slightest idea who the hell he was or where he came from. By the demon's own admission there was no way to ascertain anything he said. For a Taiyoukai who placed his trust sparingly, he did not see a way he could allow him near Kagome.

Who knew what his true motives were?

That coupled with how quickly he had divined Kagome needed a tutor, when just this morning Sesshoumaru had Jaken find the few in his lands who may be decent candidates, was unusual.

And Sesshoumaru disliked anomalies immensely.

More times than not they led to a disruption. A total upheaval of one's life in an unpleasant way. But, for now, he would play along. See what information he could obtain from the other youkai before dismissing him from the palace.

"What is your name?"

Bowing deeply at the waist once more, his long black hair that seemed to absorb the light instead of reflect it trailing over his shoulders and onto the floor, he straightened to state, "Mitsue, My Lord. Mitsue Tsumi. It would be my honor and privilege to assist you and your Lady, Lord Sesshoumaru."

The name didn't ring a bell. It held nothing that was useful in determining the other youkai's motives or intent. Whether genuine or no.

"What qualifies you to teach Lady Kagome, Mitsue?"

"If it pleases, My Lord, I am accomplished in everything to do with youkai high court etiquette. I have trained even some of your ancestors, including Lord Inu Yasha's mother. This makes me very adept at being able to help your human mate understand and comprehend what will be expected of her during the ceremony. Assuring Lady Kagome will display the confidence and grace that has always been associated with the great house of Taisho." Patiently, Mitsue waited for the dog demon to respond. His pose never once shifting even by a centimeter. Continuing as the Taiyoukai stared at him flatly. "My Lord, you can validate my claims if you were to ask Seiryn. The Taisho scholar and I are well acquainted. She should be able to put any qualms to rest regarding my assertions."

Sesshoumaru could clearly see and hear that Mitsue was, indeed, telling the truth in regard to being adept in maintaining the rigid codes of youkai high society. Not a movement or sound from his cultured tone expressing anything but sophistication.

What was more to the point is that he had mentioned the owl demon who taught Rin by name and that he professed that his father had permitted him to work with Inu Yasha's mother.

Though, his half-brother's dam had already been of ningen royalty, so he doubted she had experienced the difficulties which would be presented for Kagome.

"Kiro," Sesshoumaru didn't take his eyes off Mitsue as the arctic fox opened the door waiting for his master's order. "Bring Seiryn to me."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kiro departed without hesitation, closing them inside once more.

"I find it disconcerting that there has been no mention of you throughout the years, Mitsue. Surely, if what you claim is true, then word of who you are and what you were to my father's ningen mate would have been known to me." Watching the other male closely for any sign of subterfuge, the Taiyoukai pinned his masked face with frigid amber orbs that resembled chips of colored ice.

"That would be because your father kept my existence a secret, My Lord. Inu Taisho would never have condoned allowing the other youkai nobles to get an inkling that his new mate, no matter her heritage, was anything but natural in her abilities to reign at his side." Sesshoumaru got the distinct impression he was being studied from behind the mask as Mitsue added, "The Great Dog General would suffer no chance of my role in the household being discovered. Thus, I was supplied with enough compensation to afford me a life of leisure and refinement after my task was completed."

Everything Mitsue said made perfect sense. Including his father's secrecy in reference to his human mate. By then, Sesshoumaru had been the equivalent of an adolescence in youkai terms. His disgust and anger at being left to his uncle's tender mercies for years while his father wallowed in the pain from losing his youkai mate had filled his oldest son's heart with bitterness. An acidic rage that he had been neglected. Left to suffer Aion's attention whilst his sire dealt with the storm of his loss.

By the time he had taken his new human mate, a princess no less, Sesshoumaru hadn't given a damn about Inu Taisho or the woman he had replaced his mother with.

Despite what everyone had assumed, Sesshoumaru had never hated humanity. Disdained the creatures, yes. After all, they over-populated, were ignorant, dirty, and violent. They hardly ever held the finer qualities he had grown up around in Taisho palace. The first time he had dealt with a filthy gaggle of fearful ningen brandishing crude weapons at him still had the force to make him curl his lip in disgust inwardly.

No, the entire reason he had always been at odds with Inu Yasha, why he could barely tolerate being in the same room as the hanyou, was because his very existence was a reminder of every painful degrading thing that had happened to him after his mother's death.

Of how their father had only allowed his youngest child to be abused by the sadistic inu youkai for but months before swooping in to rescue him. A blatant disregard for his heir in favor of the spare, as it were.

The betrayal of that had cut Sesshoumaru deep. Leaving a gaping wound which had festered. Poison creeping through it, overflowing to pollute his heart and saturate his mind. Until the Taiyoukai had despised the very sight of his younger brother. A hatred, which he now acknowledged was utterly irrational, taking root for what had been left of his family.

Once his father's human mate had taken up residence in the palace Sesshoumaru had immediately vacated it. Refusing to be haunted by the terrified pup he had been or the resentful adult he was becoming.

So yes. It was highly probable that what Mitsue was claiming was actually true. Seiryn would be able to either support or negate the other youkai and depending on what the owl demon said, the Taiyoukai would go from there.

The arrival of said female had him leaving his silent regard of Mitsue. The youkai across from him still the picture of patient serenity even though he had just been subjected to quite a few minutes of silent staring.

"You asked for me, Sesshoumaru-sama?" As ever, the scholar's gaze was steady and calm.

Her waves of multi-colored sienna hair catching the dying light of day beautifully, clawed hands clasped to her middle as she came to a stop just behind the seated male. Kiro closing the door once more to stand guard by it outside.

"Yes, Seiryn." Nodding to the male youkai, he arched a silver brow at the owl demon. Watchful of her reaction to his next words. "This youkai says you know him. Is he familiar to you?"

Frowning in puzzlement, Seiryn slowly stepped forward to stare at Mitsue, her eyes widening impossibly in her pale face as her lips parted in shock.

"Mitsue?" her voice was barely a whisper as she looked him over again and again. As though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Hello, Seiryn. It has been a while." A smile was heard behind the mask. A hint of humor in the voice from the male who was now looking up at her.

Smirking, she placed her hands on her hips. "A while is putting it mildly. I had wondered what became of you from time to time throughout the decades." Sharp eyes swept him again. "Though they seem to have been kind to you judging by your appearance."

A deep chuckle resonated from his chest as Mitsue inclined his head in agreement. "I confess, I have not had a reason to complain about my circumstances."

Cutting in on the conversation, Sesshoumaru didn't show any of the surprise he was experiencing. Really, he had not thought that what Mitsue had said about knowing Seiryn would be true, and that once his scholar came into his study he would then have the proof he needed to evict the male from the premises.

"I take it he is telling the truth then?"

Blushing, something he had never seen the owl demon do in his entire life, Seiryn bowed at the waist, contrition written all over her face. "Apologies, My Lord. I was a bit taken aback at seeing Mitsue again. You see, I have not done so since the day he departed long ago when your father's human mate lived here."

"Yes, he has said as much." Tapping two claws against the tabletop in a steady drum, he tilted his head to the side. "He claims he wishes to instruct Lady Kagome for the presentation ceremony. That, having dealt with a human before for the same instruction, that he would be invaluable to my Lady Mate. What say you?"

"If Mitsue is offering to teach Lady Kagome, then I would take it, My Lord," Seiryn replied firmly without hesitation. "He did an impeccable job with the previous Taisho Lady and his methods are both efficient and kind. Attributes I am certain you would appreciate with how it pertains to your Lady Mate, My Lord."

"Indeed," he said noncommittally.

Yes, he desired the best for his mate. Even in something as miniscule as a tutor, he would give Kagome the foremost teacher available. However, he would not affirm or deny Mitsue's request until he had a chance to speak to Kagome himself. Ultimately, she had to like whoever her teacher would be considering she would be spending copious hours in the youkai's presence.

A thought that irked his beastly nature, considering her potential professor would be a male. The disgruntled growling and pacing of his inner demon he would forcefully toss aside if it meant his mate's happiness. After all, he had her all to himself in the evenings. Time well spent loving her every way imaginable.

"I will arrange for a meeting between Lady Kagome, myself, and you within the next day." Sesshoumaru waved his hand in dismissal to them both, Mitsue gaining his feet in a smooth motion that didn't even cause his clothing to ripple or his hair to flutter. "Seiryn, have Kiro find quarters for Mitsue and make certain he is provided with whatever he needs for nourishment and comfort for tonight."

"It will be as you say, My Lord." Bowing, she turned to the door, smirking up at the towering masked male beside her. "Come along, Mitsue. Would your old rooms suffice?"

Pausing to respectfully bow to the seated Taiyoukai, Mitsue said, "My thanks, My Lord." Turning to follow the female demon, a smirk was nuanced in his tone as he looked down at her. "Since yours are not available, I suppose they will do. For now."

Laughing in delight at his flirting, Seiryn had him follow her out, giving Kiro their master's orders on her way by.

Once ensconced alone, Sesshoumaru shook his head in wonder.

Since when did Seiryn flirt with anyone? As far as he knew, the scholar could barely pull her head from the inside of a book long enough to teach Rin, let alone become amorous with someone.

Dismissing the image of the owl youkai passionately embracing some faceless soldier or other, Sesshoumaru rolled his head about his neck in a bid to rid the stiffness there. The tension along his shoulders making his headache worse now that he was no longer distracted by the newcomer.

Looking out the window, he saw it was now beyond dusk and the sky was becoming purplish blue as night fell. Stars beginning to twinkle in between the cloud cover that was moving in. The scent of rain was heavy in the air he breathed into his lungs. The smell reminding him of Shurin.

He had sent the youth on his way early, after the rain-child had helped Sesshoumaru finish everything quicker than he had been doing since he'd dismissed the elemental youkai. A fact that he was thankful for since it would make his return to his mate quicker.

Earlier in the day he had felt the throbbing of her sadness and then embarrassment along the tether which connected them. Its origins unknown, only the depth of her emotions shining through. He had tried to send her as much tranquility as he could, but it had seemed to do little to assuage her. The miko's shame causing him to become angered that someone had made her feel that way.

He had given Shurin strict instructions and if, for some reason, they had not been adhered to by the servants and soldiers of Taisho palace then Sesshoumaru would deal with the offender quickly without mercy. The only reason he hadn't stormed back to their quarters to see what the hell was going on was, a few moments later, her discomfort had altered to a mellow gaiety.

The mercurial speed at which Kagome's moods changed were sometimes difficult to keep up with. Especially for someone who had prided themselves on having no emotions for years, it was perplexing to actively participate in the evening out of another's.

Rolling his stiff shoulders while stretching out his spine with a pained grunt, Sesshoumaru decided to hell with it, and rose to leave.

He had done enough for today, spent enough time away from his mate. The Taiyoukai needed to see her. To hold her warm body close. Listen to her human heartbeat and breathe in her intoxicating scent of apples and vanilla. Just bask in the warmth of her love and take a break from the mountain of responsibility he shouldered daily just to keep the Taisho holdings running.

Tonight, he just needed to be with Kagome and give himself a night off.

* * #### * * *

Kagome was sitting up reading in bed when Sesshoumaru came into their room via the study, as he typically did. Why the Taiyoukai never seemed to use the ornate doors to the chamber, she couldn't guess. Just another one of his little idiosyncrasies she was learning to accept.

When she had finally bid farewell to Akito and his parents, night had just begun to fall. The reddish-orange hue of the heavens with their fat grey clouds showing that the hour had grown later than she had expected. Having become completely involved in conversation with the ice demons.

It was with a lighter heart than she had felt in few days that the miko had returned to their bedroom. Teisa having assured her as the kitsunes departed that a servant would be by to clear the mess from the master's personal study.

The candles had already been lit throughout the room, giving it a soft romantic air that went well with the darkening sky and the smell of rain in the forecast. The cozy heat from the brazier making her yawn behind a hand before she went to the armoire to get changed for bed. Using one of her favorite lotions that smelled like cotton candy, she had smoothed a liberal amount into her skin. Luxuriating in the softness it left behind as she put on her pajamas. Tonight's sleepwear being the ones with the smiling ducks on it. Making her feel ridiculously childish considering she was now a mated woman who made love with a Taiyoukai.

But it couldn't be helped! It's not like when she packed this last time before leaving her house, she had known what was going to happen.

If she had, Kagome might have gone out to purchase a negligee or something to take with her. A piece of intimate lingerie which would have her demon's eyes blazing appreciatively before removing said garment.

That, however, hadn't been the case. So, Sesshoumaru was stuck with a mate who wore a blue flannel shirt and pants set with insanely smiling yellow waterfowl stitched into the cloth. Between that and her sensible underwear, she wasn't going to be winning any seduction awards anytime soon.

Relaxed and comfortable, Kagome had blown out most of the illumination in the room. Bringing an extra one to the nightstand so she would be able to read her novel without straining her eyes.

When she had drawn back the blanket she had blushed while noticing the servants had removed the sheets as well as the tub and such from earlier. The small smear of blood which had been on the ivory silk making her cringe at possibly ruining Sesshoumaru's linens. Even though it had kind of been his fault, though.

But that strangers had seen it? Known exactly how it got there? She just couldn't accept how there was no privacy when you lived in a palace. That you couldn't keep anything to yourself without a bunch of strangers knowing your business. It made her edgy and irritable. Her sense of tranquility of before being replaced with much frowning and muttering about 'no damn privacy in this damn place' leaving her lips as she violently punched her pillow.

Abusing the poor down-filled cushion before placing it behind her back. Throwing the blanket over her legs with more force than necessary as she resolutely took her novel to begin reading. Desiring to escape her new living situation and all the frustrations that came with it for a few hours.

She had just been able to become engrossed in what she was reading when her mate had come in. Raising her book, offering him some privacy as he went to their armoire to begin shedding his clothing for the black pants he favored sleeping in. Concentration on her story obliterated now that she was distracted by her mate and his half naked form that always made her melt a little inside.

It was surprising to her. His early arrival, since Kagome had figured he wouldn't be back for some time yet. The Taiyoukai's hours that he devoted to the castle keeping him awake into the late hours of the evening.

Glancing at him over the top of her book, she arched an ebony eyebrow as he finished changing. "You're back early. Is everything okay?"

Watching her silently, he strolled over to her side of the bed, not saying a word. His amber eyes intent with a trace of fatigue.

Frowning up at him as he came to a stop beside her, Kagome set the book face-down on her lap. "Sesshoumaru?"

Bending down, her grasped the back of her neck, drawing her in for a deep kiss that had her hands clenching with bruising force on the paper cover and pages of her novel. Becoming lost in the sensation of her mate's tongue sweeping her mouth. His nails lightly grazing her nape in a distracting fashion.

When he at last drew back from her, kissing her once more with a firm quick brush of his lips before straightening, Kagome felt cooler as his hand fell away. As though he had taken the heat of the room with him as he released her.

"I was able to finish everything early with Shurin's help." Giving her a smirk, he added, "He told me to tell you he is grateful to you for telling me to take him back."

Waving a hand dismissively, she grinned just thinking about the rain-child. "He deserves it, Sesshoumaru. Besides," giving him a glare, she shook a finger at him, poking him in the hip for good measure, "you were mean as hell to that poor youkai! You should be ashamed of yourself, being so cruel to someone who obviously adores you."

Arching a brow at her, he reached over to return the poke she had given him. Except he aimed for her ribs, smirking when it immediately caused her to gasp and leans sideways away him. "As I recall, there was a certain miko who was running around my palace at the time. Helping that 'poor youkai' be on the receiving end of my 'cruelty' by going to see Teisa at the infirmary."

Swatting his hand away when he went to repeat the contact with her side, she gave him a haughty look down her nose. "Once again, I can't help the fact you are overly paranoid and mean to everyone, so they are desperate to spend time with someone who is nice." Frowning up at him, she added, "And you never said I couldn't go around with Shurin and see your palace back then."

"I recall distinctly telling you on more than one occasion that going about the castle and leaving chaos in your wake wasn't allowed or encouraged." He smirked in triumph when he managed to slip by her swatting hand to land a solid poke right under her arm, making her give a strangled laugh as she squirmed away from it.

Keeping a wary eye on his hand as he wavered it back and forth to distract her so he could get her again, Kagome smirked. "Now, now, Sesshoumaru. Just think how my presence in your castle has made it so much better! Remember how boring and mind-numbing everything was when I first got here? Thank Kami I came along to help you, otherwise everyone here would have died of boredom long ago."

Rolling his eyes, he gave a bark of laughter at her words, almost making contact with her hip, before she pushed his hand away. "Oh yes, Kagome. Having a military stronghold be anything but well-ordered and disciplined is definitely a good thing. Not, the exact opposite of what is considered efficient. How thoughtless of me for thinking otherwise."

Grabbing his finger tightly in one hand as she dodged a little to the side when he went to poke her again, she refused to let him have it back as he tugged.

Giving him a smug look, she said, "At last, you are admitting even Sesshoumaru, oh Great Lord of the Western Provinces of Japan, isn't perfect. It's about damn time!"

She gave a shriek followed by a laugh when he growled at her playfully before joining her on the bed. Straddling her so that his knees kept the blanket tight and confining. Trapping her, Kagome releasing his hand to push against his chest, her book still clutched in one hand as she did so.

Leaning over to nip at her nose, his tail unwinding to lay in a heavy heap over her shins, he gave her a mock look of anger, scowling down at her as she grinned up at him unrepentantly.

"You dare to impugn this Sesshoumaru's honor, woman?!" Growling at her, he pretended like he was going to bite her neck. His lips and teeth combined with the sound he was making causing her to start laughing hysterically.

The miko twisting and turning as she tried to get away, but to no avail. Smacking his shoulder with her book as she continued to laugh, scrunching her shoulder and neck together as much as possible to try and evade him.

"Stop! Stop!" Laughing harder, tears running down the sides of her face at her merriment, she tried tickling his side in return, but was met with no reaction like last time. Irritated that he seemed immune to what was currently making her writhe and laugh like an idiot, Kagome smacked him with her soft cover book on the back of his head. "I said stop it, you damn dog demon! You're going to make me pee my pants if you keep that up!"

Acting as though she bludgeoned him, Sesshoumaru keeled over to lay on his side, eyes closed and expression pained. "Such an abusive mate. That such a 'nice' inu youkai like me could have ended up with such a harridan." Peeking at her through his lashes, he smirked at her. "Are you certain you are not the contingency plan if the assassins were to fail?"

Scoffing, she put her book on the nightstand before freeing herself from the white cocoon of the blankets. Crawling over to where he was to straddle him like he had her, Sesshoumaru grunting as her knee came dangerously close to unmanning him since he was on his side. Giving her an irritated look, he turned his upper body so he could see her clearly.

Smiling at him victoriously, Kagome put her hands on her hips. "Yep, that's right. It wasn't the butler or the colonel. It was me all along!"

Giving her a look of confusion, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

Laughing with a shake of her head, Kagome leaned down to drape over him. Purposefully making him take all her weight. Knowing that his awkward angle made it difficult for the Taiyoukai to retaliate.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're doomed now, Sesshoumaru." Giving him her best evil grin, she loomed over her unimpressed mate.

"I am trembling in fear, Kagome," he said flatly, placing his arm behind his head in an open display that he felt there was nothing to be afraid of from his mate.

Taking the opening, Kagome gave a much tamer version of an inu youkai's growl. Descending upon her mate with much fingers moving along his sides as she tried to bite at his neck like he had done to her. "Muwahahaha! I have you now!"

Kagome was pleasantly surprised when the Taiyoukai who had so docilely been lying under her jerked reflexively when one hand strayed down near the inside of his hipbone. The miko pausing a second before doing it again, getting the same response.

Sitting up straight, balancing on his side carefully, the curve of her lips turned positively diabolical.

"Sesshoumaru, darling," She purred, leaning over him a little as he brought his arm up, eying her warily. "I do believe you are ticklish."

To punctuate her assertion, Kagome stared him dead in the face before repeating the dance of her fingertips along the area where the muscles of his abdomen and hipbone held a crease. She was rewarded with him grabbing onto her hand with quick youkai reflexes, his grip tight but not painful, her laughter floating between them.

"Ha! I knew it!" Wriggling about on him, Kagome tried using her other hand to get him, but his tail wrapping about her wrist prevented it.

Giving her a smirk, Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at his disgruntled mate who was tugging ineffectually on her captured limbs.

"What's the matter, Kagome? Stuck?" He taunted her, making her sway back and forth a little by pushing and pulling on her.

Scowling, gazing down at his smug expression, Kagome thought for a moment before a grin curved her lips. His eyes becoming wary at the sudden change of her attitude.

Not saying a word, the smile firmly kept on her lips, Kagome scooted backwards until she was no longer on his hip, but now near his knees. Giving him a quick triumphant look before leaning forward to nip at his side. Growling playfully at him the entire time as she copied what he had done earlier. Sesshoumaru muttering a curse while squirming under her, the woman tightening her thighs keeping him from dislodging her as she pretended to attack him.

"Damn it, woman!" He shouted as a strangled laugh left his throat. Twisting his hips while pushing at her in an attempt to keep her from her target. "Stop that!"

Laughing hard, Kagome kept up her assault. Fighting the way his hand and tail kept trying to remove her from his body. When she at last got the result she had been seeking, Sesshoumaru's whole body writhing as he laughed beneath her, Kagome finally sat back up. Her arms held out to her sides since they were still being detained by his tail and hand.

Breathless and red-faced, but extraordinarily pleased with herself. Proud at being the one to make the stoic dog demon lose control. Enough so that even his face was red, even if he wasn't crying like she had. His smile large and his fangs flashing. His hair in complete disarray about his head and across the duvet.

"Told you, you are ticklish." Panting, sweating a little under her clothing from the heat of the bedroom, she arched an eyebrow at him. "You give up?"

Slowing his own ragged breathing, smile still tilting his chiseled lips, he tilted his head to the side. "I wasn't aware we were in a competition."

Waving the hand back and forth that was being held aloft by his tail, she shrugged. "That's beside the point. Just admit I won and I'll let you live."

"Ha!" He scoffed, eyeing her in speculation. "I will not concede defeat without even knowing I was in a battle in the first place."

Shaking her finger at him from the same hand, Kagome tsked. "Tsk, tsk, Sesshoumaru. Everyone knows the old saying. Happy wife happy life. Which means if I say I win at something then it must be true."

Giving her a doubtful look for imparting that tidbit of wisdom, he at last released her arms. The miko promptly placing them on the tops of her thighs as she retook her previous spot on his hip.

"That thread of logic seems particularly frayed and brittle, Kagome. I do not recall ever hearing such an idiom before meeting you, so it stands to reason, you have made it up to suit your purposes." He grabbed a hold of her knee when she went to adjust how she was sitting and nearly got him in the groin for the second time.

Kagome, totally unaware with how close she had come to kneeing her lover in the crotch twice now, gave him her best pouting 'I wanna get my way please' look she had perfected over the last few years. It had always worked with Inu Yasha, so why not his older brother!

"But I like winning, Sesshoumaru. It makes me happy. Don't you want to make your mate happy?" She batted her lashes for emphasis.

"I seem to recall you being very happy because of me at least three times last night." His lips curved roguishly, amber eyes half lidded and molten as he watched her blush.

"You're terrible!" But despite her words, Kagome's smile was radiant as she looked down at her mate. Deciding to take a page from his overly dramatic book, she clutched her hands to her heart. "You wound me, Sesshoumaru!"

Keeling over as he had done before, she landed heavily on her side. Opening her eyes after a second to see him mirroring her pose across their bed to face her. Chuckling, she reached over to smooth the bangs from his marked brow tenderly. Her muscles, now that she had done even that small amount of physical exertion, protesting at her.

Not to mention, now that the first drops of rain had begun to fall, the music of them hitting the roof and sliding off trees and vegetation filling the room, it had gotten cooler. A definite sign the brazier in the corner needed to be refilled if it was to last all night.

Taking her hand in his own, he kissed her scarred palm gently before placing it over his heart.

Staring at the ugly crisscross of raised pink flesh on the back of her hand, the wound aching dully, Kagome whispered without looking at his face, "Sesshoumaru, do they bother you? My scars?"

It was a vain question. One that she couldn't resist asking anymore. One that had passed through her mind multiple times since she had lain naked with the Taiyoukai.

He released her hand to cup the side of her face, tilting her head until she met his eyes, her palm still holding the beat of his heart. "Kagome, I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world." Smirking, he added with a disarming twinkle in his amber eyes, "What scars?"

Blinking back tears of emotion, Kagome said in a wavering voice with a wan smile, "Charmer."

Scooting forward, his lips connected with hers in a slow gentle kiss before he broke the caress. Laying his forehead to the miko's while rubbing his thumb back and forth over her cheekbone, staring deeply into her shadowed blue-grey eyes.

"I love you, foolish woman. No matter what marks you bear upon your body. I do not notice them anymore than you do my missing arm."

Clasping his hand to her face, she gave him a quick kiss. "The only thing when I see my handsome Taiyoukai without his arm is pain for him losing it. Knowing I was there to see it that day. But not once would I ever turn away in disgust over any injury you had suffered."

"Precisely." Nuzzling her nose with his, he kissed the tip before a smirk curved his lips. "Apparently, by all accounts, we are foolishly blind to each other's faults. It is a good match, indeed."

Laughing in delight, she rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, yawning loudly behind a hand as she did so. His palm now resting on her shoulder near to where the wolf's scars lay. She felt him lightly trace the lines. Something her mate did most anytime the area was bare to his gaze, the stroke of his fingers calming.

Laying in their bed together, just spending time with one another that held little meaning for anyone else besides the couple involved, Kagome and Sesshoumaru listened to the rain fall. The white noise of water hitting random objects banishing the last vestiges of his headache.

After a while, Kagome sat up with a groan. Her back muscles spasming and her hand still throbbing. Anytime the humidity would increase, any old injury would always act up. Aching dully for hours until she finally got a heating pad and took one of her pain meds and went to bed.

Scooting to the end of the mattress, she shivered when the soles of her feet met the cool of the floor. Rubbing her upper arms vigorously as she got goosebumps, Kagome made her way over to her backpack. Kneeling to begin looking through the few items it held after Sesshoumaru had put everything else away.

"What are you searching for?" Sesshoumaru's voice sounded behind her as he quit the bed as well to go refill the makeshift heater.

Voice distracted as she pushed aside some packages of ramen, she said, "My first aid box. My hand is killing me and I'm sore all over. So, I'm going to take one of my pain meds before trying to sleep." The sound of her moving more stuff aside filled the silence for a moment. "Otherwise I won't be able to get any rest. I had a hard enough time sleeping whenever the weather got bad from my other old injuries. Now, with this new one involving broken bones, it is much worse."

At last finding what she was looking for, Kagome removed the white plastic box with the giant red cross emblazoned over its top. Hurrying back to the bed where Sesshoumaru already lay on his side, the blanket pulled up to his chest with his arm atop it. His amber irises glowing beautifully within the shadows.

Sliding in beside him, Kagome drew the blanket up to her chin, leaning her back against the headboard as another shiver shook her slim frame.

Frowning, Sesshoumaru grabbed the kit from under the blanket. Unlatching it to begin sifting through its various contents. "You must make certain you are resting enough, Kagome." Fingers wrapping about the orange bottle, he fixed her with a serious stare while holding it out to her. "I will not be pleased if you become ill again."

Patting his hand after taking the bottle from him, she unscrewed the white top. Shaking out a tablet before closing it and handing it back to her waiting mate. "Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. I have no plans on getting sick anytime soon."

Swallowing the bitter pill with a swig of water from the carafe and mug on the nightstand, the miko took the sealed kit to place beside it and her book. Blowing out the candles right after before snuggling into her inu youkai's waiting arm. Placing her head under his chin, her legs tangling with his as he cuddled her to his chest.

She was flexing the fingers of her sore hand a few times in an attempt to alleviate the pain there, grimacing when it didn't work. Holding the back of it against the heat of Sesshoumaru's collarbone, Kagome listened to the sound of him breathing, letting it soothe her.

"Your hand pains you severely?" Sesshoumaru moved to cradle the damaged appendage carefully.

"Tonight, it is," she admitted quietly. Hoping that the medicine would begin working sooner rather than later.

The instructions from the doctor said she could take up to two every 4 hours safely, if need be. But she had never felt terrible enough to warrant more than one of the heavy narcotics. In fact, before coming to stay with Sesshoumaru, Kagome hadn't taken any but one in the last month. And that was for her cramps.

Snuggling into his warmth, rubbing her feet together so they weren't as chilled, she felt him kiss the top of her head. "Heat was always the other thing that helped me whenever it would get really cold or rainy. Back at my house in the future, I have this thing called a heating pad. It's basically like a piece of cloth that remains hot for as long as you want it, that you put on your body to alleviate pain. I'd be using it now if I had the choice."

"Does it hurt you if I hold your hand like this?" Gently, he maneuvered her hand to lay flat on his chest over his heart, the snap of the Taiyoukai cracking his knuckles piercing the darkness sharply. Gingerly, he placed his heated palm over the scars. Effectively trapping it against his skin.

As the swollen flesh absorbed the combined heat he had created, Kagome gave a sigh of relief. The ache starting to ebb.

"Yes! Thanks, Sesshoumaru." She tilted her head to give him a quick kiss on his chin. They listened to the rain falling for a few minutes before Kagome asked, "So, anything exciting happen today?"

"I believe I may have a tutor available for you. He came to the palace today offering for the position. Seiryn has vouched for him, having known him from when he was hear many years ago to teach Inu Yasha's mother the same things he would be teaching you." He absently placed another kiss on the crown of her head. "I advised him the final decision would be yours and set a meeting for tomorrow whenever is most convenient for you."

The rumble of his speech floated pleasantly in her ears as the first sensations of the drug taking affect in her bloodstream made her feel weightless.

"Is it going to be okay if I decide I like him enough to be my instructor when he's a male youkai and our bond is new?" She yawned loudly, eyes becoming half-lidded.

"Where your happiness and welfare are concerned, I can control my more primitive impulses if I must. Though it may be difficult at times." She could hear the grimace in his voice even if she couldn't see it.

Kissing his chest, she patted him a couple of times with her uninjured hand.

"Well whatever you do, don't eat him. I learned today that you demons seem to like your meat, shall we say, rare and I'm not altogether certain that means you only eat animals." Her words became slurred, as though she was drunk, the drug heavy in her bloodstream now. "Which reminds me! Why didn't you ever tell me the food I was feeding you when you stayed with me could make you sick? Akito told me that a youkai's digestive system doesn't tolerate flesh that has been cooked very well."

"It seemed less important at the time than the desire to see the dejected look wiped from your eyes. Is your hand feeling better? The medicine is working?" He leaned back so he could look down at her face with concern. Gaging for himself the signs of her being under the influence.

"Yes. I'm not hurting anymore." He wrapped his arm around her immediately, hugging her close as she looked up at him. "I thought you hated me back then. You certainly gave me the impression you would have melted me if given half a chance."

Chuckling, he shook his head with a self-disparaging smile. "I find that, even back then, I was not able to fully convince myself that you were nothing more than an irritating human who was in my way." Lips taking on a devilish edge, a bit of fang flashing in the darkness, Sesshoumaru kissed her lightly. "At any rate, I much prefer 'melting' my mate in other ways."

Laughing in delight, Kagome returned his kiss with one of her own. "I'm just glad that we made it all this way to where we are now." A heavy sigh left her body. "It seems like that was years ago. You fevered and injured in my bed. With Buyo on your chest and with death screaming from your eyes."

"That damn feline had it out for me," he grumbled with a scowl. "Every time I turned around, there that hell-spawned cat would be. Lying in wait to accost me."

"Come on, Sesshoumaru," Laughing as she talked, Kagome patted the disgruntled Taiyoukai on the shoulder. "I'm sure he was much more afraid of you than you were of him. After all, the worst he could do was scratch or nip you whereas you could simply slice poor Buyo in half with a flick of your wrist."

"Hn," was all he said. Thoughts of her pet irking him at the memories of the pain he'd suffered to his person. Sounding cranky, he sniffed at her hair a moment before grousing, "You smell like Akito."

"Are you saying I stink?" She asked, indignant as she pushed away from him enough to glare into the shadows where his face should be.

*****######*****RRRRRRTTTTT

Sesshoumaru mildly wondered what the hell just happened.

One second, they were laying together, holding each other with loving arms. Trying his best not to grow annoyed at the smell of his guard on his mate. The next, he had a drunken female tossing about their bed, trying her best to give him a look that could kill from her blue-grey eyes.

The unfocused movement of her eyes showed she couldn't see him clearly, her pupils huge in her pale face as the drug swam through her bloodstream.

"No. I'm saying my mate smells like another youkai and it irritates me." He released her hand when she wriggled out from under the blanket to sit up, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.

"You, sir, are rude! Telling me I stink." The last part was mumbled under her breath, Kagome swaying a little as the lightheadedness she was experiencing made the room tilt. "How would you like it if I told you that you smelled?"

"I didn't say you stunk, you foolish woman." Sitting up to face his irate mate, Sesshoumaru arched a silver eyebrow when her attempt to look down her nose at him was ruined by her almost falling over. "Lay down before you fall down."

"Oh, so now I'm clumsy too!" Poking him in the chest, Kagome blinked up at him trying to focus on the glowing embers of his narrowed eyes in the darkness. "Rude, I say. Rude!"

Rolling his eyes, Sesshoumaru reflexively grasped her waist when she teetered precariously close to faceplanting on him. Steadying her as she accosted him with another sharp jab. "Woman, I didn't say you were clumsy or that you have an unpleasant odor. Quit twisting my words."

Sniffling, her shoulders slouched as her muddled brain became stuck on what she had interpreted from his statements. "Telling your mate she's smelly and a klutz. And here I am over here thinking how handsome he is. How sexy I find my mate, even when he is grouchy. How sweet and adorable. That's gratitude for you."

Shaking his head as a bemused grin tilted his lips, he sighed heavily. Praying for patience when dealing with his inebriated miko. "Your ability to hear only what you wish to, astounds me, Kagome. It must be a new special talent of yours I have just discovered. Lucky me."

"That's it!" Pouncing on him, she took him by surprise. The Taiyoukai letting out an 'oomph' as she threw herself into his chest. Toppling them both haphazardly across the bed.

Pushing a pillow out of his face that had fallen over it, he grabbed her hip tightly in a bid to keep her from moving. Muttering a curse when one of her elbows jabbed his stomach as she drunkenly tried to sit up straight on his lap. His legs were at an awkward angle, wrapped in the heavy duvet. His tail twitching as he moved it so it was no longer being crushed.

He nearly choked on the tail of her braid as it whipped across his nose when she lost what little balance she had and fell on top of him again. Spitting out the inky strands as she dug her fingers into his pectoral muscles. Her legs scissoring about his hips until she finally had them laying flat out, her smile triumphant as she at last sat up.

The apex of her thighs rested on his groin, the wiggling movement she made with her bottom stirring desire to life enough so his muscles clenched. His teeth gritting as he grabbed her hip as tightly as possible without harming her.

"Stop moving, woman." Clenching his jaw, he tried to ignore how her new position and movements had made him erect. His body disobeying his mind's orders to simmer down since his mate was in no condition to be loved by him right now.

"Quit telling me what to do, you arrogant puppy!'' Kagome snapped, digging her nails into the area above his nipples as she hopped up and down twice to prove her point that she could do whatever she liked when she liked. "Besides, it isn't like I'm crushing you."

The narrowing of her blue-grey eyes pinning him with a threatening glare had him homing in on her, effectively ignoring the state of his body's response.

"Unless, of course, you are calling me fat now too."

"For Kami's sakes! When have I ever made a comment about your weight?" Irked himself, Sesshoumaru scooted them both until his back was against the headboard and he was no longer lying flat.

It took much wiggling and slipping a few times, but damn it, he accomplished it in the end! The cooler temperature of the wood his back rested upon a welcome balm to his overheated skin.

She remained quiet, even being so kind as to totter on her knees to follow him before plopping back into her previous seat without any regard for the rigid length of his erection. That poor piece of flesh disliking being used in such a matter as a sharp pain transmitted from there to his brain.

Scowling darkly, Sesshoumaru silently thanked whatever deity that was observing them saw fit to intervene when Kagome ceased moving with a content sigh as she reached behind her to pull his tail and drape it across her shoulders like a boa.

This female was going to drive him to madness. After this, he was seriously considering melting those damn pills of hers!

Her aches and pains be damned. A Taiyoukai could only handle so much abuse!

When he opened his mouth to pick up their conversation, he was forestalled by her sighing happily as she patted his shoulder with one hand. The other stroking through his fur as she gave it an admiring look from the watery moonlight coming through the windows.

Her expression one he had seen once in court from a youkai noble stroking the pelt of a fire-cat they had killed and skinned. Using the poor animal's hide as a fashion accessory to wear about their body.

"My, but you do have the nicest tail." Straightening her arm to the side, she put the other by her cheek. Looking at the way the silvery light reflected off the silken strands while twisting this way and that. "It makes a great stole too."

"It disturbs me that you see an appendage of mine as a potential scarf, Kagome." His voice flat, Sesshoumaru sighed again when she waved away his concerns.

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Sesshoumaru." Fluffing the fur about her neck, she buried her nose in the strands. Inhaling deeply before releasing a happy sigh. "I bet it looks great on me, too."

Silently praying that the drugs would knock her out soon, his body still at attention and demanding he do something besides clasp her hip, Sesshoumaru eyed her closely. Hoping to distract her before Kami knew what new fresh hell would pop into her brain, he gave her a lecherous leer.

"I would much prefer to see you naked wrapped up in my tail than to picture you using it to keep warm during the winter months."

His expression became shellshocked when she nodded dutifully and promptly began unbuttoning her shirt. Those yellow ducks with their idiotic grins mocking the Taiyoukai as he just sat there staring dumbly. The parting of the soft blue flannel exposing the valley between the globes of her breasts. The creamy expanse of her flat stomach.

Heart picking up in pace, Sesshoumaru was struck speechless for the first time in his long existence. His brain, that cool and calculating organ, deciding to shut down as she began pulling her arms free of the sleeves. A frown of concentration on her face as she waved her arm up and down in at attempt to dislodge the material.

With an exclamation she was at least free, tossing the top of her pajamas off into the darkness over the side of their bed. Immediately moving his tail to encircle her once more when it had slid away during her undressing.

Swallowing thickly, Sesshoumaru kept repeating to himself that his mate was under the influence and not thinking straight right now. That reaching over to cup one full breast, to brush his thumb across the enticing pert nipple peeking through the fur of his tail wasn't appropriate given the circumstances.

The curve of her lips showed delight, blue-grey eyes shining as she smoothed the length of bone, cartilage, and fur over her front. "Is this better?"

"Yes," was all he could choke out. Enraptured by how her own hand skimmed her body in the way he was dying to.

Clearing his throat, his mouth dry and tongue thick, the Taiyoukai slowly slid his hand up so that it was no longer in contact with the fabric of her pants, but the warm skin over of her ribs. Her next words causing him to freeze, narrowed amber orbs to quickly search her face as his shoulders stiffened.

"I tried an aphrodisiac today!" She said it as though it was a great accomplishment. Nodding as though to reaffirm what she had just said.

"You what?" Sesshoumaru's mind blanked.

Who the hell was giving her something to heighten sexual desire?

"Yep! Your chefs added it with the meal I had ordered for the meeting I had with Akito and his parents." Placing a hand beside her mouth, she whispered loudly, "Did you know that some youkai have said that satonishiki grown for demons is an aphrodisiac." A frown brought her ebony eyebrows down into a V as she added, "Though Akito said he didn't know if that was true himself."

"Indeed," was all Sesshoumaru could manage. At a loss as to what the correct response should be.

"Of course," she patted his shoulder a couple of times. "I find you sexy enough without eating something to enhance it."

"That's a relief." He smirked, shrugging aside his temporary irritation that his mate had been fed the fruit or that his guard had seen fit to let her know he had never had experienced heightened sexual desire himself.

She teetered again, his arm tensing as he steadied her, so his mate didn't end up falling flat on her back and onto his legs and tail.

"Are you not tired yet, Kagome?" He refused to acknowledge that his tone had held a trace of desperation.

"Not yet!" She cheerfully replied, putting her hands to the waistband of her pants before glancing up at him. "Should I take these off too?"

"No!" He hadn't meant to nearly yell the one word. But it did have the desired effect of the miko's hands moving back to his chest instead of working at lowering her clothing.

Honor or no, even he wasn't strong enough to resist the site his mate would make nude and on top of him. A position he had fantasized in his mind more than once in the last day.

Tracing his collarbone with delicate fingertips, Kagome swayed a few times before crooning at him, "You're so handsome."

It took a lot of effort for him to focus on her face. "And you are beautiful."

She shook her head, nearly poking him in the eye with the finger she waved in his face. "Not nearly as good looking as you are. Just looking at you sometimes gets me all hot and bothered."

As if to prove her point the subtle scent of her arousal invaded his nose. His nostrils flaring as he breathed it in, his brain wandering off to who knew where. Completely destroying his willpower and ability to reason with it.

There was something about not touching his mate he was supposed to remember, right? Something of import?

"You're killing me, woman," his voice was a gruff low growl in the dark as he finally gave into temptation. Moving his palm to cup the weight of her breast. Flicking her nipple a couple of times before tugging on it with his thumb and forefinger.

The way she sat back to arch into the caress with a complete lack of modesty nearly undid him right there. His pants becoming impossibly tight as she rocked against him.

Moaning, she looked into his face with desire smoldering in her amazing eyes. Lips parted as she panted with the acceleration of her breathing, the beat of her heart galloping in her chest and into his ears. When she did the same maneuver to his own body, using both of her hands to scrape over his nipples, he hissed between his teeth. Muscles stiffening as he leaned down to replace his fingers with the heat of his mouth. Laving and nipping at each breast in turn.

The sound of her cries of passion were music to his ears. The scent of her arousal, the smell of her skin, the feel of her undulating into him, had Sesshoumaru hanging onto his control with the tips of his claws.

He wanted to strip her naked and feast on every inch of her creamy skin. Inhale the fragrance of her desire until he could make out nothing else. Sink into the wet softness of her body over and over until they both lay spent and sweaty tangled in the silken sheets of their bed.

The pictures flashing through his mind were enough to make him release a feral growl, his irises rimming in red at the strength of his desire for his mate.

Harnessing his sexual response to the whimpering female in his lap took almost more effort than he had to give at the moment. The barest thread being used to keep a tether on his primal instinct to wipe away the scent of her personal guard with their love making.

When it came to Kagome, however, he could dig deep enough to put her needs first. Even her own desire to have sex with him not enough to ultimately deter the Taiyoukai from protecting her from herself. Knowing that, no matter what, she was healing from being taken for the first time, last night.

Waiting to join with his sexy mate would be much more rewarding than doing so too early. For her, he could be strong enough to make them both be patient.

Even if doing so nearly killed him.

Nuzzling a path up her throat, being careful not to accidentally brush her mate mark since he knew he would be lost if he did, the inu youkai held her nape as he kissed her slowly. Trying to slow down and calm them both before he did something he regretted.

The medication had dissolved any her discomfort for now, but it would return with a vengeance if he went ahead and stripped her bare before ravishing her as his body was screaming at him to. His mate's tender flesh too new to the act of making love for it to not be painful for her. A possibility that would never come to fruition.

Purr-growling in the way he knew his mate liked, he gentled her with soft fleeting presses of his lips and slow sips with his tongue. Helping the fever in her blood to lessen so she was no longer frantically pulling at him to try and insist he keep going.

Affection permeating his chest at the sound of the small mewling noises she was making as her own aching need for sexual release slowly unwound from the tight knot it had become. Kagome shifted about, the muscles along her spine taught as she rode out the frustration.

He should have never let it get this far in the first place.

Rubbing his cheek along her overheated one, the sound of her ragged exhales flitting along his pointed ear, Sesshoumaru whispered, "I know, my love, I know. I want you as well." Drawing away after pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead, he tenderly palmed her pouting face with an indulgent grin. "But it is too soon. And I wish for the intimacies we share to give you nothing but pleasure."

"But I feel fine," she whined petulantly. Aggravation at his denial to take her to bed making her cross her arms over her bare breasts. His tail sliding free of her shoulders making goosebumps appear on her skin.

"I know you do." Chuckling, he nipped her nose lightly before kissing her until she was no longer upset but clinging to him. Rubbing her lower spine in deep circles to relax her tense form, he connected his brow to hers. "I, however, am not feeling so well."

Chagrin replaced sulking as Kagome gave him a sympathetic look. Sliding off his lap to give him a hug as she laid down beside him when the Taiyoukai went from sitting to reclining. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. Is everything okay?"

Thankful that she could be so easily manipulated when she was drugged, feeling a small stab of guilt for duping her, Sesshoumaru gave the miko his best long-suffering look. Feigning the pain of a migraine when he actually felt fine, if a little sexually frustrated.

"It is but a headache I got earlier in the day. For a while, it abated. But has now returned much worse than it had been before." Studying her reaction beneath lowered lashes, what he was doing to get his way reminding him starkly of the first time he had done so.

Using the excuse of seeing Rin to get her to take him back home sooner rather than later. The glaring differences between then and now made him smile inside. Back then he had just been trying to figure out how to get rid of the girl who lay half naked and trusting in the circle of his arm. Now, he didn't want to imagine what his life would be without her.

"Why didn't you say something, honey?" The new pet name fell easily from her rosy lips. The miko using cool hands to rub his temples. "Can I get you anything?"

Another stab of guilt pierced him between the ribs, but he firmly pushed it back into the recesses of his mind. The end justified the means if it resulted in Kagome forgetting about trying to seduce him.

Not that he wouldn't look forward to his mate doing so in the future!

Now was not that time, unfortunately. Tonight, was for her to rest and recover.

"No, I will be fine. Sleep should help with it dissipating." Sliding the blanket over of them, Sesshoumaru kissed her in thanks before nudging her. "Roll over, Kagome. Holding you will make the pain lessen."

Happy to assist in any way, she rolled over. Snuggling back under his arm and into his chest with a content sigh. Hands clasping about his striped wrist. Fingers smoothing along the magenta lines there as she yawned.

"Is this better?" She glanced over her shoulder.

"Yes, thank you." Nuzzling the place where her shoulder met her neck, he placed a lingering kiss there before closing his eyes.

The sound of her breathing and pulse were starting to slow. Another yawn coming loudly from his inebriated mate as she trapped the tip of his tail between the arches of her feet. Rubbing back and forth a few times before stilling.

"Good night, handsome." Her slurred words reached his ears, making him smile as he kissed her neck again without opening his eyes.

"Good night, my lovely mate." Sesshoumaru followed her into slumber shortly after.

The sound of the rain lulling them until both miko and Taiyoukai gave in and slept.

**********


	56. Girls' Night Out

Kagome eyed the mask of the male who currently sat across from her and Sesshoumaru. Trying to peer into the beautifully decorated face covering where his eyes should be visible but were too shadowed to make anything out. The silent youkai sat preternaturally motionless. His outward appearance perfection from the hair where not a strand was out of place to his clothing which, even though it was constructed of pure silk, remained without a crease.

It was uncanny.

His stillness.

Even with the relaxed set of his shoulders, the miko had the distinct impression that the youkai could spur into action in a fraction of a second. A low hum of great strength emanating from him to tease her senses. Her miko powers fluctuating behind the seal, which had been placed on them, sporadically. Like a tickle under the skin.

Too ingrained to reach, but bothersome in its continuous see-saw of distraction

Not in the same way they did whenever she encountered a shard, a demon or even when utilizing the spiritual essence as a weapon.

No, this feathery brush of immense power radiating from the masked male to her was more like the calm at the top of a waterfall. The water flat as a pane of glass before turning into a frothing beast with immeasurable force behind it as it tumbled over a cliff to the land below.

Kagome could feel the intensity of his stare even though she couldn't actively see it herself. It made her lean towards her mate until their knees touched. Sesshoumaru's presence prominent and familiar.

It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable, per say. Just, that something inside her kept repeating the kneeling youkai was not as he presented himself. This mild-mannered picture of serenity.

Add in the eerie mask he wore, and it made the entire meeting bizarre. Not being able to see the expressions on someone's face as you talked with them. Unable to gage their reactions to what was said.

It was just unusual.

Her eyes fell briefly to the two eel skin pommels of the weapons he carried.

An odd thing to do inside a Taiyoukai's castle. Considering he was trying to obtain the position of teacher and, therefore, would have no need to carry them once inside the palace, it didn't quite fit with what someone would picture when they heard the word instructor.

Sesshoumaru turning his head to glance down at her had Kagome blinking a few times. Drawing her away from the inane musings of the mysterious male which were circling in her mind as her mate studied her closely.

"This is Mitsue. He is the youkai I mentioned last evening who arrived to interview for the position as your new tutor." Sesshoumaru turned from his mate's nervous smile to the waiting male with a flat amber stare. "I present to you the Lady of the Western Lands. My mate, Kagome Taisho."

Kagome started in surprise at hearing him introduce her by replacing the last name she had held all her life. It felt surreal. Realizing that from here on out her whole identity on paper was changed.

That from the moment Sesshoumaru had joined them through the mating bond, the life she had known had become a thing of the past.

"My Lady." Mitsue bowed at the waist respectfully to her before straightening to his previous position. "Lord Sesshoumaru has been kind enough to offer me an audience with you, My Lady. See if I might suit in teaching you what you will need to know for your presentation ceremony."

Lips curving in a small grin, Kagome fought the butterflies flitting about her stomach. Placing a hand on Sesshoumaru's striped wrist resting on the table between them. The aura synchronization activating so that she began to absorb some of the Taiyoukai's tranquility into herself.

"Sesshoumaru told me about you last evening and I've been anxious to meet with you since. I would love to learn anything I can to make my mate proud when I'm presented to the other nobles at the banquet." Eyes shy, she gave Mitsue a tiny grin from rosy lips, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "I'm afraid my knowledge in ruling at my mate's side is embarrassingly miniscule, to say the least. I am anxious to fix that as soon as possible so I can help him run our lands."

"Lord Sesshoumaru is blessed to have such an enchanting and supportive mate, My Lady." Mitsue's voice was kind and concise. The earrings he wore dancing about his neck as his head canted to the side, catching the weak sunlight filtering in from outside through the thick blanket of grey clouds in the sky. "The Western Lands have, indeed, acquired a new mistress who is both kind and beautiful."

Blushing harder, Kagome waved away his praise. Reaching for her mug of tea to bring it to her lips. Watching the other youkai closely from over the rim. "You're really too nice, Mitsue. Honestly, I have no clue as to what it is expected of me or how to act, as I'm sure you are well aware just in the brief time since you met me. I'm not exactly….conventional."

"What is conventional but mundane in a prettier word, My Lady?" Mitsue asked rhetorically, the feel of his eyes sweeping her quickly almost a physical touch. "You have a thirst to learn and a quick mind, I am certain. It will make teaching you the proper etiquette, addresses, and mannerisms fairly easy." Palms flat upon his thighs, Mitsue turned to regard the stoic Taiyoukai at her side. "Your Lady Mate is as beautiful as I had heard, My Lord, if you will permit me to say. And lacks the false superiority one runs into often within youkai high court. You must be proud."

Amber eyes mellowing softly as he glanced at the woman shyly sipping tea at his side, Sesshoumaru gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Yes. My Lady Mate is well aware that I am, and will be, proud of her no matter if she takes a tutor or not."

"It is refreshing to see a Taiyoukai who cares so deeply for his Lady, Lord Sesshoumaru," Mitsue said with a smile in his voice.

Fixing the other male with a narrowing of eyes that returned to frigid stoicism, the Taiyoukai added, "It matters not to me whether Lady Kagome knows how to speak to some Lordling or walk just so in a kimono. I would have her as she is and change nothing, save for the fact she has expressed a desire to be taught. Since that is what my Lady Mate wishes, I am happy to indulge her."

Kagome's chuckle drew both youkais' attention to her as she placed her mug down with a sheepish grin. Pulling the cuff of her blue fleece pullover to her hand as she did so. Glad that she had worn the thick material with her jeans since the chill air from outside still managed to seep through the window coverings and affect the temperature in the room.

Today was much colder than any previous before it. An overcast dark sky that promised another round of rain within the next few hours. The palm of her hand aching now that her medication had worn off.

"What he means is he didn't feel like listening to me badger him for hours on end until he gave me what I wanted." Her look was teasing when she glanced at the profile of her mate. "He has told me before that I talk too much for his liking."

An irritated scowl painted the inu youkai's features as he glowered down at her. "When have I ever said such a thing to you, woman? Your habit of fabricating conversations we've never had is vexing."

Relaxing into the new routine of verbal sparring she enjoyed with her mate, Kagome arched a brow at him with a mischievous grin.

"I suppose you also haven't told me, on multiple occasions, 'foolish woman, quit running about my castle wreaking havoc'? Or "Foolish woman, you leave chaos in your wake wherever you go. Desist from distracting my soldiers'?" Blue-grey eyes laughing, she tapped him on the knee. "Come on now, Sesshoumaru. Tell the truth and shame the devil."

Shaking his head at her antics, he looked to the silently watching male, a subtle smirk playing about his mouth. "As you can see, Lady Kagome has a flare for the dramatic and the heart of a storyteller. I'm afraid if you are enlisted to become her instructor you may find yourself being accused of saying things that have never passed your lips."

Her indignant scoff was lost in Mitsue's laughter. The sound a pleasant rumble as he said, "It is refreshing to see a royal couple who are so deeply in love with one another, My Lord. To find another who matches you so well, is the balance to yourself, is a rare and wonderous gift you possess." Tone suddenly turning serious and somber, he spoke directly to the dog demon who was now peering at him narrowly. "Do not squander what you have been given by being fortunate enough to have Lady Kagome in your life."

"I make it a point to guard all of my treasures viciously, Mitsue." Sesshoumaru's voice dripped ice. A subtle warning interwoven in the words.

Puzzled at the change of the inflection of the other youkai's voice, Kagome took another swallow of her tea. Holding her scarred injured palm to the heat of the beige ceramic mug's surface. Trying to will the warmth into the appendage so it would alleviate the ache there.

"A wise viewpoint to keep, Lord Sesshoumaru." There was approval in Mitsue's voice as he nodded before turning to regard Kagome through his mask. "My Lady, forgive me for noticing, but is your hand paining you?"

Surprised that he had detected the fleeting movement, Kagome clasped her tea tighter as she covered the ruined back of her hand self-consciously. Trying not to feel humiliated about how ugly it looked compared to all the perfect demons roaming about.

It was rare to see any type of permanent mark from an injury a demon had obtained on their person. Even their scars fading completely, if given enough time. Quite irritating actually.

"It's just the weather. When it's overcast or raining it pains me. Any type of moisture in the air makes any injury I have act up. Another wonderful aspect about being human. Nothing to worry over, Mitsue. I promise it won't interfere with my training. Thank you for asking though!" As soon as she placed her cup on the table the dark-haired male reached over to refill it before placing the teapot back on its metal trencher in the shape of three sakura blossoms. The action surprising her. "Thanks again, Mitsue."

"It is no trouble, Lady." His own mug was left empty. The youkai having foregone partaking of any of the steaming emerald liquid himself.

Wrapping cold fingers about the hot drinking utensil, she tried to cover her unease by asking brightly, "So! Do you think you would be able to help me in time for the banquet? You would basically have to start from the ground up, I'm afraid."

"Does this mean you wish Mitsue to become your instructor?" Sesshoumaru's question had her looking up into his bland features.

"Yes, if he is still willing after meeting me." Giving Mitsue a self-deprecating grin, she asked, "What do you say, Mitsue? Am I a lost cause or do you want to give it a shot?"

"I would be honored, My Lady, to teach you whatever you wish to know. In you, I see great potential. By the time your presentation ceremony arrives you will put any high-born youkai to shame." Looking to the Taiyoukai, he asked, "When would you like me to begin, My Lord?"

Instead of answering the demon, he looked down into Kagome's face with an arched silver brow. "You are certain, Kagome? If not, I can dismiss him and find you someone else. Do not feel pressured to take the first person you meet. The time before the ceremony is to take place is not so pressing that you must settle."

"Sesshoumaru! What a rude thing to say in front of Mitsue!" Giving him an aggravated look, her eyes apologetic as she glanced to the male in question. Her hands releasing the mug to wave in a placating fashion. "You'll have to forgive him, Mitsue. I have been trying to teach Sesshoumaru how to be kind, but he is a particularly stubborn dog demon when it comes to learning new tricks."

Chuckling at the assessment of her mate, Mitsue waved aside her apology with a clawed hand. "It is nothing to apologize for, My Lady."

Cracking his knuckles before capturing her scarred hand in his own, Sesshoumaru gave her a look that spoke volumes. "Perhaps you can tutor her after all, Mitsue. Lessons on how a proper lady treats her mate would be a good start. Extensive tutelage in being demure and obedient might be just the thing. Some grueling reiteration of how to show the correct appreciation for having been mated to such a considerate Taiyoukai."

The gentle way he stroked his thumb back and forth in her palm as he warmed her aching tendons and muscles was completely at odds with his caustic words. Making her grin as she leaned up to give him a quick kiss on his striped cheek before facing their visitor.

"Don't listen to him, Mitsue. He would be bored to death within a week if I ever stopped aggravating him or disrupting his soldiers. Become even more unapproachable than when I first arrived." Giving the chuckling youkai a wink, she then batted her lashes at her mate. "Sesshoumaru, darling, don't think I'm going to forget that remark on obedience."

With an unimpressed stare at her threat, he placed her hand against his knee as he continued to stroke the hurt from her hand. His voice cold and flat as he addressed Mitsue.

"It would appear my Lady Mate is taken with you, Mitsue. You can begin her lessons on the morrow once she awakens." Voice forceful, he added emphatically, "Lady Kagome is still recovering from an illness and her injury, so care must be taken to be certain her health comes first. I do not want her worn down because of learning how to kneel correctly or the proper way to hold a pair of chopsticks so it doesn't offend some weakling's tender sensibilities."

"Lady Kagome's welfare will be the top priority, My Lord! I shall see to it that your Lady Mate receives as many breaks as she needs. That the lesson plan is not so rugged it wears on her stamina, preventing her from healing." Mitsue bowed again. "I am honored that you have placed faith in me. I shall not disappoint either of you."

"Of course you won't," Kagome cut in kindly, listing to the side so her shoulder touched Sesshoumaru's arm. Glad that the pain in her hand was receding and she was able to steal his warmth by sitting so close. "I promise I will do my best to retain everything you teach me, Mitsue. If, at the end, it turns out I'm a complete disaster the night of the banquet you'll know you tried your best and the fault lies with me."

"Foolish woman, you must learn the fault never lies with a Lady holding the revered position next to such a powerful Taiyoukai." Sesshoumaru's tone was arrogant, as was his expression, but his amber eyes were soft and reproachful as they caught her own.

As though to remind her that to him, she was perfect the way she was. That no amount of clothing or table manners would make him see her as any more or less than the person who he had willingly mated himself to.

It warmed her heart and made her giddy inside. Having such a high regard from her handsome dog demon. An insane urge to giggle stifled in her throat as she bit her lip with a grin after placing an appreciative kiss to his cheek once more.

"I am certain you will do excellently, My Lady." Mitsue watched the couple closely. The stoic inu youkai's affection for his new mate naked in his eyes, if not on his face. "Is there a certain place you would like to receive your lessons? A room you prefer to use that will put you at ease, perhaps?"

The Taiyoukai answered his question, turning to face the male after bringing Kagome's fingers to his lips for a soft caress. Placing it back to its previous position afterwards to heat the abused flesh.

"You can utilize the personal study in our quarters." Sesshoumaru gave the other youkai an implacable look from cool amber orbs. "It will offer Lady Kagome the privacy I know she will desire with the comfort of being familiar. Close enough to our room that she would not have to travel far in order to rest when needed."

"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Kagome agreed with a nod, her insides warm and fuzzy from the open display of affection Sesshoumaru had shown her in front of a stranger. "I'll just have Teisa inform you when I'm ready tomorrow to have you brought there, if that is okay with you?"

"Absolutely, My Lady." Gaining his feet gracefully, he bowed to each of them in turn. "Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave of you. I find I am still a bit fatigued from my extensive travels to arrive here."

Inclining his head regally, his hand still occupied with his mate's, Sesshoumaru dismissed him. "You may go, Mitsue. Lady Kagome will summon you on the morrow."

"Thank you, My Lord. My Lady, until tomorrow." Another set of quick bows and he was gone. Kiro closing the door behind the dark-haired youkai's tall frame as he quit the room, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Heaving a sigh, she put her head on Sesshoumaru's bicep. Content to sip her tea while spending time with her mate inside the cozy confines of his office. Glancing around, she saw the stacks of scrolls and letters piled everywhere. Reminding the miko she there was yet the issue of her having read his personal letter that needed to be confessed to.

Something she was only willing to do once they were alone in their quarters.

Taking stock of what littered the room, the number of books, forms, inkwells, and quills on the shelves lining the square space. Even his desk had been cluttered with various pieces of parchment when she had first come in to meet up with him for her interview with Mitsue. The Taiyoukai having Shurin set everything aside and order tea before the other youkai was to arrive.

The fact that neither demon had consumed any of the beverage themselves let Kagome know Sesshoumaru had ordered it primarily for her. The thoughtfulness he displayed for the miko making her want to pounce on him and shower his face with kisses while hugging him tight.

She nearly gave into too, if it wasn't for the fact that he was constantly in demand whenever he was in residence in his office. Kagome highly doubted he would enjoy it if some random palace guard or servant were to happen upon them in a compromising position.

Turning her thoughts away from what it would be like to wipe the sedate expression from his features to replace it with passion, she let her eyes travel about the room once more.

It amazed her how much Sesshoumaru had to oversee by himself. The vast network of holdings within the Western Lands a veritable spiderweb of connecting shipping lanes, merchant stops, and farming. Not only did he have to run the huge castle they lived in. But there were also more than a handful of smaller keeps his vassals ran around the whole of Western Japan. Each one meticulously monitored by her mate with regular updates and briefings he received throughout the day.

Why, just in the short hour or so she had been with him, before Mitsue had arrived, the Taiyoukai's peace had been invaded no less than six times. The cool confident way in which he handled whatever mishap needed his attention making it look easy. When the exact opposite had to be the truth.

Sesshoumaru's mind had to be a photographic memory incased within a steel trap. The astounding breadth and width of the reigns he controlled in his kingdom awe-inspiring. The demands attached to having literally thousands of people dependent upon your decisions to thrive had to be knee buckling for even the most stalwart of leaders.

When to plant grain, where to harvest fruit, what mountains to mine the ore for the weapons and metals needed to keep an army of this size going. It boggled her mind, just how much pressure Sesshoumaru must be under all the time. The Taiyoukai carrying the mantel of sovereignty with the grace of someone born to rule.

Of a strong intelligent male who was even keeled enough to negotiate peace treaties while, in turn, brutal enough to maintain control over the miles of provinces from any threat to his lands with deadly accuracy.

Thank Kami their mating bond allowed her life to be lengthened to parallel his own because Kagome figured it was going to take a couple of lifetimes just to figure out everything it took to run the Great House of Taisho.

It made her shift about restlessly where she sat. Her inability to help him carry some of the responsibilities that weighed heavily upon his broad shoulders.

She wanted her relationship with the Taiyoukai to be a full partnership. Of standing side by side to face whatever trials and tribulations might come their way and offer assistance in dealing with the resolution of them.

Not to be just the beautiful lady to a powerful youkai. But an integral part of what kept the Taisho holdings running smoothly.

Without looking up from the letter he was currently perusing from the small pile on the floor beside him, he squeezed her hand with gentle pressure. "What is troubling you, Kagome?"

Of course, the damn mating bond would tell on her.

"I just wish I could help you, that's all." Expression earnest, she waved a hand to encompass his study. "It's obvious that you are inundated with a ton of work that needs to be done daily just to make sure the castle runs, let alone everything else you own."

Frowning as he continued to read, he said absently, "The reinstatement of Shurin will ensure that my time is not spent solely on business. I am as anxious to spend time with my new mate as she is with me."

"No, Sesshoumaru, you're not understanding what I'm saying." Scooting about to face him, she pulled her injured hand away from his. Gaining his full attention so that he was no longer occupied with the piece of paper on the desk. "I want to help you. To learn how everything works so that you won't have to look after everything by yourself all the time."

"You wish to know how to manage the servants?" He gave her a puzzled frown.

"Not just that." Waving a hand helplessly as she tried to explain, Kagome searched her mind for the right words. "Sesshoumaru, I don't want to simply be some pretty ornament on a Taiyoukai's arm. Or a woman who lounges in the gardens only worrying about what flowers to pick or what new kimono to wear. I want to learn how to rule. To become a true queen to your king. Do you understand?"

He gave her a considering look from intense amber eyes. "The things you have mentioned are not typically what a high borne lady does, Kagome. Even in youkai society, it is uncommon for the females to actively participate in the governing of land. Save if there are no male heirs to take her place, that would be the only reason why you would see a woman in power."

"But I'm not from this time. You know that when and where I come from doesn't treat the female gender like that. Not to the extent you are claiming it does during this age, anyway." Frustrated, she ran tense fingers through her bangs before folding her arms across her chest with a frown. "I'm telling you right now, Sesshoumaru, I won't be happy just sitting on the sidelines."

"Because you wish to be queen." His voice was flat, the luminescence of his eyes dimming as they minutely narrowed. Lips a flat thin line, he tilted his head to the side. "I wonder where this sudden desire to reign has manifested from."

Growling, she poked him in the chest in irritation. "Oh, for crying out loud! I'm not saying I am trying to take over your damn castle. I'm not out to steal your job or something. I'm saying that I'm your mate and the time era I'm from women help their husbands carry the load at home. Support them so that the men aren't stuck with the stress of deciding and doing everything themselves."

She could tell by the skepticism written across his face, the sardonic curl to his lip that flashed a fang at her, that her Taiyoukai wasn't getting what she was saying.

"For the love of….!" Quelling the urge to stand just so she could stomp her foot, Kagome settled for poking him again. "Don't give me that look! Like I'm crazy and have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Forgive my rude manners, my mate." His tone was mocking, igniting her temper.

Fed up, Kagome grabbed the sides of his face, keeping her own close to his while biting out, "What I'm trying to tell you, you stubborn dog demon, is that I love you and I want to help you because it kills me to think of you having to shoulder all of this alone. With no one to assist with the goings on of all your castles and lands. But Kami forbid I can't stand to see the man I love potentially become worn down from all that pressure! I must just be some conniving woman out to steal all of Western Japan instead!"

Releasing him, she settled back onto the floor, lacing her arms over her breasts. Pissed and hurt that he was purposely misunderstanding the sentiment behind what she had said.

As if she was some damn gold digger who was just after him for his money!

"Kagome..." when she angrily shrugged his hand from her shoulder as he went to touch her his eyes and lips hardened. His clawed fingers clenching into a fist where they now lay on the tabletop. "I did not mean to upset you, woman."

Sniffling as she blinked back angry tears, Kagome glared at him. "Yeah, well, you more than upset me. You hurt me, Sesshoumaru."

He flinched as though she'd struck him, the Taiyoukai frowning unhappily. "It has never been my intention to harm you in any way, Kagome."

"Well, how do you think it makes me feel, huh? That when I'm over here offering to help, trying to make you see I want to be by your side in everything, you just shrug it off. It hurts that you might even think I'm after something as stupid as your title and money." Brushing the few tears from her cheeks with a growl, she sniffled again.

"It was wrong of me to imply anything like that where you are concerned." Chagrined, he swept her fuming seated figure with regretful eyes. "Forgive me."

Heart aching, her shoulders stiff, Kagome retorted, "You're damn right it was wrong of you. Need I remind you that I was asleep and dying when you made the decision to bond with me? That, I didn't even get asked or was an active participant in what was essentially my own damn wedding!"

It was a sore spot with her. One she hadn't realized bothered her as much as it had, apparently. Because just saying it made annoyance course through her system. She cut him off when he opened his mouth to reply.

"So, to sit there and act like I somehow am over here scheming to steal your throne is fucking ridiculous!"

His brows raising at her choice of words, Sesshoumaru moved so that he was facing her completely. "I see Inu Yasha's influence has rubbed off on you."

"This isn't a time for joking, damn it!" Irked that he would try and make light of something that bothered her greatly, Kagome felt another angry tear escape and flow down her face.

Reaching out to pull her resistant form into his lap, he held her tightly when she brought her hands up to his chest to try and push him away. His tail twining about her, preventing her from escaping. Another growl left her throat as Kagome settled for remaining unrelenting against him. Her face stubbornly turned to the wall, refusing to look up at him.

The brush of his lips at her temple was tender, the vibrations of their combined emotions pushing and pulling through the aura synchronization.

Though she wouldn't allow them to sway her this time!

If she didn't make Sesshoumaru understand now what she expected of their relationship, how she envisioned her future with her mate, then it would become a bone of contention between them. A constant argument that recycled throughout the long years without a resolution or end in sight. Tearing at both of them until the divide between them was too far to cross one day.

Cuddling his irate mate close, he said soothingly, "You are right. It was unforgivable for me to treat what you said with anything but respect. To act as though your desires and wishes were not as important as my old prejudices." Nuzzling her cheek as she continued to ignore him, he went on to say, "I know that you are not trying to usurp me. That you love me and only wish to aid me in any way possible. It is such an anomaly to me that I reacted badly to it upon hearing your words."

"Yes, you did," she mumbled, her spine softening just a fraction as he nuzzled her chin again.

"I am sorry, Kagome. My only explanation is I have made the decisions for the Western Lands for so long, was the only person who had the authority to do so, that it is a foreign concept to have someone who could offer me help." He left a fleeting caress of his lips upon her damp cheekbone. "And I also am aware that you were unconscious during the receiving of your mating mark. That circumstances prevented us from courting and solidifying our match in a traditional way. I can understand how that would be upsetting for you."

Kagome felt her muscles relax another increment as her anger and hurt were slowly being replaced with a begrudging understanding from his admission. He was a few hundred years older than her after all. Being the only one in command for that amount of time, it was bound to seem odd that anyone would want to genuinely help without strings attached.

"Yeah, well, I can see where what I might have said could have been misinterpreted if I look at it that way." Glancing at him from the corner of one blue-grey orb, she finally settled into him all the way. Her legs hanging over his thigh as she began running her fingers through the fur of his tail. "I'm not exactly upset about how we were mate bonded. After all, I was crazy about you even before you saved my life by binding yours to mine. Just sad I wasn't awake to share it with you, experience the joy of it, is more accurate to say."

She could feel his relief through their bonds. As though he had been secretly afraid she might say how much she regretted wakening to find herself his mate.

Unable to help herself, she pulled his head down for a quick kiss. Twining her fingers about the hair at his nape, she sighed heavily after pulling away from the caress. "As you told me that first night. It wasn't a case of if we would ever end up together. It was only when and things happened to speed the process up." Fixing him with a serious stare, she added, "I don't regret what you did, okay? I love you and I'm ecstatic that I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

"As am I. I love you to distraction, you foolish woman." Kissing her deeply, he only withdrew when they were both breathless and flushed. Leaning his forehead against hers affectionately he smirked. "If you truly desire to rule by my side then I will not prevent you from doing so, tradition be damned. Besides, it is not as though I have ever been able to stop you thus far anyway."

Laughing, Kagome stroked his striped cheek tenderly with a grin. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. As soon as my ceremony is out of the way I'll begin learning everything I need to know about whatever it is you need the most help with."

Shrugging, he sat back while unwinding his tail from her body. Setting her gently on the cushion beside him before wrapping the furry appendage into its customary spot about his shoulder. "I honestly cannot say what that would be since it is not common for me to delegate my duties. However, I am certain we will find something which interests you."

Excited at the notion, Kagome smiled while taking up her tepid tea to sip at it. "I won't care what it is as long as I'm doing something that matters."

The idle life of a typical Taiyoukai's lady was too boring for the miko from the future. Too staid and uninteresting to a woman who was educated and raised with progressive ideals on females in the workforce and at home.

A rumble of thunder coincided with a rap upon the door.

"Enter." Once again, Sesshoumaru was the picture of cool indifference as another soldier she didn't recognize came in to bow at them before standing at attention.

Content to listen to her mate's voice as he discussed the threat the weather was posing to the northeastern castle's kanashimi harvest. Placing her chin on one hand while watching the way the fading afternoon light caressed his handsome features lovingly. His hair vibrant against the backdrop of the dark woodwork in the room.

Refilling her mug, she waited until they were alone once more, smiling and nodding to the soldier as he bowed and quit the room, before asking, "Sesshoumaru, is Kouga still here?"

"No. He departed the day I informed him I had taken you as my mate." Brushing the back of his knuckles down the side of her face as she sighed sadly, he gave her a small smile. "I know he is a friend of yours, and that you dislike the idea of him being upset, but I for one was glad to be rid of the wolf prince."

Chuckling, she rolled her eyes, a sadness to the curve of her mouth. "I had thought he might have gone since I hadn't heard from him. I'm sad that he left angry and if he is hurt because I'm with you now. But…" tilting her head to the side, the heavy rope of her braid dancing playfully across her shoulders, she added resolutely, "I am also glad that I won't have to constantly turn him down anymore. It never mattered how many times I told him over the years, he just never would take no for an answer."

"No is precisely what he was told when I talked to him." With an arrogant tilt of his head and a small growl, the Taiyoukai added with irritation, "Lord Kouga is a most loud and unruly leader for the wolf tribe. It has definitely been more peaceful since his departure."

Giving him an impish grin, Kagome asked, "You mean, you two didn't want to have a sleep over and braid each other's hair all night long?"

"Ha!" Sesshoumaru scoffed with open derision and a distasteful curl of his lip. "The images your words paint are most disturbing, my mate. Braid our hair indeed."

Laughter escaped her ivory throat as Kagome felt merriment swell her heart. "Oh, I don't know. Personally, I'd love to braid your hair sometime. With that mane, you're like a little girl's dream come true to play hair-dresser."

"A sentiment you and Rin share, it would seem. She is ever asking if she can do more than make me daisy crowns and chains." Lips twisting in an evil grin that was reflected in the shine of his eyes, he added, "It is fortunate that Jaken makes a most excellent nursemaid in that regard. Many a time it has been that my loyal retainer has been called upon to serve a greater good where my ward is concerned."

"Sesshoumaru! That's just diabolical!" Her laughter brought a flush to her cheeks as she pictured the poor little toad being chased by a flower toting Rin. Sesshoumaru in the background with a serene smile as he watched the abuse of his subordinate without a smidgeon of compassion.

Thoughts of the little girl did make Kagome remember that she had wished to ask about the possibility of Shippo staying on after the Inu Yasha Tachi departed. Nervous at posing her query, she nibbled at her lower lip while watching him from beneath her lashes.

"Neh, Sesshoumaru…." She trailed off, waiting for his reply, stalling on just blurting it out.

Anxious that he might deny her request.

"Yes?" He waited patiently, tapping his claw lightly against her teeth so it would stop abusing her poor lip.

"About Shippo…I know that you don't really know him and that he isn't your responsibility or anything. But I would like to keep him here after Inu Yasha and the others leave. To live with us as part of our family. Just as Rin is and will forever be. You wouldn't be expected to act like his father or anything! I'd take care of him all by myself." Holding her breath after all but rushing through the words until they nearly ran together, Kagome gave her mate a pleading look from big blue-grey orbs. "Please. I love him as though he were my child and would not be separated from him if possible."

"Foolish woman." The words came out as an endearment as he cupped her cheek, running his thumb carefully beneath her eye. "It should please you to know that I already had rooms prepared for your kit the day after we were mated. I knew my new mate would not be happy if she was asked to part with her charge." A wry grin graced his lips. "Another hidden talent. The way you collect the foxes around you as though picking chrysanthemums in the gardens. Those breed of youkai cannot seem to resist you."

Kagome almost spilled her tea when she carelessly set the cup aside to pounce on the Taiyoukai. The dog demon grunting while reflexively wrapping his arm about his exuberant mate. Smiling as she rained kisses all over his face while speaking.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Claiming his lips in a swift, passionate kiss he energetically returned, she wrapped her arms about his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much! I have the most considerate, handsome, kind mate in the world."

"A definite change of opinion than an hour ago," he quipped. Running gentle claws up and down her spine, the tips snagging periodically on the material of her shirt.

"That was settled." Nipping his chin, she slid from his lap, back to her previous spot at his side. Overjoyed that Shippo would remain with her. "Have you said anything to Inu Yasha or the others about it?"

He shook his head. "No, that I was leaving up to you." Glancing outside to the darkening raining sky, he told her, "Incidentally, your first fitting for the junihitoe for your presentation is scheduled for in the next half hour."

Stomach somersaulting at the mention of the ceremony, Kagome nodded while gaining her feet. "I'll have Teisa take me to wherever that's at in the palace. I think I'll send invitations to Atsuko and Sango to join me. Even Kikyou."

Arching a brow at his mate as she tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully, Sesshoumaru asked, "Is there a reason the selection of fabric and pinning of material should be treated as a reason to gather?"

Placing hands on her hips, Kagome gave him a look. "Honestly, Sesshoumaru, you have no idea how women are. Of course, picking out something this important requires second opinions from differing feminine eyes!" Turning away from her bemused mate after dropping a quick kiss on his cheek, she mumbled to herself, "I wonder if the servants might be able to whip up something to drink and eat in time."

"I still fail to see how deciding on a piece of clothing warrants having a party." Shaking his head, the Taiyoukai watched the miko pause at the open door to give him a dazzling smile.

"It's a girl thing. Don't worry about it. Try not to work too hard, Sesshoumaru. I'll see you tonight, handsome!" Blowing him a kiss, she left the room, grabbing Teisa on her way by.

Shaking his head again once he was alone, Sesshoumaru went back to scrutinizing his correspondences. Content that his mate was happy, the waves from her emotions washing over him through their link.

********BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRR***********

Kagome craned her neck to look over her shoulder, trying to see the design of the ornate over kimono encasing her slim body. The heavy headdress she was wearing tinkling musically and straining the muscles of her shoulders with the weight of it.

Combining the beautiful silver headpiece with the layers of the junihitoe, and the miko nearly toppled over from the stool she was standing on. Waving her arms about to catch her balance as she tilted precariously to the side.

Heart racing from the near miss, a tinkle of laughter drew her gaze.

"I daresay, Lady Kagome, you must have at least thirty pounds of extra weight adorning you right now." Atsuko's cobalt eyes danced in merriment as she sipped from the black sake saucer in her clawed hand. A light blush riding her ivory skin, the collar of her lilac kimono askew and rumpled.

"Tell me about it," Kagome grumbled as she reached up to push the sliding metal scrollwork back into the center of her head. Glancing down at herself, she tried not to let her shoulders slump as the fabric hung heavily from her body. "I have no idea how Sesshoumaru expects me to do anything but sit when in this get up. I can hardly move as it is."

"You look beautiful though, My Lady." Teisa grinned at her as cherry eyes swept over the other woman. Shifting about on the plush white cushion she had claimed for her own, the youkai popped a piece of amanatto between her lips. "Lord Sesshoumaru will be beside himself when he sees how lovely you are."

Blushing at the praise, Kagome looked to Kikyou's somber face. The undead priestess sitting calmly at the other end of the low table heavily laden with tea, sake, and a variety of sweets. Inu Yasha's mate keeping herself distant from the two youkai women who sat together opposite her. So far, all the priestess had partaken of was some tea and a few pieces of the sugared beans that were so popular with Atsuko and Teisa.

"What do you think, Kikyou? Do I look as ridiculous as I feel right now?" Kagome's lips tilted in a friendly grin as she tried to engage the other woman in conversation.

She had invited her because she no longer held any sort of animosity or resentment against the undead miko anymore. The love she had for Sesshoumaru burned hotter and brighter than anything she had felt for Inu Yasha. And after experiencing the heady emotions attached to loving someone that much, she felt she understood Kikyou and her motives much better than she ever had before.

Inviting her had been a way to try and include the solitary female. Let her know that she could have friendship if she so desired it. That her becoming mated to Inu Yasha held no hard feelings for Kagome.

"You do, indeed, look lovely, Kagome. I am sure your mate will be very proud to be seen at your side." The words were followed by a serene sip of her tea, her expression unreadable.

"Thanks!" Eyes moving to the taijiya who sat in the middle of the small group of women, Kagome arched a brow with a wry grin. "Sango, are you drunk?"

"Why Kagome, I've never been drunk a day in my life!" Sango's smile was so big it caused her eyes to close. The young woman finishing off the clear liquid in the small saucer before pouring herself and the two female youkai some more.

Rolling her eyes with a laugh, Kagome shook her head as she looked down at herself. Running appreciative hands over the decorated silk.

"Is this pattern to your liking, My Lady?" The elderly female youkai by her hip inquired with a gentle smile.

She was only about an inch or two taller than the miko she was currently fitting. Grey eyes kind and dark green hair streaked with silver at her temples where it was pulled back into a long French braid. A tiny garnet colored feather on one cheekbone. The demon wore a kimono in the same colors as the palace guards, the black sakura blossoms against the maroon fabric hugging her rounded form, a black obi tied about her waist.

"It's wonderful, Saki." Giving the dark red silk a critical once over, she gave the patiently waiting seamstress an apologetic smile. "But I'm afraid I'm not in love with it, if you know what I mean."

A chorus of groans could be heard from the four women gathered at the table in the large room. Sango going so far as to fall backwards to lay splayed on the floor, Teisa's quick reflexes the only thing that kept her sake from spilling.

"Kagome, you've tried on seven different ones already!" Sango whined from her supine position on the floor.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry guys!" Chuckling, she asked hopefully, "Is there by any chance another one I can look at?"

"Of course, My Lady!" The little sparrow youkai bustled off to the far corner of the chamber that was easily four times the size of the bedroom Kagome shared with Sesshoumaru.

Seeing the group of females laughing with one another, even Kikyou offering a grin as she said something Kagome couldn't hear that made the other three burst out laughing, Kagome felt joy sing through her heart. Glad that her impromptu get together was going off without a hitch.

After all, she had missed the fun of picking out a wedding dress with her girlfriends in the future. The miko figured this was probably as close to that experience as she was going to get and refused to squander it.

Content to watch the others, Kagome studied the fitting room Sesshoumaru had designated for her. Gazing up into the rafters which held thick wooden beams much like the hot spring did.

A cool breeze blew through the two open windows which lined the entire one side of the room, the fact that they were five stories up offering a shadowed vista of Sesshoumaru's lands. If it had been during the day, with the sun shining, she was sure the view alone would be breathtaking. The various dots of buildings set between the treetops and gardens aesthetically pleasing to the eye and peaceful to behold.

It made her anxious to visit this floor of the castle again. Having only ever remained on the ground floor, leaving much of her new home undiscovered. Even with the rain and intermittent flash of lightening and rumble of thunder, the miko thought it held a certain romantic charm.

Plus, having the windows open meant she wasn't going to die from overheating beneath the excessive layers of silk. A fabric that was beautiful, but not really meant for keeping one cool. She knew youkai didn't suffer the elements as human did, so wearing the soft cloth wouldn't prove a problem for them.

For a human however…..

The sound of bolted fabric moving about drew Kagome's eyes. The diminutive figure of the curvy sparrow demon rummaging through the huge pile of expensive material accompanied by her humming.

"I'm sorry to make you go to all this trouble, Saki," Kagome called contritely as she once more looked at the dark red silk with its random white cranes swooping over it majestically. "Maybe I should just settle for this one."

"An excellent idea," Sango piped up while returning to a sitting position. Taking the proffered sake saucer with a grin from Atsuko.

"Don't you dare settle, My Lady!" Atsuko called in a voice that was louder than it needed to be. The alcohol swimming in her veins as a smile split her face that had her fangs flashing in the copious candlelight set about the room. "Besides, I'm enjoying myself! I always wished to have a daughter I could play dress up with. Having a bunch of sons isn't really ideal for a girls' day."

"You mean Akito wouldn't care to spend an afternoon trying on kimono or deciding what geta go with which outfit?" Teisa smirked as she looked to the arctic kitsune matriarch, the guard's own cheeks beginning to get a ruddy cast as Sango obligingly put a full saucer in her empty hand.

The hand Atsuko waved between them barely missed catching the orange headed woman's cheek as she swayed where she sat.

"My sons are no fun!" She stifled a hiccup before continuing. "You know, I once took Najoro and braided his hair and put flowers in it when he was a kit? I thought he looked adorable! But Hitoshi made me take it out as soon as the other boys started laughing at him." It took her a couple of tries before she could successfully cross her arms over her chest. A prominent scowl on her marked brow.

"I'll be but one more moment, My Lady!" Saki called as she continued to set aside a pile of fabrics that would go nicely together before attacking the pile of underskirts with gusto. The table beside that holding the seven other outfits Kagome had already declined.

"Take your time!" Kagome reached up quickly when the movement of her head caused the headdress to tilt again. Growling under her breath, she felt the pain of some strands of her hair being pulled out from the large piece of metal.

The damn makeshift crown was going to be the death of her and the cause of her going bald!

Keeping a hold on the misbehaving headpiece, Kagome studied the picture she made in the floor length mirror she was perched in front of. Impressed with how tall she looked with the added height of the stool and the length of the robes brushing the floor.

A few moments later, the sparrow youkai came back, her arms almost completely covered by the silk draped over them. Kagome's mouth parted in an appreciative gasp as she beheld the beautiful outer kimono, unable to stop herself from reaching out to brush her fingertips over it.

Saki's gaze was knowing as she grinned up at her mistress. "It is lovely, is it not, Lady Kagome?"

"It's gorgeous," Kagome breathed in awe.

Nodding in agreement, Saki placed the delicate material back on one of the tables against the wall before helping Kagome to disrobe. The process of removing the eight layers taking great care and patience to prevent accidentally tearing the silk.

Kagome was just inwardly grateful that she had managed to talk the seamstress into lessening the amount she had to wear from twelve to eight. Having used every persuasive weapon in her arsenal until the sparrow demon had finally relented.

One wouldn't think lined silk would be heavy, but they would be wrong. Combine that with the undergarments for the ensemble, and Kagome was amazed she hadn't gotten muscle strain yet in her shoulders.

Once she was down to her shirokosode, the short sleeved white undergarment more like a dress than underwear, Kagome stretched. Arms raised above her head, she gave a groan as her muscles piped up a protest. Slouching while rubbing at her lower spine where an ache sat.

"It would make my life so much easier if I could just go in something like this."

Atsuko's scandalized voice had Kagome turning on the stool to face the drunk kitsune.

"My Lady! One does not go walking about court in nothing save their undergarments." Placing a hand beside her mouth, she stage-whispered. "The scandal would be talked about for centuries."

"I do not think Lord Sesshoumaru would care to be the subject of scandal, My Lady," Teisa chimed in, nodding prosaically with a hand to her chin.

Catching Kikyou's eye, apparently the only other sober one in the bunch barring her seamstress, Kagome gave her a wry grin. "Evidently it just 'isn't done' to go to my own presentation ceremony in my underwear."

Kikyou's lips twitched, banked warmth in her brown eyes. "Indeed. So, it would seem."

"Well I say go for it!" Sango called as she fanned her hot face with a hand. "Who cares what a bunch of stuck up demons think anyway?"

"Lady Sango!" Atsuko and Teisa gave the taijiya horrified looks.

Kagome turned to face Saki when the woman came back with the first layer of the midnight blue underskirt, or nagabakama. Dutifully stepping off the stool to let the sparrow youkai help her into the voluminous material that was stiff enough to hold the other layers in a becoming circle about her legs. The seamstress deftly tying it before moving to grab the first kimono.

Climbing back onto her perch, she held her arms out as Saki smoothed the black hitoe, or unlined kimono, over her shoulders. Next came the lined layers of the underdresses. Each one going from dark grey to finally palest silver.

When Saki brought the uwagi, or main dress, back Kagome again was awed by its beauty. Eager to slide it into place so she might be able to see what it looked like on.

As the sparrow youkai adjusted it a bit she said with a grin, "My Lady, I believe you will be most pleased with this one."

Carefully, Kagome moved her socked feet so that she faced the mirror. Her eyes widening impossibly as she took in the picture she made.

The Long white fabric was stark against the underlayers. The opposing set of racing white inu youkai chasing about the hem, their muzzles raised to the crescent moons along her breasts, were a piece of artwork in and of themselves. The red swirls and amber eyes clear and bright. As though the dog demons were alive and watching those who gazed upon them.

Turning so her back faced the mirror, Kagome smiled as she saw that large crescent moon the same color as Sesshoumaru's forehead mark emblazoned over the white silk. Two more inu youkai leaping around the bottom along the train in opposing sides. As though they were getting ready to meet one another in the middle under the moon.

It reminded her of her mate. The beauty and majesty of his heritage that she looked at and saw every time her eyes met his. Holding out her arm, she looked over the long sleeve. Enchanted by the magenta stripes which trailed along them. Just like Sesshoumaru's did on his wrists.

"It's perfect." Kagome's smile was radiant as she turned to her friends, Saki deftly catching the headpiece that promptly took a nosedive with the motion. Arms akimbo, she showed her audience. "What do you guys think? I love it!"

"Oh, My Lady," Atsuko sighed as her cobalt gaze swept the young woman. "It is, indeed, perfect."

"I agree! Way better than any of the others you've tried on so far." Sango pushed back the hair that trailed into her face, the demon slayer having left it down, her yellow kimono wrinkled and creased.

"Lord Sesshoumaru will be awestruck, My Lady." Teisa gave her a wide grin as she polished off the last of her sake, her glaive behind her leaning against the wall. "You will surely outshine any other Lady at the ceremony."

"It suits you." Kikyou actually smiled for the first time since coming into the room. "Lord Sesshoumaru will be very proud of the picture his new mate makes in her junihitoe."

"Assuredly, My Lord will become speechless at the site of his Lady looking so beautiful." Saki stepped back to admire the vision the miko made with a grin. "Is this the one, My Lady?"

"Yes, definitely!" Kagome said firmly. Already in love with the outfit and almost loathe to part with it until the next fitting.

"Excellent!" The seamstress bustled back to her work area, grabbing her collection of straight pins before coming back to kneel and begin tailoring the hem expertly before moving to the sleeves.

Glancing down as the light caught the headdress Saki had placed on the floor by the mirror, Kagome asked hopefully, "There wouldn't, by chance, be another piece I could wear for the headgear, is there?"

Voice muffled from holding the sharp pieces of metal in her mouth as she expertly rolled a portion of the sleeve before pinning, Saki replied, "Of course, My Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru's coffers are filled to the brim with any type of jewelry which might take your fancy. I will have someone bring you a selection of what there is tomorrow for you to decide upon."

It floored Kagome. The offhand way the sparrow youkai mentioned the wealth at the Taiyoukai's fingertips. Coffers? She couldn't imagine.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Saki." Admiring the dog demons and their glowing eyes, Kagome ran a caressive hand over the muzzle that lay near her waist. The inu youkai's teeth bared and gaze fierce as he reached for the moon above his head. As though he was actively hunting the heavenly body and was determined to capture it. All the four youkai on her outer kimono were missing was a dark crescent moon marking their snowy brows.

Wearing the garment made her feel as though the dog demon it resembled was near. Embracing her tightly. Offering security and safety to her as she navigated the intricate steps of youkai high court life. She just knew that it would help bolster her courage the night of her presentation banquet, the thought helping to put her mind at ease.

"There." Standing back to eye her handiwork with a critical eye, Saki made a circular motion with one finger. "Please turn, My Lady, so I may be certain I have everything even."

Carefully spinning in a slow circle with her arms out, Kagome stifled a laugh at the sight of Sango and Atsuko leaning into one another while sitting up. Both women fast asleep, the kitsune snoring softly as the demon slayer used the arctic fox's shoulder as a pillow.

Nodding with a grin, the sparrow youkai gave her mistress a warm smile. "It is flawless. Let me remove everything for you so you can change back into your own clothing, My Lady."

Wasting no time, soon Kagome was down to her undergarments of a black bra and matching underwear. Shivering as goosebumps bloomed to life over her skin when another stray wind exhaled into the room. The heat from the large brazier in the corner unable to reach where she stood on the stool in front of the mirror.

Stepping down gingerly while rubbing her upper arms, she hurried behind the folding changing screen with its beautiful mountain scene across its gold surface. Quickly sliding on her jeans and pullover before pushing her feet into her tennis shoes. Kneeling to tie them before pulling her braid from beneath her shirt.

By the time she came back out into the main room, there was only Teisa, Saki and her there. Arching a brow as she took note of the missing women, she turned to her guard.

"Did Kikyou, Sango, and Atsuko leave already, Teisa?"

Standing with difficulty, the tall female youkai swayed a bit as she took up her glaive in one hand. "Yes, My Lady. They said to tell you thank you for the wonderful evening before departing."

Disappointed but understanding, Kagome nodded. Coming to a stop to give her obviously drunk guard a sardonic grin. "You okay there, Teisa?"

Leaning heavily upon the pole of her weapon, the orange haired female waved her clawed hand as she teetered from side to side. "I am fine, My Lady. Completely ready, willing, and able to see you back to your rooms."

The doubtful look Saki shot her from where she was jotting down measurements on a scroll said otherwise. The sparrow youkai admonishing the guard. "For shame, Teisa! Allowing yourself to become inebriated while guarding My Lady. Lord Sesshoumaru will not be pleased."

"No, it's fine," Kagome quickly inserted when it looked like the mention of the inu youkai being upset at her made Teisa's face scrunch up like she might start crying. "No one will say anything to Sesshoumaru about your drinking. Besides, I'm glad that you were able to have a good time, Teisa."

She didn't need a crying drunkard on her hands while trying to figure out how to get back to her rooms, thank you.

"You're too kind, My Lady!" Sniffling, blinking back tears from her cherry hued eyes, the guard walked unsteadily towards the large double doors emblazoned with the signature three sakura blossoms that was rampant throughout the Taisho palace.

Giving Saki a helpless grin, Kagome hurried forward to open the door when it looked as though Teisa couldn't tell where the handle was to do so. The youkai's claws scraping the wood, making the miko cringe at the furrows left in their wake.

"My Lady, you should ask another guard to see you to your rooms." Saki frowned in open disapproval at the guard beside her mistress. "The hour is late and even I can get turned around in the darkened hallways of this palace at times."

Startled to realize how late it must be since, when she peeked out into the hallway it was completely deserted with but a random wall sconce lit here and there, Kagome said, "I'm sure it will be fine, Saki. Thank you for your concern though." Reaching over, she smiled while clasping the sparrow youkai's arm for a brief moment. "Please, just let me know when you need me for the next fitting. And thank you for thinking to send a selection for a different headdress for me. I really appreciate everything you've done."

Blushing in pleasure at having made her master's kind human mate happy, Saki replied with a fond grin, "Of course, My Lady. I shall contact you when it is ready."

"Thank you. Have a good evening, Saki."

"You as well, My Lady." The sparrow youkai's voice followed Kagome and her guard as they left the room.

Pausing at the first fork in the walkway they came to. Kagome frowning in thought as she glanced down first one hall and then the other. Really, they looked the exact same if you asked her, and after the many turns and stairs they'd traversed to get to the royal fitting room, Kagome had no clue where they even were anymore.

Turning to Teisa, Kagome figured that avenue was shut considering her guard was trying her best to stay awake while leaning on the pole of her weapon. Humor making the miko chuckle as she considered which way to go.

She wasn't upset in the least that Teisa had felt comfortable enough to loosen up during the fitting! Kagome was glad that the youkai would drink and make merry with Sango and Kikyou as though they were all demons hanging out to have a girls' night out.

Thankful she hadn't partaken of any sake herself, because then they'd really be screwed, the miko bit at her bottom lip before deciding to hell with it and taking the path to the left. Making sure she grabbed Teisa's hand on the way by, the tall female trailing behind her mistress as though she were a puppy on a leash.

Shaking her head with a grin, Kagome inwardly hoped Sesshoumaru wouldn't be too upset at how late she was getting back. He hadn't sent out a search party, so the Taiyoukai must be fine with letting her spend time with some friends. Not so possessive he would demand all her time or wish to control everything she did.

The palace was eerily quiet. Kagome's ears picking up nothing save the patter of the rain falling, the intermittent howl of the wind, and the sound of their footsteps on the wet polished wood of the floor.

Coming to a staircase, she immediately began to descend it. Keeping a careful watch on Teisa to make sure she didn't miss a step and go tumbling down them. Kagome figured going down was the correct thing to do. After all they had had to climb multiple times to reach where they had been, so this must be the right way.

Reaching the bottom, she was met with the option of three different ways she could go. Everything still unrecognizable. Even when she walked to the railing to peer into the stormy night, she was unable to make out even the rough outline to any of the buildings. A landmark of some sort which would let her know what she was close to and help guide her way back.

Shrugging, she looked up to Teisa's sleepy face as the youkai yawned loudly, her fangs flashing in the torchlight from a wall sconce. "Which way?"

Blinking a couple times as though trying to focus her vision, the female youkai leaned each way and peered down the hallways. Looking down at her mistress to say, "I like the looks of the right this time, My Lady."

Arching an ebony eyebrow, Kagome smirked. "The looks of it, huh? Do you recognize it?"

Frowning, Teisa leaned to study it again, before settling back with a grin. "It looks familiar, My Lady!"

Chuckling, Kagome pulled Teisa along behind her with a shake of her head. Wondering just where the hell everyone was at.

It was a castle, for Kami's sakes!

During the day, the few times the miko had wandered about the premises she had constantly felt like she was tripping over other people. Hardly able to take a step before meeting up with someone as the soldiers and servants hurried to and fro to their designated tasks.

She really should have ignored Sesshoumaru when she first got here and explored way more. It would have proven extremely helpful right about now.

They turned two corners before finally coming to another set of stairs. These ones cloaked in shadows since they were indoors and not outside of the building. The low lighting from one sputtering wall sconce was no problem for youkai eyes, but terrible for a female human and her snockered guard.

Cautiously stepping down one at a time, Kagome nearly went flying when Teisa accidentally bumped into her back. The miko frantically grabbing the railing to keep from tumbling down into the abyss where it was so dark, she couldn't even see the landing below. Her heart hammered in her ears as adrenaline rushed through her blood.

"I am sorry, My Lady!" Teisa grabbed Kagome's upper arm in a tight grip, her glowing eyes troubled as they gazed down into her mistress' face.

"It's okay." Reassuring the female youkai, Kagome swallowed in a bid to remove the dryness of her mouth the close call had caused. Taking a deep calming breath, she grinned as she began descending once more. "Come along, Teisa. It's freezing out here and I don't want you catching a cold."

It was frigid in this part of the castle. The hallways acting as tunnels that funneled the icy wind as it blew with damp abandon. Kagome shivering again as it cut through her clothing to pierce into her bones.

Damn but it was cold tonight!

Stormy weather like this made her want to just curl up in comfy pjs with a good book, maybe come hot chocolate, and a fire. The inviting images fueling her, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as they made it to the next floor without further incident.

Thankfully, their way was lit once more and there was just the one hall in front of them. They were still three stories up, but at least they were making headway.

Her sneakers made a squeaking sound with each step. The noise unnecessarily loud, making Kagome cringe as she heard it echo through the hallway. Since most of the trip they had been taking involved pathways high up and outdoors, water from the heavens had drenched the gleaming wooden boards.

As a result, now that they were inside, she just knew if anyone wished to locate her and Teisa they would simply have to follow the wet footprints. Another gust of wind barreled past, making Kagome hunker down into her pullover with a shiver. The hand about her guard's tightening as the sleepy female began to lag behind.

Every so often she would glance at the multitude of closed doors they passed. Searching to see if any light could be seen through them, denoting that another person was awake. Kagome would have gladly knocked and asked for directions at this point, but so far it looked as though this part of the huge castle was already in bed.

It was with an irritated frown she turned to the next corner to see that they were going to be outside exposed to the elements once more. This side of the castle facing into the roaring wind. The heavy rainfall having caused many of the flames of light upon the wall to extinguish, placing most of the slippery boards in shadows.

Pausing at the opening that led out into the storm, Kagome looked up at Teisa, catching the youkai's half-lidded dazed eyes with her own. The cherry irises glowing eerily.

"Teisa, does any of this look familiar?"

Leaning on her weapon, Teisa walked past Kagome into the rain, completely unaffected by the elements as only youkai seemed to be. She went to the railing to peer over it, the way she wavered a moment as the demon looked down had Kagome rushing over to grab the back of her uniform. Fingers fisted in the damp material as she pulled her guard away from the threat of toppling over to the ground below.

She could just see it now.

Finally getting to her rooms, asking Sesshoumaru how his day was. Changing into warm pjs, maybe read a chapter or sip some hot tea. And oh yeah, by the way Sesshoumaru, one of your soldiers took a header off the side of your castle. Someone might want to check the gardens for a corpse just in case.

Kagome's back hit the wall, her guard landing into her causing the miko to utter an 'oomph' of discomfort when the tall female's elbow got her in the sternum.

When Teisa straightened and grabbed Kagome by the wrist to set her on her feet, she said quickly, "Again, apologies, My Lady."

Breathless and rubbing the spot where she'd been hit through her shirt, she gave her guard a rueful grin. "No worries, Teisa. Did you recognize anything when you went to look?"

"I believe we are close to the side of the castle that faces the training barracks, My Lady. We need to go past the next set of stairs to the ones after that. That should take us to where we want to be."

Not wasting anymore time than needed out in the tempest, Kagome took up the youkai's hand and continued on their way. Praying that Teisa's inebriated brain was coherent enough to be correct.

With a sigh of relief, she spied what the demon had described. Glad to see that it was well lit and went down the remainder of the stories so they would be on level ground. The wind and rain not as bad since the steps were located between two buildings.

Once on the ground floor, Kagome paused a second before shrugging and continuing on to the path on the right. Figuring that there would be someone around the area who she could ask for directions if need be.

Squinting into the darkness as she walked, Teisa obediently following along, the miko was relieved to see the barest outlines of the bridge she typically took when heading to the hot spring.

True, she was facing it on the opposite side than where she usually approached it, but it was still a familiar landmark. Something she could base her inner compass on to find her course back. She had gone the same way so often to bathe that she no longer needed to follow anyone to her destination whenever she decided to go to the large building at the end of the walkway.

As she was coming to the set of large steps that led from the castle to the gardens, a stream of dim light could be seen painting the wet floorboards. Kagome hastening her steps as she came to the opening which should have lead into the corridor she needed.

It was with dismay that she entered the building to see that she didn't recognize the doors or the various halls. Coming to a halt just inside the warm confines of the castle as annoyance arced through her breast, making her growl in frustration.

Frowning, the miko tried not to let her bad temper show. Knowing by the way Teisa's eyes were brimming as she swayed drunkenly that the youkai was overly emotional because of consuming too much sake.

"Teisa," She waited for her guard's cherry eyes to focus on her before continuing. "I do believe we are lost. Isn't this the damn entrance to the gardens closest to Sesshoumaru's rooms?"

Glancing about, the youkai shook her head grimly. "I am afraid we are at the other end of the palace, My Lady. Where the second set of the Taisho gardens are kept."

Second gardens? Seriously?

Growling with enough ferocity to do any dog demon proud, Kagome let go of Teisa, pacing a few times as she crossed her arms with a grimace. Trying to decide what to do next, her guard taking the chance to go to the wall and slide down it until she was sitting on the floor making one raven eyebrow twitch.

The light from the room they had passed caught her eye. Kagome hesitating only a second before figuring to hell with it. Going to the shoji doors and knocking with more force than was probably necessary.

But could anyone blame her, really? She just wanted to be in bed next to her mate by now, not roaming about her new home babysitting.

At the sound of someone's footsteps inside the room, Kagome pasted a smile on her lips, clasping her hands together as she got into her 'time to beg and get my way, sorry for bothering you' stance.

The sound of Teisa's quiet snores making it difficult to keep the curve of her lips upwards as she waited for someone to answer.

She wasn't truly angry at the female youkai. Just disappointed to not be home already. Snug in the warmth of her bed with a sexy Taiyoukai wrapped around her preferably naked sexually satiated body.

When she saw who it was that opened the door, Kagome's smile froze as a blush painted her cheeks a dark crimson. The miko stared up at Mitsue's tall frame into his masked face, her new tutor dressed in a dark green sleeping yukata and nothing else. His long hair unbound and down about his shoulders and back until it went almost to his knees.

Great. Wonderful. Now she could look like an idiot to her new teacher by asking him how the hell to get back to her own bedroom. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"My Lady?" The youkai reared back subtly, his clawed hand leaving the doorframe as he stepped outside, surprise thick in his voice. The sound of her guard's snoring drew his attention as he glanced to the side and down. "And Teisa, I believe?"

Feeling like an idiot, Kagome gave the confused male her best puppy dog stare, complete with begging hands and all, as she said, "I'm so sorry to disturb you, Mitsue. But it would appear we are lost."

She could hear the amused arch of his eyebrow as he turned to her while lacing his arms over his chest, head canting to the side. "Lost?" Teisa mumbling in her sleep as she shifted against the wall caused him to add wryly, "Lost and drunk, it would seem."

Mortified, Kagome sincerely hoped he wasn't going to decide that Sesshoumaru's new human mate was a simpleton who couldn't even manage to find her way around her own palace and promptly leave in the morning. Figuring he had dodged a bullet at avoiding being made to teach the crazy ningen.

"One of us is drunk." Waving her hands with an embarrassed grin, Kagome continued, "I know how this must look. But you see, time got away from us when I was being fitted for my junihitoe for the presentation ceremony and there were so many kimono to choose from that it was hard to decide and it takes forever to get in and out of the damn things that before we knew it, night had fallen and it was now very late."

Kagome knew she was rambling but couldn't help herself. Hoping that Mitsue's sharp youkai ears had been able to separate the words and understand what she had just said.

"I see." Chuckling, the masked demon went over to where Teisa sat napping.

Bending down to slide an arm around the unresisting female before standing. Placing the guard's arm over his shoulders so he could bear the brunt of her weight, Teisa's glaive still held within the semi-conscious female's grasp, he turned back to the waiting miko.

"I assume you are looking for Lord Sesshoumaru's quarters, My Lady?"

Grateful that there wasn't any censor or snide undertone to his question, only mild amusement, Kagome nodded while heaving a huge sigh.

"Yes, you assume correctly, Mitsue. I'm so sorry to trouble you with all this. I know it is late at night considering we haven't run into anyone before reaching you." Shifting from one foot to the other, she added with a sheepish grin, "I know this must look like I'm an idiot for not being able to find my way back. But I promise you, I'm not usually this directionally challenged!"

Adjusting his grip on Teisa, he replied kindly, "Taisho palace is a huge manse, My Lady. Even youkai who have traveled its halls for years can become turned around if they are not careful. It was purposely built this way in case of an invasion. A precautionary measure that would confuse and befuddle the enemy if they tried to navigate through the castle to reach where the Lord and Lady would be housed with their heirs."

"Really?" Kagome asked with interest. His explanation making the ball of humiliation inside her breast begin to unwind.

"Yes, indeed!" Coming up beside her, he nodded towards the hall on the left. "We will need to take this path in order to get to the side of the palace your gardens are located, My Lady."

Following along beside Mitsue, Kagome said quietly, so as not to disturb anyone who might be sleeping in the rooms they passed, "I can't thank you enough for this, Mitsue. You're a life saver!"

"Think nothing of it, My Lady." Turning a corner, he adjusted Teisa again when she started to slip. The female youkai's steps sluggish and uneven so that he was basically dragging her. Turning his masked face to look down at the miko, he inquired, "Did you make a decision on which junihitoe you wished to wear to the ceremony, My Lady?"

"Yes! It is so beautiful too." Smiling happily at the thought of the decorated silk, Kagome tucked a few damp strands of hair behind her ear as she shivered again. Her clothing retaining enough moisture to be cold even in the warmth of the indoors. "I can't wait to show Sesshoumaru. I'm hoping he will be pleased with it."

"I am certain Lord Sesshoumaru will find you breathtaking, My Lady." Choosing the center hallway out of the three they came to without hesitating, Mitsue glanced down at the miko keeping pace with him. "You must have your portrait painted together when you are both adorned in your formalwear. It is a tradition for the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands to be commemorated thusly. To have the artwork hanging in the royal gallery beside all the Taiyoukai and their Ladies who have come before."

Intrigued at the thought of what he spoke of, Kagome tilted her head in thought. "I didn't know that. So, the royal gallery will hold every generation of Sesshoumaru's ancestors and their mates?"

Excitement had a smile tilting her rosy lips, blue-grey eyes shining. She would love to see what Sesshoumaru's and Inu Yasha's mother and father looked like! To see what features she could pick from them and place to the brothers. A nose from their father, the eyes of their mothers.

She almost wished she knew where it was so she could go look at it now.

"Just so, My Lady." They turned down the right and kept going. "Your image will be a welcome addition to the Taisho gallery. Your beauty will put many previous Ladies' to shame."

Blushing at his gallant response that held only kindness and no flirting, Kagome sighed with a helpless shrug.

"Yeah, well, it is kind of you to say so. But I'm well aware that compared to youkai females my looks are rather mundane. They're just so beautiful and faultless." Motioning with a hand between them she added quickly, "Not that I'm fishing for a compliment or throwing myself a pity party! Just stating the facts as they are."

Shaking his head, Mitsue paused in the brightly lit hallway, staring down at the miko while keeping a tight hold on Teisa. "You do yourself and Lord Sesshoumaru a disservice to see it that way, My Lady. I believe your mate would disagree with you most strenuously. It is obvious to anyone with eyes that what Lord Sesshoumaru finds attractive about you goes far beyond a fine set of eyes or an unblemished complexion. These things are brittle replacements to a loving heart and kind soul."

Cheeks washing pink, Kagome laughed awkwardly. "That is kind of you to say, Mitsue. Thank you."

It wasn't that she felt as though her new tutor was trying to make a move on her or anything. The words were so sweet and surprising coming from a stranger that she didn't really know how to react.

Clearing her throat, she gestured for them to continue. The trio making their way silently down another hall before Kagome broke it.

"I'm excited to begin learning everything you can teach me, Mitsue. More than anything, I want to make Sesshoumaru proud and not give anyone another reason to look down on him for deciding to mate with a human." Gnawing at her lower lip with a scowl, she wrapped her arms around her midriff in a bid to stay warm.

"You will excel at your lessons, My Lady. Of this I have no doubt." When they rounded the next bend, it was to see the reassuring familiarity of the hall which led down to the royal wing of the castle.

"Finally!" Kagome exclaimed with a sigh of relief and a grin aimed up at the masked male beside her as they walked forward. "That took way longer than expected to get here."

Chuckling, Mitsue half dragged Teisa down the corridor. "Just let me know which rooms are your guard's and I will see to it that she finds her bed safely."

"It's the one across from mine and three down." The female youkai had taken over Sora's old chambers.

When they reached their destination, Kagome hurried forward to open the door. Unable to see anything within the pitch black of the room.

Mitsue easily found his way in the dark. Disappearing for a few moments before returning, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Now to your rooms, My Lady."

"Oh, that's okay! I'm right across the hall you know. Not like I can get lost again that easily." A self-deprecating smile flit over her mouth.

"It is not because you might get lost, My Lady. It is rather because it is the correct thing to do. The Lady of the castle should never be unaccompanied unless strictly told to do so." Extending his arm, he tilted his head. "Shall we?"

Feeling like the foolish woman her mate always called her, Kagome obediently went to her bedroom doors. Not even having a chance to raise a hand to open it before the decorated wood was replaced with the towering form of her mate.

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes narrowed as he swept over them quickly before coming to rest on her blushing face. One silver eyebrow arching as he took her in disheveled and damp appearance. Leaning against the doorframe, the light from the candles behind him accentuating the fact that he was bare chested and in his sleep attire, the Taiyoukai continued to look at them silently.

Nervous by his lack of words, Kagome smiled hesitantly. "Sesshoumaru! Mitsue was kind enough to help me get back here when I got lost with Teisa."

"And where is your personal guard now?" His tone was icy as he flicked a glance down the hall before coming back to her.

"She uh…..well…." Glancing up at Mitsue helplessly, she swallowed thickly before saying, "Well, you see, we were all having such a good time during my fitting. And some of the girls wanted some sake, so I ordered it. I didn't drink any myself, but the others loved it. A little too much for some of them, actually." She laughed nervously at the end.

"You are unguarded and became lost in the palace because your personal guard was too drunk to do her job?" Now a dark scowl was painting the dog demon's face, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Now don't get mad." Waving her hands in a placating fashion, the miko bit at her lower lip. "Honestly, it isn't that big of a deal, Sesshoumaru. I mean, really, it's my fault since I'm not familiar with the castle yet. So, don't blame Teisa."

At the last part she gave him a stern look from blue-grey orbs. Letting her mate know she would not be pleased if he disciplined the female youkai over what had happened. After all, Teisa was her personal guard so if she was fine with her behavior then her mate should be as well.

"I believe it is not uncommon for someone to imbibe excessively once or twice during their lives. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Mitsue's calm question cut through the tense atmosphere between the mated couple. The Taiyoukai turning to regard the tall male with a flat stare.

"I thank you for escorting Lady Kagome to her chambers, Mitsue. You may go." It was a clear dismissal that Kagome was half tempted to follow as well.

Just trail Mitsue right back the way she came so she could avoid whatever foul mood her inu youkai was in. Honestly, she was tired, damp, cold and fast becoming in a bad mood herself with the way Sesshoumaru was acting.

Sighing in resignation, she gave her tutor a tired grin. "Thank you, Mitsue. I'll see you tomorrow."

"It was no trouble, My Lady. Good evening, Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome." Sketching a quick bow to each of them, the youkai male turned on his heel and went back the way he came.

Stepping aside, Sesshoumaru regarded her silently as she entered their bedroom.

Completely uninterested in having an argument at whatever late hour it was with the brooding dog demon at her back, Kagome marched past. The sound of the door closing echoing in her ears as she went to the armoire to begin removing her sleepwear. Ignoring her mate even though whatever cross mood he was entertaining emanated from him in waves. His irritation feeding along their mating bond, Kagome frowning in reaction to it.

What he was so upset about, she had no damn clue. And frankly, she didn't want to get into it either. She had been so glad when she had first seen him upon returning. Looking forward to finishing her day by spending some quality time with her lover before letting blissful sleep take her.

From the way he was leaning against the foot of their bed with an unreadable expression on his smooth features, Kagome could see her fantasy of a romantic few hours of making love with her man go up in flames.

Kagome couldn't wait to see what reason the Taiyoukai gave for standing over there, fuming at her.

***********BBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRR********


	57. Itoshi Anata

Presenting her back to him, Kagome shivered as she pulled her shirt over her head and slid free from her jeans after kicking off her shoes. Carelessly tossing them off to the side where they landed in front of the study door. A light blush stole over her face as she put on a new pair of underwear and removed her bra. Gratefully adorning herself in the warm fluffiness of a flannel pajama set in aqua with abstract curls in a darker teal across its surface.

Tugging her messy braid free, she walked over to stand in front of the brazier. Only turning to face the taciturn Taiyoukai so heat would warm her back. Flexing her healing hand a couple of times to work out the stiffness there, Kagome finally raised her eyes to clash with his amber ones.

"Okay, Sesshoumaru. Let's have it. Why are you mad?"

"Why do you believe me to be upset, Kagome?" Though his question was mild, the stormy hue of his glowing irises said otherwise.

"Oh, don't give me that." Pointing a finger at him, she rubbed at her lower back with the other. Massaging the muscles along her spine since the cold had made them tender. "It's obvious something is bugging you. So out with it. What, did I embarrass you by getting lost? Return too late? What is it that's making you irritated?"

Veiling his eyes by lowering the lids, Sesshoumaru strolled towards her. His walk relaxed and sedate, as though he was a dog demon without a care in the world, taking an amble in the palace gardens.

The false serene picture didn't fool her one iota.

The mating bond was transmitting varying emotions at rapid force as he drew closer. Anything from love and happiness at seeing her to annoyance and anger. It was dizzying, trying to keep up with how quick it changed. Like trying to watch a slideshow that was accelerated. You got the gist of what you were looking at but not the time to study it properly.

Her own temper began simmering. Indignant that he would dare to even be irked with her in the first place over Kami knew what.

Giving him a defiant look, Kagome mirrored the arch of his brow with her own, her lips a flat line, as he came to a stop right in front of her. Looking down at her a moment before canting his head to the side. As though he was listening for something.

A frown of displeasure marred his marked brow. A small growl in his voice as he reached over to gently brush a few straggles of hair from her temple.

"You return well past the midnight hour. Cold, in discomfort, in damp clothing with your personal guard nowhere to be found." Reaching to take her scarred hand in quick youkai reflexes that left her no time to evade his touch. Gently using his thumb and forefinger to rub between the joints of her fingers. "You are still recovering from an illness. I can detect the barest rasp to your breathing, so don't deny it. Supposed to be receiving enough rest to allow your injury to heal properly upon your hand. Have just barely cheated death less than a week ago."

Speechless at the laundry list he was giving her, Kagome stared down at their joined hands. Relaxing despite herself under the soothing massage, she patiently waited for her inu youkai to get to the point. She hadn't even noticed anything amiss with her lungs, but if he said he heard something, the miko believed him.

Knowing Sesshoumaru's emotions were a maelstrom even though his face was in placid lines, Kagome remained silent. The combination of the aura synchronization and the mate bond tugging at one another viciously in an attempt to balance the both of them causing her to feel off center.

Carefully moving onto the fragile bones underneath where her scars lay, he added without looking at her, "You ask me why I am upset? There are multiple choices for you to choose from. Pick any of them you like best."

Kagome would have been more disgruntled if she had taken his words at face value and not had insight into what drove them. The flare of fear when he had mentioned her brush with death. The worry over her comfort and recovery. It helped to diffuse her own anger. To remain calm when her knee-jerk reaction had been to snap back at him for his attitude. The high-handed male manner he was expressing what he felt.

Giving his down bent head a tender look of exasperation, Kagome heaved a sigh. Brushing the bangs from his marked forehead, the stubborn Taiyoukai refusing to meet her gaze. He remained focused on what he was doing. The ceaseless circles from his fingers comforting.

"Well, at least you didn't toss in Teisa being drunk," Kagome said with a tentative grin, hoping to create some levity to the situation.

The dark look he shot her from beneath his lashes let her know he wasn't appreciative at her poor attempt at humor.

Slouching, Kagome moved her fingertips from his brow to his chin. Applying gentle pressure until he would look at her fully. When his angered irises met hers, she gnawed at her lower lip. Having not been on the receiving end of that particular expression in quite a while.

It was obvious her dog demon truly was pissed. His ruffled feathers not so easily smoothed even with her gentle caresses.

Swallowing, Kagome felt her heart clench as though he had reached into her breast to squeeze the fragile organ. Unhappy that he was upset at her. The bonds between them feeding off one another in an emotional tug-of-war that made it difficult to decipher one from the other.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." Hesitating as she gathered her thoughts, she let her hand slide until it rested over the accelerated beat of his pulse. "I honestly didn't know how late it was or that it would that difficult to find my way back here. My home is so new and unexplored that it wasn't that hard to get turned around."

"Hn," he grunted, waiting for her to continue.

"As far as being sick, I haven't felt ill for the last day or so. I didn't know that my body was still recovering from the sickness I had when we first came here. And you're right. I promised you I'd take better care of myself, so I can see where you would think it was all lip service just to let you let me do whatever I wanted." Tilting her head to the side, she gave her impassive mate a look of pleading from blue-grey eyes. Willing him to believe her. "Teisa leaving me unguarded wasn't something I was concerned about either. I guess it's because I feel safe here, in the castle. I'm sorry if I was mistaken in not being more cautious."

"Foolish woman, it is not a matter of you being cautious enough or that you should feel fear within these walls." Clasping her injured hand softly, mindful of his grip even if he was angry, he added with a frown, "This is your home. There should never be an instant you worry for your wellbeing. A guard is given to you to make certain you are able to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and to ascertain you are taking it easy."

"So, you aren't embarrassed that I got lost and had to have Mitsue escort me home?" Kagome inquired softly.

"The fact that you believe, even for a moment, that I would be embarrassed that you became lost and asked for help is insulting, Kagome." The stormy hue of his eyes darkened further as he curled his lip in distaste. "Do you honestly think I would begrudge my mate for possessing the intelligence to seek out a solution when presented with a problem?"

"I suppose not," she agreed quietly, an unhappy tilt to her rosy lips. Cupping the side of his face, Kagome said imploringly, "Are you upset I was out with the girls for so long? Or that a male youkai was the one who brought me back here?"

She really was trying to figure out exactly what it was that had gotten under Sesshoumaru's skin.

"Again, I am attempting not to be insulted by what you are insinuating." Shaking his head so her hand fell away to land on his shoulder, his voice was harsh when he said, "The mating bond is not the reason I am irritated right now, woman. Nor is the fact that you were around your new tutor. If that were the case, then I would never have even had you meet Mitsue in the first place."

Weary with how the night had deteriorated, Kagome exhaled heavily again. Backing away a few steps to give them space, her hand sliding free from his. She Twistied a little to stretch the muscles along her lower spine that continued to give her grief even with the warmth of the brazier at her back. A motion that made his scowl darker if that was possible. His chiseled lips thinning into a straight line of disapproval.

At a loss and frankly too damn tired to play the guessing game any longer, Kagome threw up her hands in defeat.

"Sesshoumaru, all I can say is that I'm sorry. That tonight was a series of mistakes which were not planned. In the future, I will make absolutely sure that I don't get lost, or don't look after my health, or anything else that you mentioned. Okay?" Stepping forward so she could lean into his chest, her arm snaking about his rigid frame to hug him, Kagome's eyes beseeched his implacable ones. "Please, let's not fight. I was so glad when I got here and saw you open our door. So relieved that I had made it back to you with Mitsue's help. Can we not just settle this and get to bed?"

When he still didn't show any sign of relenting, Kagome's shoulders slumped. The stiff set of his own coupled with the narrowing of his gaze causing her to shift about against him. Uncertain what her mate would say.

"You appear to be misunderstanding what it is that I am displeased about, Kagome." Sesshoumaru brushed her cheek softly with his claws. The tenderness of the caress at odds as he said harshly, "I do not care if you wish to spend time with your friends. Or at what hour you return to our quarters. Only that you are mindful of letting me know when you will be later than you first surmise upon the hour of your return. I am more concerned with your health and welfare than I am about the company you keep right now."

When she went to open her mouth to say something, he cut her off with a clawed finger to her lips. His eyes shadowed in the barest hint of disquiet.

"I came so close to losing you, you foolish woman. Death was but a hairsbreadth from taking you from me completely. Between that and our new mating bond, it has made me more prone to possibly overreacting where you are concerned." Searching her features, his own turning pensive. "I am sorry that I berated you when you first came in. That was uncalled for. You are not a child in need of a parent to control everything you do or to hold you accountable for your actions. You are my mate, whom I love, and it was unfair to bombard you as I did."

Surprised at his lightning fast change of mood, Kagome tried not to become dizzy with how the dog demon's emotions seemed a kaleidoscope of constant change. As though even he couldn't decide on what to feel moment to moment.

Clasping him tighter, she placed her scarred palm along his striped cheek with a wan grin. "It's fine, Sesshoumaru. I understand. You're worried and not used to showing it so you're gruffer than usual because of it. Resorting to anger since it is an emotion you are familiar with. It's okay. I understand you. So, I'm telling you it's alright. I get it."

Muttering a curse, he kissed her deeply. Holding her against him until they were touching from thigh to chest. Kagome's blood heating with the first tingles of desire sparking to life in her body. Eyes dazed and kiss swollen lips parted as he broke away to lean his forehead to hers.

Laughing unsteadily, she said, "I guess this means you aren't mad at me anymore."

Smirking, he nipped her nose playfully. The tension of his muscles melting away at last. "Foolish woman. You could drive a saint to annoyance if you spent enough time with them." Giving her an arrogant look, he added in an imperious tone, "You are fortunate you are mated to such a patient and even tempered inu youkai."

Rolling her eyes with a scoff, Kagome gratefully latched onto the lighter atmosphere between them. The negative emotions within their bonds bleeding away. Leaving warmth and affection as the more prominent instead of the lesser sentiments.

"Patient and even tempered! I'm so sure. I guess we'll just forget your little display less than two minutes ago." Leaning back within the circle of his embrace, she poked him sharply in the side with her fingernail. Satisfied at the grunt he gave. "You are lucky that your mate is understanding and patient with a certain Taiyoukai's mercurial mood swings. I swear, you could put a pmsing woman to shame."

Arching a silver eyebrow with a puzzled frown, he asked, "What is pmsing?"

Laughing, she stepped away from him while waving a hand. "Never mind."

Stretching her arms above her head, she arched her back and stood on tiptoe. Aware that Sesshoumaru's eyes were actively following what she did. Banked desire beginning to smolder in his amber irises, making her blush with anticipation.

Giving him a pout, she put her hand on his abdomen. Walking her fingers along his front, the muscles tensing beneath her playful caress with each step her fingertips took. The soft scrape of his claws dancing along the side of her throat causing the moisture to dry from her mouth. Another flare of desire spiraling through her system.

"If we're done fighting, maybe you should take your mate to bed now?" Arching an ebony brow, cheeks painted in rosy hue, Kagome whispered suggestively, "I've missed you all afternoon and would love nothing better than to be with my man naked between the sheets."

The heat of his intense stare as he brushed the back of his knuckles along her temple made her shiver. Only this time it had nothing to do with the chill of the weather and everything to do with the flash of them together in bed that raced through her mind.

"You have been rubbing at your lower back quite a bit since you returned. Is it paining you?" Again, the trail of his knuckles along her face, Kagome leaning into it like a cat seeking attention.

"I think I'm just a little sore from the weight of the junihitoe. I tried so many on and there are a ton of layers. My body isn't used to wearing something like that." Smoothing a hand back and forth on his sternum, she turned her face to place a quick kiss against his striped wrist. "Nothing to worry about. By the time the ceremony arrives I should be able to handle it better."

He studied her for a few seconds before stepping back, breaking all contact with her. "Go ahead and lie down, Kagome. I will take care of the candles and add wood to the fire before joining you."

Jubilation and expectation had her smiling like an idiot as she made her way to their bed. Her tiredness of before quickly replaced with the promise of making love with her mate. Surreptitiously watching him from beneath her lashes as he moved about the room dousing the lights. When it was completely dark, she quickly shed her pajamas and underwear before sliding beneath the heavy warmth of their comforter.

Heart pounding in her breast as she heard him move about in the dark. Unable to see him as more than a gray blob against the backdrop of the pitch of their room since her eyes hadn't adjusted yet. She heard what sounded like a drawer opening. The near silent tread of his feet as he traversed the chamber before he finally climbed in beside her.

Turning towards him, she went to wrap her arms about his neck, to steal a kiss, when she was met with empty space. Frowning in consternation, she patted about his side of the bed, puzzled when she found out he was on top of the blanket, kneeling beside her hip.

"Sesshoumaru?"

She felt the tickle of his lengthy hair brush the side of her face, along her bare shoulder, as he crouched over her to place a soft kiss on her lips. Whispering into her mouth as his hand settled upon her ribs, "Lay on your stomach."

A secret thrill at his command had her moving to comply. Adjusting her pillow so that it was under her breasts, her chin resting on the plush cushion. Both arms encircling it as she waited to see what he had planned.

Goosebumps bloomed on her body when she felt the drag of the blanket being pulled down. Curiosity making her frown as to why the Taiyoukai only brought it to rest at her hips. Exposing her back while leaving her bottom half covered.

Raising enough to turn her head and give him a confused look over her shoulder, she asked in uncertainty, "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing?"

His response was to place a clawed finger to her lips. Kissing her cheek with firm lips before settling back onto his haunches. "Just relax, kireina."

Shrugging, Kagome settled back into her previous position with a sigh. Eyes becoming half-lidded when the comforting feel of him undoing her braid to run stiff fingers through the locks transmitted to her. Finger combing the heavy mass of black before placing it over her shoulder to the side.

Allowing herself to relax as he had told her to do, Kagome gave a small start when the warm moist feel of his palm met her skin. His fingers rubbing with moderate pressure to the taught muscles at the base of her spine. Stroking the length of her back in long firm motions. The heel of his hand pressing down as he rotated his wrist when he found a large knot.

The heady scent of cloves permeated the air. Wrapping her within a cloud of a smell that reminded her of baking and winter hams roasting in the oven. Of sublime comfort and home. His hand leaving to be replaced by the warm liquid of the massage oil a second before he continued relieving the ache of her back.

If this was his way to apologize for being a jerk earlier, then Kagome wasn't going to complain.

Groaning into her pillow as he reached a sore spot, Kagome gave herself up to the first personal massage she had ever received from anyone. Delighting in the new intimacy of what it felt like to have your lover slowly rub the stress from your body.

His deft clawed fingers kneaded into her shoulder blade. Along the back of her neck. Coming very close to brushing against her mate mark when he moved on to her shoulder joint and bicep.

It had made her tense momentarily. Sexual need rising higher in her languid system until her nipples became tight and pressure in her lower abdomen began to build. Making her move her legs restlessly. The feel of the silk sheet sliding on her skin erotic and hard to ignore.

What she was totally unprepared for was the sensation she felt when he placed a kiss on her shoulder before blowing lightly. The oil becoming hot when he exhaled over it.

Gasping, her hands clenching into the downy cushion, Kagome couldn't keep herself from arching when he repeated it. The sinful pleasure of the Taiyoukai kissing, nipping, and licking his way over her back as the oil of cloves heated her flesh driving her to distraction from his sensual ministrations.

Until she was writhing each time his mouth moved along her spine. Breathing uneven and fast the feel of his hair dragging over her body drawing whimpers of need from her lips. Her breasts and pelvis moving against the mattress in a bid to alleviate the ache growing in intensity inside her. Toes digging into the bed as she sought leverage as she squirmed.

When he slid his hand beneath her, cupping her breast as he licked the side of her neck, Kagome nearly came off the bed completely. A loud cry leaving her throat as she reached back with one hand to fist it in his hair. Holding him to her when he caught her earlobe between his lips. Sucking the tender flesh before nipping it with his teeth. His fingers massaging and plucking at her nipple as he moved on to her mate mark.

Blinded with lust, Kagome pushed herself up with her free arm. Bending her torso away from the bed as her eyes slid closed, amplifying everything she was feeling tenfold.

He released the suction on the crescent moon encased in swirls before making his way back to her ear. Nuzzling her neck and kissing her jawline.

"You are so beautiful, my mate." The brush of his words ghosted over the shell of her ear. Delicious shivers wracking her body as she undulated her hips into his when he moved to straddle her.

The thick comforter proved an irritating division between her and her lover, making her growl in growing frustration. His chuckle vibrated from his chest through her spine. Releasing her breast to glide his claws in a slow path down her ribs and along her stomach.

"Yes, I want you too." The push of his pelvis into her from behind let her feel the hard length of his erection even through the barrier of fabric. "I have thought of little else in the past day. How you smell." He nuzzled into her neck while inhaling deeply. "What you feel like. The way you taste." His tongue was a wet caress down to her mate mark. "The sounds you make when I pleasure you."

He trapped the mark between his lips and drew hard. Pulling her back into his body as she pushed herself into him with a loud moan. His palm possessive and claws careful as he lavished attention on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Rocking against the press of her bottom sensually as her movements became sporadic.

When Kagome was close to release she was irritated when he let go of her mate mark. Giving a grumble of frustration as she fell onto the mattress in a boneless heap, panting into her pillow.

Breathing ragged, she turned her face to glower at the Taiyoukai who had moved to her side with a chuckle, his hand resting the swell of her hip. "You're such a damn tease, Sesshoumaru."

Rolling over onto her back, she sat up to face him.

His fiery amber eyes and shadowed features easier for her to make out so the miko could see the smirk on his face.

His voice a seductive purr in the dark. "The best things in the world are those which require patience, Kagome."

Taking in the attractive sight of his nude body in all its pale and striped glory, Kagome gave an inward sigh of relief.

At least he was naked!

The miko was in no mood to endure hours of teasing from her lover before their bodies finally joined. Not tonight.

Walking on her knees to where he was sitting, Kagome felt smug at how the smirk fell away when she promptly straddled his hips. His legs straightening so that she was perched on his thighs, the hard length of him prominently displayed between them.

Giving him a smirk of her own, she rubbed her chest against his. Fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulders as the dog demon clenched his jaw. His hand grasping onto her hip tightly when she nipped him on the collarbone.

"Your mate doesn't have it in her to wait all damn night long." Reaching between them, she grasped him firmly. The gasp that left his lips as he pushed into her hand making her own desire rage hotter. The apex of her thighs molten and aching to be filled by him.

"My mate needs to learn a lesson in restraint," he ground out, as a strangled groan left his throat when she began exploring the length and texture of his erection. Her nimble fingers encircling him at the tip as she moved her wrist.

Feeling powerful at the responses she was eliciting from the typically impassive Taiyoukai, Kagome repeated the movement of her hand over and over. Scraping the nails of her other one down his front and over the tight nubs of his nipples.

Smirking, she whispered, "I love the way you feel." Copying what he had done to her moments before, Kagome nuzzled his chest before trailing her the tip of her tongue up to his throat. "I love the way you taste."

When she leaned forward to bite the spot between his neck and shoulder where the mark lay on her own body, Sesshoumaru hissed out a breath with a muttered curse. The hand on her hip almost painful as his fingers dug into her.

"I love the sounds you make when I pleasure you."

Kagome was fast becoming a victim of her own game.

The force of her reaction to his responses echoing deep within her. Melting her from the inside out.

Kissing his parted lips deeply, she scooted forward. Rising up so that she could begin to slowly lower herself onto him without breaking the connection of their lips. The sweep of his tongue pausing as he released a low growl into her mouth as her body sheathed itself over his own an inch at a time.

In this new position, Kagome felt stretched. Filled completely so that the bone-deep longing of before was a distant memory. Her inner muscles protesting slightly at the invasion but calming straight after as pleasure scorched them both when she undulated her hips.

Letting her head fall back with a deep moan, she closed her eyes again. Sweat breaking out over her skin when he bent his head to capture a nipple in his mouth. With each draw of his lips pleasure spiked from her breast to her loins. Her hips beginning to shift atop his own in a delectable friction as her knees gripped his flanks.

His hand left her hip to bury in the heavy locks of her ebony hair. Tilting her head to the side so he could lave the line of her throat before latching onto her mate mark. The thrust of his body driving the miko insane with want.

Digging nails into his shoulders, Kagome gave herself over completely to the rhythm of their bodies. Slick skin sliding against one another. The sound of her cries of passion echoing in the room. Her breasts bouncing faster with the force of their love making.

The world fell away until she was coherent of nothing else save the mounting pleasure building into a crescendo inside her. Her nails scratching down his back wantonly as her head fell forward to rest against his neck and shoulder. Flat human teeth biting down hard at the taught muscles there. The answering growl of need from the inu youkai beneath her the only sound he made as his pace quickened.

A few seconds later, Kagome stiffened and fell from the edge she had been teetering upon. Plummeting into an orgasm that had her giving a long, muffled cry into the piece of flesh she held between her jaws. Stiff fingers twisting into the strands of his hair at his nape as he followed her into release after a few more hard thrusts.

Whimpering as the waves of her climax made her body quiver around him, Kagome released the hold she had on his shoulder. Leaning her forehead there straight after to breathe unevenly into his damp chest. Her Taiyoukai kissing and nuzzling the mate mark a few times, brushing tender claws through the heavy swath of her dark mane.

When he lowered himself to lay on his back, she followed him. Unable and unwilling to move from her perch atop him. The moisture from their bodies causing them to stick together, but it didn't bother the miko one bit.

Turning her face to rest her cheek beneath his jaw, Kagome swallowed a few times in between pants. Working moisture back into her arid mouth just like every other time they had made love. The volume and longevity of her moaning causing a severe case of dry mouth.

"You are going to kill me one of these days, woman." His tone was affectionate, the claws in her hair gentle, as his own breathing began to slow.

Laughing dryly, she rasped, "Not if you don't kill me first, Sesshoumaru."

His chuckle was uneven as he continued to catch his breath. The only sounds in the bedroom that of their lungs obtaining oxygen for a few minutes.

When they were both finally breathing normally, Kagome shifted about on him, grimacing as it caused a twinge between her thighs where they were still joined. Ever aware of his mate's needs, the Taiyoukai gently eased her off of him. Uttering an apology as she cringed when he slid free.

Moving to lay beside him, her leg and arm draped carelessly across his lithe frame, she waved her hand lazily. "It's fine. Just my body growing accustomed to yours. Besides," Kagome found the strength to raise up on one arm to give him a tender kiss before settling back down, "it's well worth any discomfort to make love with you."

Cuddling her close, he rested his cheek on the crown of her head. Draping the furry length of his tail over her naked form when the cooler temperature of the room made her tremble.

"I love you, foolish woman." The brush of his lips followed his statement, his arm tightening around her waist.

Patting his pectoral muscle tiredly, she yawned before saying, "I love you too, you arrogant Taiyoukai."

She felt the brush of the tip of his tail tap the back of her leg as he replied, "Gullible girl."

Kagome grinned as her eyes slid closed. Yawning without bothering to cover her mouth before muttering, "Stubborn dog demon."

"Annoying female." His fingers found her nape and rubbed in slow circles as her breathing began to even out and her body went limp.

"Rude," she slurred in a sleepy voice. "Handsome dog demon."

Another brief caress of his lips against her head. "Beautiful princess."

Smiling, Kagome let sleep take her. Content as she had never been before. Hopeful about the future she would be facing with the man holding her with such love and devotion.

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Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the ceiling as he listened to his mate fall into a deep sleep. The reassuring beat of her heart filling his ears. The scent of their love making and the oil of cloves a comforting mix with the rain that continued to fall outside their windows.

A pang of regret insinuating itself into his chest when he recalled how he had treated her upon her return.

It had been unfair and uncalled for. The way she hadn't even fought back or become angry in turn making him feel low. Unworthy of the woman who loved him with all her heart and always forgave his transgressions.

He would have to find a way to make up for his error. To show Kagome that he had meant the apology and would strive to handle his emotions with more finesse than he had thus far.

The wind from outside howled as the pellets of water struck the side of the building with brutal force. The whispering sway of the trees bending to accommodate the gale floating to his ears.

He was going to need to move them at some point, so that they would be at the head of the bed instead of the foot. Kagome's frail human system would not be able to stand the cold for too long before becoming susceptible to it. The tiniest hint of a rasp detected with every exhale she made as she slept against him blatant to his youkai hearing.

It still irked him. The thought of her arriving home tonight in wet clothes after roaming around the palace for who knew how long.

The damn woman had already proven how easily she became sick. The only reason she had begun to recover so quickly from her last bout was from, what he believed, to be the ingestion of youkai blood from his uncle. The mental images of which had the power to make his eyes ring crimson. A vicious growl to become lodged in his throat.

Kagome petting his shoulder in her sleep turned his snarl into a grin. Dispelling the rage felt towards the family member he was yet awaiting to hear the confirmation of their demise from Yoshin.

It was discouraging that it was taking the vulture youkai this long to report back. The lengthier the wait, the more days that passed, meant that Aion may have found a way to cheat death by the miko's hands.

Something Sesshoumaru would not have thought possible at first after witnessing what her power could do when it was allowed free reign to consume a demon. Even he and the rest of the youkai in the vicinity had felt the force of the mystical essence she used as a weapon grate along their nerves abrasively.

If Aion had somehow managed to even survive the blast, then the inu youkai shouldn't be long for this world at any rate. His wounds would have been too egregious and numerous for his uncle to heal.

But perhaps it wasn't too abnormal for his master of spies to not have sent word yet.

After all, Aion had more than one keep to his name. Not just the one he had held Kagome in. His uncle had a bigger castle in the Southern Lands where Lord Daija hailed from. The malevolent dog demon having been cause for discord between the two Taiyoukai who ruled the South and West, respectively. Aion's machinations acquiring a bad reputation that had bled over to Sesshoumaru's own because of their familial tie.

It didn't seem to matter to the Taiyoukai of the South that uncle and nephew loathed one another. Only that they were related in some fashion.

Aion's distasteful underhanded dealings in the Southern Provinces had created a rift that had become near impossible for Sesshoumaru to mend. It was one of the reasons Lord Daija had been sent to him. So that he could show a sign of good faith by housing the phoenix ambassador and place him as his second in command. Display his trust and honor to the Southern ruler so that treaties and trade talks might resume so both kingdoms might prosper from the benefit.

The game he and Aion had played for centuries had nearly destroyed the good standing of the name Taisho throughout the high youkai court community. A fact that, in hindsight, seemed perfectly absurd that he had even entered into such a fruitless war with the other inu youkai in the first place.

However, that was all in the past and could not be changed. Sesshoumaru's focus now lay upon the future and the woman curled so trustingly into him.

Soon, he would receive word from Yoshin and the Taiyoukai could then resume in earnest the peace he sought from Lord Murakumo of the Southern Provinces.

The elemental Taiyoukai was a formidable adversary.

With the ability to control the clouds in the heavens more adroitly than Shurin. The immense power of his heritage making it so the Southern Lord could create a monsoon within moments with a few flicks from his wrists made it a lesson in foolishness to go up against him.

Not only could Lord Murakumo drown your soldiers. He could flood your fields. Destroy your lands and crops with continuous rainfall. Tear the trees from the roots of your forests with the force of a gale if he so wished.

So, no. Sesshoumaru had no desire to continue to allow the discontent between them to fester beyond what it already had. Not to mention the other Taiyoukai was as fiercely intelligent and savage as any of the other Taiyoukai who ruled Japan. Each supreme leader holding the fealty to powerful clans of lower youkai who served them. Filling the barracks of their palaces and marching into war without hesitation. Their loyalty and devotion to the Taiyoukai they served absolute.

Which is how he had ended up with Lord Daija. The phoenix clan was a force to be reckoned with. Their ability to be nearly impossible to kill coupled with how adept they were with their voice and flames made the birds damn irritating to deal with on the battlefield.

Sesshoumaru had heard how the previous Lord of the North had tangled with the firebirds centuries ago. The handful of feathered fire youkai decimating the well-trained army of Lord Kouga's grandfather. Killing the heir apparent so that Kouga as a pup inherited the title when his paternal grandfather had passed away.

Not that he would admit it aloud, but Sesshoumaru was glad that Lord Daija could be seen as an ally instead of a foe.

One of the key reasons he had asked the phoenix to accompany them to rescue Kagome had been so he could report back to Lord Murakumo that Lord Sesshoumaru despised his uncle. That there was no love lost between the relatives. Especially when the dog demon had the audacity to kidnap the future Lady of the Western Provinces.

He would make certain the other Taiyoukai heard of Aion's death as soon as he did himself. Banishing any doubt that he was aligned with the deceitful dog demon in any way.

His mind turned to General Kaizon. Ryosuke's aristocratic features flashing through his mind making him scowl.

That situation was going to be much trickier to navigate. The General was Lord Tachikaze's heir to the Eastern Lands and even though he was basically caught red-handed aiding his uncle in overthrowing the current Lord he served, Sesshoumaru still could not execute him.

The dragon clan was notoriously vicious when riled. And the Taiyoukai had no interest in beginning a war that would possibly get the other Taiyoukai bordering his lands interested in attacking him as well. The Western Provinces only potential ally would lay in the wolf tribe of the North. After taking the human female Lord Kouga had espoused to wish to be his mate, the inu youkai seriously doubted he would be getting any help from that quarter.

He wanted peace. For himself, his mate, and whatever young they might be blessed with in the years to come.

Sesshoumaru had borne witness more than once to such turbulent times as he was growing up. Recalling vividly his father's harsh expression as his grimly silent mother helped Inu Taisho buckle his armor. Their expressions shadowed as they tried to smile and tell their young pup that there was nothing to fear. All would be well, and his father would keep them safe within the security of Taisho palace.

As an adult, being in love with the woman he held, Sesshoumaru could only imagine how terrible it must have been for them. Knowing that they may never see each other again. Putting on a brave front for their child so he wouldn't worry about where his father was going or what would happen to them if he didn't return.

Sesshoumaru refused to put Kagome or their potential offspring into that type of predicament if he could help it.

Which meant if he had to sit down with Lord Tachikaze, Ryosuke's patriarch, to broker his son's release, then he would do so. The dragon youkai had been displeased with the house of Taisho ever since the tournament where they were bested by the arctic foxes. The discourse between the kitsunes and ryus one that had endured the ages so that when Lord Tachikaze had begun to show the strength of a Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru's father had half expected the dragons to make a move against them.

The answer to the tensions between the two Taiyoukai of the East and West had been to place the dragon heir within Taisho palace as a general over a vast amount of the army while two of the five arctic fox siblings were to serve in the East.

The grueling machinations of court politics was an ever-evolving beast that, if you took your concentration from it for a second, would grab you by the throat and rend you to shreds. It is not something he wished for Kagome to become embroiled in either.

His mate's soft heart and kind soul too beautiful to be marred by the taint of court life. While he would allow her to learn and assist him in the ruling of their country, he would not permit the miko to become another pawn on the playing field.

Not again.

The last time with Aion had almost killed her and Sesshoumaru was not known to make the same error twice.

When she shivered in her sleep as she rolled away from him, his tail trailing after her, the Taiyoukai figured now would be a good time to move them. Sitting up, he gazed down at the picture his mate made.

The dark cloak of her hair about her nude body. The creamy texture of her skin limned by the palest trace of moonlight trying to valiantly pierce the blanket of clouds from the storm. The enticing curve of her breast and hip peaking from between the patchwork of his tail.

A loving smile painting his lips, he removed the furry appendage from about Kagome. Standing from the bed so he could pick up her unresisting form carefully with his arm and tail. Making certain not to wake the exhausted female who was so terrible at looking after herself.

Really, he was nearly read to hire a nursemaid to trail after her if the damn woman didn't learn to take care of her health better.

She only murmured once as he carried her. Sesshoumaru shushing her quietly as he dropped a kiss upon her brow.

"Shhh, itoshi anata. It is only me." Hugging her tight when she immediately relaxed into him, Sesshoumaru put one leg on the bed to kneel.

Placing her on the mattress, he removed his tail from her and climbed in beside his miko before pulling the blanket up to cover them both. Scooting so he could wrap about her body protectively from behind. Lay his chin atop her head on the pillow they shared as he cuddled her close. Listening to the melody of his mate breathing serenely as she slept on.

Since youkai did not need sleep as a human did, Sesshoumaru was content to remain awake in the dark hours of the night. Pressing the naked form of his mate into his own. Placing a kiss on her shoulder whenever she would grow restless or move about within the circle of his arm. Determined to keep Kagome loved, safe, and secure by his side no matter.

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A light rapping on the door had Sesshoumaru glancing down sharply to make certain it hadn't disturbed his mate. Kagome sleeping on as the inu youkai extricated himself from her with care so as not to wake her. The dark shadows beneath her eyes spoke of how much rest the woman needed, and he meant to see she got it.

Quitting their bed, he found his discarded pants on the floor by the foot of the bed and slid the cold silk on. Adjusting the legs into place before sliding on his robe and tying the sash with a practiced motion.

Glancing out the windows, he saw it was only just after dawn. Early for someone to be intruding upon the master and mistress' rest unless something was amiss.

Brushing the bangs from his face with impatient fingers after pulling his hair from his clothing, the Taiyoukai hurried to the door and opened it enough to slip out into the hallway. Taking no chances that the sharp eyes of his youkai servants or soldiers could spy the nude woman wrapped up in his bed.

He arched a silver eyebrow when he saw a young female servant shyly standing in front of him. Her cheeks blushing and eyes averted as the clawed hands about the large wooden chest she carried tightened to a white-knuckled grip.

Bowing her blonde head respectfully without looking up at him, she said softly, "Forgive the early intrusion, My Lord. But Saki advised me to drop this off first thing this morning for Lady Kagome."

"Indeed." Giving the aged dark wood with the golden lock in the shape of a sakura blossom a once over, he asked mildly, "Did Saki say what it is?"

Bobbing in another quick bow, the small female with a dark green star on her forehead replied, "Saki said it was a collection of crowns from the royal coffers, My Lord. Said that Lady Kagome would be expecting them today so she might choose one for her ceremony."

"I see." Divesting the heavy object from the small youkai in the maroon and black kimono, he nodded his thanks. "Thank you, Mai. I will see that Lady Kagome gets it."

Blush deepening, still not meeting the other youkai's eyes, she curtsied before fleeing down the hall as though the hounds of hell were at her heels.

Balancing the diminutive heavy trunk against his side, he took two fingers and opened the door. Closing out the light from the wall sconces in the corridor so that it wouldn't reach the sole occupant of the bed.

Placing the container on the table, Sesshoumaru rotated his head on his neck. Working the stiffness out as he took off the robe to rejoin his sleeping mate.

Today, he would forgo the running of his castle to stay by her side for her first lesson. Offer her support and to see for himself that she would adhere to his orders of putting herself first and not what she thought others wanted from her.

He would simply send word to Lord Daija to take over in his stead until tomorrow. The phoenix had already proven he could be trusted and was capable enough to keep Taisho palace running in the absence of the Taiyoukai. A fact he was going to take full advantage of today.

Sesshoumaru had only been in bed for about thirty minutes when he felt Kagome stir beside him. Her heartbeat and breathing picking up as she came awake within the circle of his arm.

Rolling over to face him, she blinked a few times while peering up at him. Blue-grey eyes foggy as her mind began to wake up slowly. Sniffling, she yawned behind her hand before placing it on his chest. Snuggling into him a second later to steal his body heat with a happy sigh.

Brushing his fingers along her bare spine, he murmured quietly, "I would have thought you would sleep longer, Kagome. It is barely after sunrise after all."

Grunting, she tilted her head to kiss his chin. "I woke up because I need to go pee but I'm also not in the mood to get cold. So, I'm at an impasse."

Giving her a look, he took his arm from around her with a smirk. "Considering it is not an attractive feature to soil one's bedding, I suggest you fortify yourself and get to the privy."

Rolling her eyes, she stuck her tongue out at him. "I see how it is. No regard for how cold it is for your poor naked mate. I'll probably freeze to death before I get there."

"A chance I am willing to take," he quipped as he reached down to drape his robe over the blanket on her side of the bed. "It will not be very warm, but it will offer you cover."

Laughing in exasperation, she grumbled as she went to slide from the bed. Sitting on the side to put on the robe before dashing as fast as she could to the bathroom. Complaining how cold it was the entire time.

Shaking his head at his mate's antics, Sesshoumaru went to build up the fire once more. Stretching with a grunt as he glanced out the windows to see the storm from last night was still going strong.

The feel of her arms snaking about him from behind to hug him tightly had his clawed hand settling upon her delicate wrist. Marveling at how small and fragile she felt beneath his palm. As though the barest of pressure could snap the bones in two or grind them into powder.

When she put a kiss on the muscle over his scapula before hugging him tighter, he glanced down at her over his shoulder.

"I thought you were freezing to death because of a certain Taiyoukai who kicked you out of a nice warm bed?"

He felt the tiny nip of her teeth in reproach over the same spot she had just kissed.

"Well I got distracted by how handsome you look this early in the morning. It just isn't fair how attractive you can be just getting out of bed when my hair is a bird's nest and I have sleep in my eyes." She began swaying from side to side, his body following along with it obligingly.

"I have not slept since I was not tired." Turning in the circle of her arms, he embraced her in turn. "And you are beautiful no matter what time of day, Kagome."

"Oh-ho! Aren't we in a good mood this morning? Just full of compliments." She wiggled her eyebrows at him with a smirk. "Whatever could have brought that on I wonder."

"You know what," he growled before giving her a deep kiss, her laughter resonating against his lips pleasantly. Breaking the caress, he nodded towards the table and its contents. "If you are not planning on going back to sleep then I suppose I should tell you that a servant brought that chest over there for you a while ago."

A puzzled frown marked her brow as she turned to look at it. "Brought it for me? What is it?"

"A collection of headgear for you to choose from for the presentation ceremony." He smirked at the immediate bright smile that bit of news brought to her lips. Letting his arm fall away as she went to go investigate the wooden trunk.

"Do you have the key for it?"

"In the study." He disappeared into the connecting room.

Digging through a small ornate box set upon a high shelf nearly obscured from view by a pile of scrolls. Finding the correct key, he reclosed the small container before going back into the bedroom. Kagome now changed into her warmer pajamas as she sat at her favored spot at the table.

"Here you go." Sesshoumaru handed her the small key that held the same sakura emblem on its head.

"Thanks." Biting at her lower lip, she inserted the key and twisted. The sound of the locking mechanism tumbling loudly in the room.

He left her as she opened the lid with both hands, going out to the hallway to ask Kiro to order tea and impart his instructions for the day as to his whereabouts. Sesshoumaru also let the arctic kitsune know that Teisa was to have the day off and he would be stationed in her place since both the master and mistress of the castle would be spending time together.

With an inward scowl, he informed the waiting male that he was to let the female guard know he nor his Lady were upset at her in any way. That Lady Kagome wished for her to relax until resuming her regular duties tomorrow.

Ignoring the icy kit's speculative stare, he went back inside his room. Amber orbs alighting on his mate who was reverently running a fingertip over the arch of one of the half dozen circlets laying upon the red velvet.

"Do they meet with your approval?"

*******************BBBBBBRRRRRRRRR**********

Kagome nodded. Speechless at the inu youkai's question as he remained standing while coming to a stop beside the table. Looking down with open curiosity into the small chest that held its treasure.

She Found it interesting how so many western aesthetics, from the doors to now jewelry, kept popping up in the Taisho palace. How they came to be there or from who, she had no clue.

"I must confess, I have never had cause to look inside more than half the diminutive trunks which litter the royal coffers here." Frowning in thought, he reached down with a clawed hand to lift out the circlet of silver. Turning it this way and that as he held it up to the weak sunlight filtering into the room. Even with that paltry illumination, the row of rubies flashed brilliantly. "I am not aware I have ever seen this worn by my mother or Inu Yasha's."

Swallowing thickly, Kagome watched as he set it on the table when there came another knock at the door. The young male servant she had grown accustomed to stepping inside bearing a tray of fresh hot tea that wafted fragrantly into her nostrils when he set it down on the table.

Smiling warmly, she pushed the tangled mane of her hair away from her face as she said, "Thank you so much. What is your name?"

She had asked the poor youth this each time she had seen him, but he was so tongue-tied and shy when in her presence that the miko had yet to get a straight reply from him.

Stuttering, clasping his clawed hands together at his midriff, his bright blue eyes strayed to Sesshoumaru's tall frame standing behind her before saying, "M-my name is Ke-Kenai, My Lady."

Heart softening at his speech impediment, Kagome reached out impulsively to grab his tense hands. "Thank you, Kenai, for bringing me this lovely tea. And for everything else you have done to make my stay here wonderful."

Blushing at her praise, he looked at the towering form the of the placid dog demon behind her before bowing. The shaggy brown hair about his head waving with the movement. "I-it is my p-p-pleasure, My L-Lady."

Disarmed by the poor demon, Kagome patted his hands before releasing him. Sesshoumaru tailing him to the door before closing them inside alone again. Pouring them both a cup of tea, she welcomed the heat along her spine as he settled himself behind her. His long legs stretched out on either side of her own, his chin hooked over her shoulder.

Capturing his lips in a quick kiss, she asked while placing his tea within reach, "Aren't you typically gone for work by now?"

"Trying to get rid of me? In your own words, rude." His eyes were twinkled into her own as he dutifully lifted the mug to his lips to take a sip.

Rolling her eyes with a laugh, she took up her own hot beverage, clasping her fingers about the warm beige ceramic. "You know I would love nothing more than to spend the morning with you. Or the afternoon or whenever. And that I miss you whenever we're apart no matter how long."

That statement got her a deep kiss that tasted like green tea. The flavor mixed with his own appealing to her so that she went in for another taste.

"Then it will please you to know I have decided to remain with you for the entire day." Cuddling her close, he took another long swig from his tea. "I have already informed those necessary of my absence and have made the arrangements so that we should not be disturbed with any dealings in regard to the running of the palace. Save an emergency, of course."

"Really?" She asked with a huge smile. Heart light at the thought of spending time with her inu youkai.

They spent so few hours together while both awake, she felt. As though they were nearly two ships passing one another in the night, and she did get lonesome for him throughout the daylight hours.

They were newly mated after all and had not even indulged in a getaway to be alone. To learn one another as lovers do as they settled into the routine of living together as a couple.

"I see the news pleases you." He nuzzled her cheek with an affectionate grin.

"I'm more than pleased. I'm ecstatic!" Aiming a smirk his way, she took another sip of her tea, careful not to burn her mouth because of its temperature. "But then, you already know how I feel about it considering the damn mating bond and aura synch always out me."

Arching a brow at her grousing, he said, "Foolish woman, it is not as though you cannot divine my emotions the same way. I fail to see how you feel as though it is tattling on you to me all the time."

"I don't know, I just do," Kagome said stubbornly as she focused on the diadems again.

Each one really was a work of art in and of itself. Kagome had never seen such riches in person in before now. Her mind having a hard time grasping the fact that not only was she going to be allowed to wear one, but that in essence, she owned them as well.

It was mind boggling to be honest.

Placing her tea on the table, she carefully took hold of the one which had sat next to its ruby encrusted brethren that Sesshoumaru had already removed. Surprised at the weight of the precious metal and jewels considering the Taiyoukai had lifted the other one as though it weighed as much as a paperclip.

As she watched the metal and precious gems flash when she tilted it, the rumble of her mate's voice was soothing along her spine.

"If you find none of these tiaras suit you then I will have the others brought up for your perusal."

"Others?" Kagome asked weakly. Wondering just how rich the demon behind her was.

"Oh yes, my mate." He turned his head to smirk down at her dumbfounded expression as she held the piece of jewelry. "The riches of the Taisho house are plentiful. Centuries of raiding, gifting, and at times plundering have seen to that. I can always take you down and show you the vaults if you would like."

Dizzy from processing what he was saying. Taken aback by how negligently he mentioned the type of monetary wealth he had at his fingertips, Kagome nodded without saying a word.

What could her response possibly be?

Of course, I want to see all the new jewelry you have so I can play dress-up with Sango and parade around the castle?

Shaking her head, Kagome pushed the image of large stone rooms filled to the brim like the magical cavern in Aladdin. Blue-grey eyes tracing the gentle waves of the silver circlet that wove in and out of itself. The dark blue of five sapphires the size of a robin's egg set in points at regular intervals until the largest one twice the circumference of the rest sat prominently in the middle.

The damn thing could probably buy a small country.

Or, at least, pay her way and Souta's through the most prestigious college in her time era.

Placing that one beside the one with rubies, she took another drink of her warm tea while studying the others inside the trunk. Humming to herself as she traced each one with her eyes.

"I mean….I honestly don't know, Sesshoumaru." Shrugging helplessly, she cast her mate a pleading look. "I think they are all gorgeous but," she hesitated a moment before adding, "Should I really wear any of these though? What if something happens to it while I have it? I'd feel terrible if I accidentally broke it or, Kami forbid, lose it somehow."

"If it is misplaced or suffers a break then I would imagine we have the master goldsmith fix it," he said dryly with a shrug. "The loss will not diminish our treasures enough to make a difference."

"You wouldn't be upset?" Disbelief had her eyebrows raising till they almost touched her hairline. "Sesshoumaru, you know how clumsy I am. That I am constantly tripping over something or running into a table. Maybe you should just send for something not so valuable."

Scowling at her in displeasure, he finished his own tea before placing his clawed hand along her cheek to turn her face to his.

Arching an eyebrow, he growled in an imperious tone, "I sincerely hope, itoshi anata, that you are not objecting to wearing any of these because you do not feel worthy of them."

The way she shielded her eyes from his as her lips curved downward made him grunt in annoyance. "Foolish woman. If anything, none of these damn crowns are worthy of you."

Eyes flying open to meet his fierce gaze with his exotic feline pupils, Kagome leaned into his hand. Blinking back tears of emotion at the naked love shining from those inhuman orbs into her own. Heart aching in her breast when he had called her my darling.

Kissing him tenderly in thanks, Kagome turned her attention back to the circlets set before her. Gingerly reaching in to lift out the next candidate. Mesmerized at the deep vee at its center which would lay over the forehead when worn. Its thin silver scrollwork more delicate than the others. The lines so thin they appeared as though the slightest brush of a fingertip would break them.

This one held only one jewel at the center of the vee. An emerald the same size as the main sapphire in the one she had looked at already.

With a shake of her head in the negative, she placed that one beside the others. Sighing heavily as she took up the next one. Holding it up for their inspection as she leaned her head against his.

"What about this one?"

Eyeing the circle of silver with narrowed eyes, he traced one of the three citrine stones with a claw. "This color would not compliment you, love."

Pleasantly surprised he was a male who actually told the truth of his honest opinion when asked how something looked on their woman, Kagome smiled. Giving him another kiss on the chin as a thank you.

"Thanks." Putting that one by the others in the 'no' pile, Kagome took out the last one.

Disappointed that she didn't care for this one either. Feeling like a complete snob for even thinking it. For crying out loud, how bad was she that after being offered six priceless pieces of jewelry to choose from she didn't feel any of them were right for her?

This circlet was more ornate than any of its predecessors. Larger in width, it wove in and out of itself in an abstract design that didn't translate well with the aquamarine stones placed about its surface.

Wrinkling her nose, she put that one next to the one with the citrines.

Chuckling, he picked up the offensive piece of jewelry. "Yes, I agree. I would like to think this was either a gift or something one of my ancestors stole just for the sake of adding to our wealth. It is rather hideous."

Relieved he didn't think her ungrateful, Kagome laughed as well as she settled into him. "Well, I guess none of these will work."

"You think so?" He asked with a small grin before placing the ugly tiara to the side. Reaching over to the chest and grabbing a corner of the red velvet.

Kagome could hardly believe her eyes when he removed the plush fabric, exposing another set of headwear.

Gulping, she asked, "How many layers are in this trunk?"

"One more after this one. If those do not meet with your approval, I will have the others brought, as I said." He refilled her tea as she continued to gape silently at the new row of diminutive crowns.

Gnawing at her lower lip after she took a sip from her tea, she began going through the new row. With each one she set aside a sinking sensation take root in her stomach.

Why was this so hard for her?

The junihitoe she had understood how finicky she was being when it came to that. After all, it was the closest to a wedding gown she would get, how she saw it.

But this?

Not understanding herself at this point, she placed the last one from that row on the cluttered tabletop. Irritated that she couldn't just settle for one, even if she didn't love the damn thing.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. It must look as though I'm not appreciative of what is being offered." Heavily sighing Kagome's shoulders slouched in disappointment.

"Not at all. I would prefer you not pick one until it is precisely what you desire. As I have said, there are plenty more to choose from besides this one chest. Worst case scenario, we could do a rush commission on one of your own design." He reached out to grab the cover for the final row at the bottom of the wooden container.

"Oh no, that would be too much!" Waving her hand dismissively, she waited to see what would be revealed by the removal of the red fabric.

There was no way she could begin to design her own headdress. She would be too uncomfortable with doing so. Completely out of her depth on what to say or do.

"Perhaps you will find one you fancy within this last row." So saying, he removed the scrap of cloth.

Kagome froze as her blue-grey eyes beheld what lay at the bottom of the small chest. Enraptured by the single circlet that lay there without any others beside it. Putting her mug down, she reverently reached in to lift out the piece of jewelry that she had instantly fallen in love with.

Just as she had the over kimono for her junihitoe. Knowing instantly that it was the one for her without a doubt.

"This one," she whispered in awe while holding the platinum circlet up to the light.

The master cut to the precious metal causing it to sparkle as though bejeweled. A crescent moon on its back lay at the center. The curve of the moon superb and glinting as it caught the sun's weak rays through their windows.

On each side of the moon there were filigree dog demons facing one another. On their hind legs with their front paws holding onto each side of the crescent moon as their muzzles raised to the heavens with mouths agape as though they were baying at the moon.

The intricacy of the piece was such that tiny rubies had been set as their eyes. The only other jewels on the entire circlet the center of the moon which had been filled with hundreds of miniscule diamonds no larger than a pinhead.

When Sesshoumaru took it from her nerveless fingers to place it on her head, she turned to look up at him. Gage his expression to ascertain if it looked fine on her or not. If it ended up that he said it didn't fit her features or clashed with her somehow, Kagome knew she'd be heartbroken.

She already loved the thin crown that much.

Tilting his head as he looked at the picture she made with her mussed locks that had puffed out from the humidity and their lovemaking. The odd clothing she wore to sleep in hugging her slight frame and the delicate cast to her features, he hummed in thought.

"Hmmmm." He grasped her chin to turn her head this way and that in the sun. Watching how the gems caught fire and the youkai appeared to be looking back at him.

"Well?" She asked anxiously as she gnawed at her bottom lip.

Smiling, tapping a finger to her mouth to get her to release the poor abused flesh, he nodded firmly. "It suits you perfectly, Kagome."

Lips curving in a joyous smile, Kagome scrambled out of his lap. Nearly stepping on this thigh in her rush to get in front of the mirror in their bedroom. His laughter following her as she leaned in close and posed so the light made the gems flash on the headpiece.

"I love it! It's so beautiful, Sesshoumaru." Turning to face her mate, she added, "I swear if I accidentally break or lose this thing, I'm going to be devastated."

"Then we will make certain it is taken care of," he replied easily as he laced his legs so they were no longer stretched out. Putting the other circlets away as she continued to admire her new treasure in the mirror.

Noticing that he was placing the last one inside the chest before closing the lid, she asked in surprise, one hand going to the circlet, "Did you not want to put this one back in there as well?"

Waving away her question, Sesshoumaru locked the small chest before rising. "No. It will be safe enough in our quarters until the day of your ceremony. This way you can take it with you when you go to the next fitting of your junihitoe. Make certain it is precisely what you want before the night arrives."

She waited for him to return from putting the key away before going over to the dog demon who spoiled her rotten. Hugging him tightly while leaving the headpiece on for a little while longer. Giving in to the childish urge to wear it as much as possible since it made her feel beautiful and like a princess.

Smirking down at her, he held her close. "I can see your new bauble pleases you." Shrugging he added, "If you like it that well you can wear it all the time. It is not uncommon for a Taiyoukai's mate to wear a crown or diadem of some sort even if it is not a special occasion. You are a part of youkai royalty now, as it were."

Aghast at his offhand remark, Kagome simply stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Her brain lagging on processing what he had told her. She hadn't really thought about what her new title and position would be considered. Not fully, at any rate.

Her station and mated life with Sesshoumaru were too new for her to really comprehend that whenever he called her princess, the Taiyoukai actually meant it. It was almost too much for her to handle, so Kagome filed it away for now. Focusing, instead, on planting a big kiss on her handsome mate's mouth.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. For letting me use the circlet. For the junihitoe. For everything."

"The jewelry is yours, Kagome. You are not borrowing it and will be expected to give it back. There is a multitude of jewelry at your disposal anytime you would like to use it." Kissing her forehead below the moon about her brow, he brushed her cheek with gentle knuckles before stepping back. "Now, would you like to order breakfast, drink more tea, go to the hot spring, or possibly go back to bed and sleep for a while?"

"We can go to the hot spring!" Glancing out the window at the storm, she grimaced. "Though the way the weather is right now, it is going to be like getting a shower before we get there."

With a small secret smile that had her frowning in confusion, Sesshoumaru went to get dressed, calling over his shoulder, "Gather your things, my mate. I promise, you will hardly feel even a drop of rain on our way to the hot spring."

Excited and a little shy that she would be bathing together with her lover, the situation vastly different from the last time they were together in the woods, Kagome collected what she needed. Curious as to the meaning of his words.

When they were both ready, he hesitated before opening the bedroom door.

Arching an eyebrow down at her with a smirk as his hand rested on the knob. "Are you ready, itoshi anata?"

Heart swelling at his new pet name for her, smile radiant, she nodded. "After you, handsome."

As soon as he opened the door Kagome let out an 'eep' as his tail and arm wrapped around her a second before he turned into a ball of white light. Speeding through the hallways until they were a blur, her delighted laughter trailing after them.

The sight of their master and his Lady enjoying themselves causing more than one servant or soldier to grin as they went about their business.

It had been too long since Lord Sesshoumaru had had cause to be this carefree.

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	58. Bless The Child

It was a surreal experience. Climbing into a giant pool of warm water without a stitch of clothing on while trying to maintain some semblance of modesty when everything about entering the damn thing basically prevented it.

Especially considering Kagome was finding it exceedingly difficult not to openly stare at the picture of a nude Sesshoumaru waist deep in said liquid. The definition of his back and shoulder muscles flexing as he doused his head before coming back to the surface mesmerizing the poor woman.

The way he pushed the wet cape of his soaked mane away from his face, the lazy snakelike wavering of his tail swaying behind him, was something that made her mouth go dry. The blush on her cheeks encompassing her entire body when he glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he turned to her in profile.

Clutching the fluffy white towel wrapped around her in a white-knuckled fist, Kagome tried to ignore how the droplets of water slowly traveling down his tall frame made the insane urge to follow their path with her tongue flash through her mind.

"Are you planning on coming in at some point?" He asked with an amused smirk. Facing her fully before walking backwards until the water lapped at his collarbone.

"I'll be in in a second. Don't rush me!" Kagome averted her gaze to her bare feet as she tried to gather enough courage to drop the piece of terrycloth.

Really, why she was so shy at this point when hours before she had basically jumped him in their bed was beyond her.

She was an old married woman now, right?

Bathing nude with her mate should be no different than eating together or walking the countryside. Just another regular thing couples did that were commonplace and normal.

No matter how much she tried to convince herself, however, Kagome continued to stand there. Shifting from one foot and then the other. Biting at her lower lip while glancing about the huge chamber that housed the hot spring as she continued to inwardly debate on how simple it was to just drop the towel and step in.

"You do realize I have seen you naked many times before, right? Including last night when your glorious body was straddling my own," he called at her with a grin. His voice echoing throughout the room making the red dusting her skin even darker if that was possible. "All you have to do is drop the towel and step in. It is a simple enough process, kireina."

"What did I just say about not rushing me?" Kagome growled as she sent her chuckling mate an irritated glare through the steam rising from the pool.

Willfully ignoring how each time he called her beautiful it made her toes want to curl in pleasure.

Waving his hand lazily, he shook his head with a smirk. Even from the distance separating them she could see the exasperated amusement lighting his amber eyes.

"Humans. You lot worry too much over things like modesty and nudity."

"Excuse me?" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest as she began to tap her foot. Effectively trapping the towel against her body when it had begun to slip when she had let it go. "Well youkai are an arrogant bossy lot who are also impatient."

"I seem to vividly recall someone I know very well displaying a complete lack of that virtue last evening right before I was accosted." The Taiyoukai's voice was playful as was the curve of his mouth while he teased his shy mate.

Thankful that he had dismissed the guards who were typically stationed outside the hot spring, Kagome quelled the urge to pick up her hairbrush and lob it at his head. The damn thing would probably sink to the bottom and she'd never see it again.

"Yeah, well, I didn't hear you offering up an argument about being 'accosted' last night, lack of patience or no." Tossing her hair over her shoulder she gave him an arrogant look down her nose. "Turn around."

Her demand surprised an incredulous laugh out of Sesshoumaru as he eyed her as though she had just told him to stand on his head and count to one hundred.

"You cannot be serious, Kagome." Realizing by the stubborn set to her jaw and implacable line of her mouth she was, indeed, quite serious, Sesshoumaru shook his head with a sigh as he put his back to her. His tail and hair barely visible through the surface of the water at that depth. "Hurry up, you foolish woman. I would like to actually bathe at some point this morning."

Grumbling under her breath about 'arrogant demanding dog demons' and 'irritating mates' Kagome quickly tossed the towel aside to land who knew where, as she all but dove into the water. Her foot slipping on the sediment lining the bottom so that the miko went from an ungraceful jog through the shallows to faceplanting. The heated liquid swallowing her immediately with such ferocity that she was convinced she'd inhaled half the damn pool by the time she regained her feet.

Sputtering and coughing, her hair stuck to her face in messy tangles that made it impossible for her to see, Kagome impatiently pushed at the inky strands. Annoyed as they stuck to her skin and refused to move. The multiple attempts to clear her vision fruitless and frustrating.

The sound of Sesshoumaru laughing uproariously at her current situation made Kagome blindly head towards him. Uncaring that the top of her body was exposed as she held her arms out in front of her, searching for the source of male merriment she could hear in front of her.

"My, but you are the picture of grace and beauty, itoshi anata. What a lucky Taiyoukai I am to have such an accomplished mate," Sesshoumaru said sardonically. The smirk heard plainly in his voice as he watched her progress through the water.

The sound of water moving around his body as he called the remarks out to her drew Kagome towards the right. Desperate to wrap her fingers around her mate's throat and strangle him.

Rude jerk!

Making fun of her!

She'd show her mate just how graceful and beautiful she could be as she laughed blithely while she drowned him with his own tail.

Kagome continued to step in the direction she could last heard him. Smiling innocently while saying in a sweet voice, "Sesshoumaru, darling, please do hold still so I can find you and murder you in your own hot spring."

The water was now up to her chest. Swirling about her nude form as her long hair stuck to her on all sides. Wrapping about her arms and torso as she tilted her head and bounced on her tip toes when she had gone deep enough for the water to be at her throat.

"So violent," His deep voice resonated mockingly from the left of her. The brush of his tail caressing the back of her thighs fleetingly making her jump and him laugh. "Ungrateful woman. Threatening me bodily harm right after receiving a crown. You may be more prepared for the youkai high court than I previously thought."

Scoffing at his words, Kagome bounced her way towards his voice. Fingers seeking the feel of his wet skin as the water moved up to her chin. She tried to remove the hair from her face again. The stubborn strands resisting being pushed aside by the dampness of her hands. Another annoyed growl releasing from her throat making a laugh leave his.

This time his tail tip brushed her lower spine. Kagome shivering in response of the soft caress as she reached behind her and tried to grab it. Cursing when all she managed to do was have the slippery fur covered bone slide over her palms. Unable to get a handle on it.

The miko's momentum was such from her attempted capture of his tail that she went under for a second. This time tilting her head back, so her hair was no longer covering her face. Narrowed blue-grey eyes alighting on the Taiyoukai's neck and head sitting above the surface about two feet from her on the right. The smirk he was flashing her way displaying a large canine, his cat-like eyes dancing in mirth.

"There you are!" She cried triumphantly as she bounced her way towards him.

Feeling her eyebrow twitch when he simply sidestepped further into the water at a depth where she could no longer touch without going under.

"You have terrible hunting skills, woman." Sesshoumaru shook his head at her as he watched the aggravated miko calmly. "I am surprised you have made it this far in life with your lack of survival instincts."

"Now why would I need to rely on an instinct for survival while taking a bath in a hot spring in the middle of my mate's castle?" Shooting him a narrowing of her eyes, Kagome pushed off the bottom to float towards him. Waving her arms to keep her head above water so she wouldn't sink. "Quit moving, you jerk! I swear, Sesshoumaru, if I drown trying to catch you, I'll haunt you for the next eon. You won't even be able to eat, sleep, or even walk without my ghost doing its best to drive you insane."

Arching a silver eyebrow at her threat, he gave her a flat stare before taking another large hopping leap back. His tall frame barely touching the bottom of the huge pool.

"Such threats from my loving mate." The grin slid from his lips to be replaced by a scowl as she disappeared for a second before resurfacing. Sputtering and coughing as she pushed herself up from the bottom of the pool. "Foolish woman, swim back before you truly do drown yourself."

"No! Not until I get the chance to show my appreciation to my considerate mate who so lovingly laughed when I fell in the pool." With a determined set to her jaw, Kagome dove under the water.

The depths too shadowed at this end of the hot spring for her to clearly see her mate's long body standing in the distance. The wall sconces' light did not reach too far past the top. The back of the hot spring darker with the overgrowth of vegetation and natural rock lining it so the illumination from the torches was weak and sporadic.

The merest strip of paleness is all she could make out from her blurry eyes as she kicked herself towards it. The need for oxygen driving her back up so she could gulp in the precious lifegiving air as her arm muscles strained at being used to keep her from sinking.

She was glad to see that the Taiyoukai's attitude had changed to one of seriousness as he cursed before making his way over to her. Giving her a narrow-eyed look as his hand wrapped about her elbow, holding her up easily as the water undulated about his neck.

"You have to be the most stubborn exasperating obstinate female I have ever encountered in my entire long life," he growled as he took a few more steps towards the shallows until her toes could touch the bottom again.

Smirking in triumph, Kagome gave the tower of masculine temper a smug look. "Yeah, well, it got the desired result, didn't it? I finally have you where I want you!"

He barely had time to turn his head to give her a puzzled look before she launched herself at him. Placing her hands on the top of his head and letting all her weight bear down so she could dunk him underwater. Laughing uncontrollably at the bedraggled picture he made when he surfaced. His hair a matted mess around his striped features. Amber eyes blazing as he coughed a couple of times.

Noticing his look, Kagome felt a thrill of excitement laced with trepidation as she eyed him warily. Bouncing back a couple of feet while waving her hands placatingly.

"Now, now, Sesshoumaru. Remember, you love your mate more than anything else in the world and would never think of harming her." Kagome had to stifle a laugh when the hand he shoved through his bangs to clear his vision had them sticking straight up comically.

Noticing her amusement, he began stalking her slowly with a glare. "Foolish woman. Laughing at your mate, are you? Not very ladylike."

Gulping as she continued to bounce backwards in the water for every step he took forward, Kagome gave a nervous laugh. "But you look so handsome right now! All disheveled and a mess with your hair all over the place."

"Hn," was all he said before promptly disappearing beneath the water.

Panicking, Kagome scrambled towards the shallows. Heart racing with a mixture of adrenaline and anticipation as she tried to avoid capture.

A loud scream followed by laughter echoed about the cavernous room as the Taiyoukai surfaced behind her. Grabbing the miko by her waist and pulling her flailing body back into his own. Growling playfully as he nipped at her neck and danced his claws carefully along her ribs. Making her squirm as she pushed at the hard band of his arm as he continued to tickle her.

"I finally have you where I want you, Kagome." He purred her words back at her.

His lips brushed the delicate shell of her ear and his hand desisted bring forth her laughter to rest firmly on her lower abdomen. Holding her tightly to his naked form so that they were connected from shoulder to thighs.

Amusement shifted to desire. Kagome shivering in sensual response as her nipples tightened and heat settled in her loins. She wriggled against him restlessly. Her bottom brushing his groin making him mutter a curse as he strengthened his hold so she couldn't move anymore.

"Be still, you infuriating female!" Nuzzling the side of her throat, he ground out, "Otherwise we will never end up leaving this hot spring today."

"Why would we be stuck in here," She asked breathlessly.

Trailing her nails lightly over his striped wrist and forearm back and forth. The muscles and tendons beneath it the consistency of marble under his skin as he clamped her to his front. The first stirrings of an erection bumping the back of her thigh.

He licked his way up to her ear, gently biting the lobe before whispering seductively, "Because neither of us will have the strength to walk after I finish worshipping your nude form as I would like to."

Body aching at his salacious promise, Kagome whimpered with need when her mate nipped the underside of her jaw. The miko tilting her head to the side as he trailed his lips over her cheek to the corner of her mouth.

Finding it hard to concentrate, she whispered unevenly, "That doesn't sound like a terrible way to spend our day off."

She groaned loudly. Reaching behind to tangle her fingers in the wet strands of hair at his nape when the tip of his tongue darted out to lick her lips. The fluid collecting between her thighs much hotter than that of the water they were in.

"Don't tempt me." His voice was more growl than actual words as he took her mouth in a passionate kiss when she turned her face towards his.

Tongues tangling with one another as the blood rushed through their veins. The feel of the water mixed with the hardness of her mate driving her wild with the new sensations of it all.

When their lips finally broke apart, they were both breathing raggedly. Kagome grateful he had such a secure grip on her since her legs had become weak and she knew she would have slipped beneath the water if left to stand on her own.

Her other armed snaked around his neck to join its brethren as she strained backwards into his chest. Back arching so that her breasts rose above the steaming pool. The cooler temperature of the air making the heavy fullness of the creamy globes pucker tight with goosebumps. Her mauve nipples jutting and almost painful with the force of her arousal.

"Sesshoumaru," she whimpered with need. Legs scissoring in an attempt to alleviate the pleasure-pain coursing through her at a galloping pace.

Muttering a curse against her cheek, his hand came up to pluck at each of the hard nubs. Cupping one breast completely as he slid his thigh between her own. Parting them so he could immediately skim his hand down the front of her torso. Gently run his claws over the slight swell of her lower abdomen before going further to cup her hair covered mound in his palm.

Crying out, Kagome's fingers grabbed onto the back of his neck tightly as the deft fingers of her mate parted her folds to rub against the wet heat of her. His breathing harsh in her ear as Sesshoumaru massaged the area in a slow rhythm that had her eyes sliding closed in hedonistic bliss.

Kagome was oblivious to everything else save the mounting pressure building in her body. The careful movements of her lover's clawed fingers that made certain not to accidentally slice her tender flesh. Two of his fingertips finding the hard nub. Stroking it with enough pressure to drive her crazy with longing.

Undulating against him, the hard length of his own arousal pressing into her bottom insistently, Kagome turned her head to capture his mouth with hers. Sucking on his lower lip before using her tongue to explore the moist cavern it was attached to.

Intoxicated by the taste of the Taiyoukai and the motions of his hand that were bringing her close to orgasm. Her body writhing in the water as she slid along the top of his firm leg that had her trembling from the friction.

Leaving her lips, he nudged her head to tilt it the other way. His mouth hungrily nipping her earlobe and neck before he scraped his fangs over the mate mark. Repeating the sensual caress over and over until Kagome was completely incapable of any coherent thought.

The need to connect her body to his was a soul deep cramping that made her mindless with desire. A wanton creature desperate to satiate the drive to slip her body over his. To take him completely inside herself until you could not tell where one began and the other ended.

When his hand stopped the delicious kneading of her center to grasp her hip Kagome let loose a groan of protest. Further irritated when his leg left the cradle of hers.

Looking back at him with a scowl of frustration, her arms still tight around his neck, she bit out, "I swear, if you are just teasing me and have no plans of following through, I may just truly murder you with your own tail in this damn hot spring, Sesshoumaru."

Eyes ablaze and molten with his own desire, his cat-like pupils dilated and prominent, he gave her a small kiss on the corner of her frowning mouth.

"So ferocious, is my mate when in need. Patience, itoshi anata." Grinning, he covered her lips with his own when she opened them to protest.

Whatever words she had been about to say lost in the fog of her mounting desire. Completely unaware to the movement of their bodies. The gentle sound of the water washing up against their retreating forms unheard through the beat of her pulse pounding in her ears.

Kagome felt mild surprise when she suddenly found herself sitting completely in the Taiyoukai's lap. The heated liquid of the hot spring high enough to fall just beneath her breasts. The feel of his hand cupping one before using his thumb and forefinger to pull at her nipple tossing aside the momentary shock.

As he continued to kiss her, the angle of his head from his new seated position allowing his tongue to delve deeper than before, Kagome spread her legs. Opening them until they straddled his own. A sigh of pleasure escaping into her lover's mouth when he moved his hand to its previous position.

No longer at the mercy of the water's buoyancy, she was able to have the leverage to thrust herself into the provocative motions of his fingers. Moaning into his mouth when she felt the aching in her loins winding tighter.

As Kagome's desire crested, she pulled her lips free of his to lean her head back against his shoulder. Hands frantically clawing at the portions of his back she could reach. Eyes rolling into the back of her head as her body stiffened in an arch as she found release. Moaning loudly as the waves rippled through her blood.

She was still trembling from the aftermath of it, her intimate muscles quivering, when Sesshoumaru placed his mouth over her mating mark. Biting the crescent and swirls in a grip that held the faint prick of his fangs mixed with unadulterated pleasure. Kagome barely having time to gasp before she felt herself lifted. Eyes flying open wide to stare up at the ceiling as he slid the hard length of himself inside her in one thrust. Burying himself to the hilt in the wet hot sheath of her body.

Breathless at the potency from the overwhelming sensations of his mouth, body, and their bonds, Kagome was only able to let out a soft mewl from her parted lips. The lids to her eyes sliding closed as Sesshoumaru began to move inside her.

The feel of his hand cupping her breast tightly while he sheathed himself in her in long slow strokes made her undulate with each downward motion. The Taiyoukai's breathing harsh and muffled against her shoulder. His sharp teeth remaining locked over the markings on her skin as his tongue laved the area repetitively.

Kagome's fingers curled, digging her nails into him. Searching for purchase upon the moisture slickness of his skin. The blaze of arousal consuming her. Twining about her body and igniting the blood in her veins. The wonderful fullness of Sesshoumaru stretching the muscles inside her as he began to move faster causing her breath to catch.

The force behind his hips became harder than any other previous time they had made love. His hand clenching into the softness of her breast until his fingers were indented into to creamy flesh. Preventing it from moving as the other one was to the rhythm of their bodies.

The sounds he made as he took her were darkly sensual. Wild and uninhibited the low grunt or growl that left his throat. Causing the erotic response of her body to increase with the knowledge that she could drive her lover as crazy with desire as he could. Exalting in the power of being the only female to do so.

Sesshoumaru's movements became fevered and frenetic. The wet slap of their bodies meeting in the water accompanied with the sounds they made rising in volume. Kagome's fingers becoming taught as her nails dug into the back of his neck to fist in his hair. The force of her second climax causing a long cry of passion to leave her lips. The sound uneven as he continued to thrust into her quivering center a few more moments before growling ferally and clasping her almost painfully against his body as he bit down. The curl of his lips flashing the fangs that were piercing her skin into the muscles there.

Whimpering while she panted, Kagome let him take all of her weight. Unable to hold herself up as she let go of the harsh grip on his scalp. Crossing her wrists to keep them from sliding off him while keeping her fingers empty. Her scarred palm throbbing after the overuse from the tenacity used to grip onto the inu youkai.

Fighting to catch her breath, she groaned when Sesshoumaru let go of her mark. The area pulsating with a maelstrom of pleasure and pain. Throbbing and sharp from where he had bitten her with those sharp teeth of his. Trembling slightly, she kept her eyes closed and worked on bringing enough oxygen into her lungs. Valiantly trying to bring her body back under control. Hissing with clenched teeth when the inu youkai drew his tongue over the wounds on her shoulder.

The path of his wet caress long and soothing after the first initial sting of it. Gulping to bring moisture back into her arid mouth, Kagome opened her eyes enough to watch what her mate was doing furtively. For once her mate mark not immediately causing desire to flood senses.

The crescent moon held within the magenta swirls was passive save for the discomfort. The sight of Sesshoumaru cleaning away the red droplets that arose from the twin puncture holes she could see making her grimace.

Even knowing that he was an inu youkai, it was still unnerving with how animalistic his behavior was right now.

But he was her mate, and this is who he was. A youkai taking the shape of a human's form when in reality he was a large snowy dog. It was something she was reconciling with as she closed her eyes. Moving her head to rest more comfortably against his chest as she let him do what he wanted. His thoroughness such that he was even paying attention to the other matching set of bite marks from his lower canines when they had cut into her.

When she lowered the arm attached to the shoulder he was working on, she groaned loudly as the stiff joint protested. The mating mark throbbing anew. The skin overly sensitive and hurting nearly as much as when she had first woken up after he had bonded with her.

Releasing her breast to brush his knuckles along her flushed cheek, he nuzzled her temple with a small groan. "I am sorry, itoshi anata. I got carried away. I did not mean to hurt you."

Feeling his sorrow and regret through their bonds, Kagome gave him a small reassuring smile when she turned her head to look up at him. Ignoring how even that simple movement made the mark ache.

Placing her fingers along his striped cheek she traced the twin magenta lines there. His features painted in growing remorse from the tilt of his lips to the frown on his brow.

Pinning his contrite amber orbs with the tenderness of her own, Kagome told him firmly, "You have nothing to apologize for, Sesshoumaru. I loved every second of making love with you." She placed a gentle kiss on the unhappy curve of his mouth. "But if it will make you feel better, I forgive you. Always."

It seemed to be a habit with the Taiyoukai. His self-recrimination anytime they went to bed together riding him brutally afterwards when thought took precedence over passion. Kagome was sure his unease would fade in time. After all, it was only his concern for her which gave him a momentary pause whenever they were in the afterglow of their intimate union.

She was only glad that he wasn't so worried over potentially harming her that he wouldn't make love to her. Denying them both the earth-shattering ecstasy of their bodies joining together.

That was something the miko wouldn't allow by any means.

Now that she had seen how wonderful sharing her body could be with the man she loved Kagome wasn't about to let that slip through her fingers.

Nuzzling into her scarred palm, he placed a kiss there before resting his cheek into it. Pushing her hair behind an ear with infinite care.

"There are times your capacity for forgiveness nearly slays me, woman." Pressing his forehead to hers he stared at her intently. "I find myself feeling unworthy of you during such occasions."

Heart soaring at his declaration, Kagome smiled fully before giving him a long deep kiss.

"I love you, you stubborn Taiyoukai." Giving him a look filled with all her love and affection, Kagome tapped him playfully on the tip of his nose. "That includes when you are passionate in bed! I wouldn't want you any other way, understand? If I feel as though you're holding yourself back from enjoying what we do it will end up spoiling the pleasure for me."

Giving her a hard stare, he leaned back to look at her fully. "Foolish woman, I will not put you in harms way. Even from myself."

Growling in frustration, she poked him in the chest. "Arrogant dog demon, I will not put up with you not giving yourself to me wholeheartedly!"

Her words startled a laugh from him. The motion of it shifting him inside her with an odd sensation that made her grunt.

Smirking down at her fondly, he rubbed her lower lip with his thumb. "My mate. So demanding she is. Never hesitating to inform me whenever I have done something to elicit her dissatisfaction."

"Exactly!" Giving him an arrogant look down her nose, she said imperiously, "This Kagome will have all of her mate, including his sexual appetites, or none of him at all."

Shaking his head with a chuckle, he eyed her as though he wasn't quite certain she was real. As though the woman on his lap might be a figment of his imagination he had developed during a lurid dream.

"You amaze me, itoshi anata." Kissing her sweetly, he broke the caress to lave the last few red droplets from her shoulder. Doing so until he was certain it was sealed completely before clasping her waist to lift her gently so he could slide free. Settling her on his thighs promptly after. Her pained groan causing him to narrow his eyes at her. "But you are also still unused to our love play. I should have remembered that fact before initiating anything and waited."

Waving a hand dismissively, she shrugged, wincing at the pull on her mate mark. "That will fade in time." Giving him her best leer, she added, "Just think of all the fun we'll have helping my body acclimate."

Laughing, he cuddled her close. Moving her until she was sideways over his thighs so he could nip her nose playfully. "Lustful wench! Do not place temptation before me otherwise I may decide to take you up on that delectable offer immediately."

"Promises, promises, Sesshoumaru." Giving him a mischievous grin, Kagome wet her hand before smoothing his bangs back. Lovingly tracing the crescent moon on his brow that matched the one on her shoulder. "Seriously, though. Promise me that you won't withhold yourself from me because you think I might find it offensive, off-putting, or that I'm too delicate and I'll break."

Taking up her scarred hand in his, he kissed her palm before placing it over his heart. "This Sesshoumaru promises to give all of himself to his mate at all times." Smirking wickedly, he added in a purring voice, "Even if occasionally he finds her so irresistible that he forgets himself completely in his need to possess her."

Shaking her head with a grin, Kagome figured that was as good as she was going to get from him. Satisfied that he wouldn't feel the need to try and change himself to fit what he believed her notion of an ideal mate or lover should be. It would be selling them both short for the Taiyoukai to do that.

Kagome had fallen in love with the inu youkai he was. Not a whimsical perception she had invented to suit some fantasy or other. She wanted everything of who he was. This proud handsome dog demon who was currently cupping his hand in the hot spring. Collecting the warm water before letting it trickle over her sore shoulder. Washing away any trace of saliva or blood.

Yes, she was certain he would do things in the future that would give her culture shock. Throwing her human sensibilities off kilter for a while until she learned to accept them. But the fact was she was crazy about Sesshoumaru. So much that it nearly hurt thinking about how vast the ocean was in her regard for him. How just the thought of losing him made panic arrow through her heart for a second before she calmed down.

The strength of her emotions regarding the Taiyoukai were such that Kagome didn't know if she would survive it if he died.

Misinterpreting the emotions traveling through their bonds, he grimaced in apology while prodding carefully around the puncture marks that now bore a bruise around each hole.

"I am sorry for hurting you, itoshi anata. I find it supremely arduous to control my baser youkai instincts where you are concerned." Catching her reproachful look, he added quickly, "Yes, I will stand by the vow I have given you. But you must also then be aware that I do not find pleasure in causing you pain. That is not what our love making is about for me."

"I understand. Next time, I'll bite you harder so we're even and you will quit beating yourself up over it. Besides, I happen to like that I can drive you crazy with passion like you do me." Patting his chest with a smile, she glanced about the room. Noting by checking the daylight through the high windows that it had been quite a while since they had come into the hot spring. Turning to arch a brow at him, she asked with a wry grin, "Do you suppose we should finally take a bath like we intended to when we first came in here?"

"The delay could not be helped considering how distracting you are when naked, kireina." Sesshoumaru gave her a quick passionate kiss before releasing the arm about her so she could slide fully into the water.

Undone by his romantic statement, Kagome flushed in pleasure. The depth of emotion felt by his words causing her to feel special and singular. As though, in his eyes at least, she was a beautiful goddess with the power to bring her lover to his knees with desire.

Bending her legs so that the water was up to her clavicle, Kagome studied the small alcove where Sesshoumaru sat. The dark gray of the rocks which formed a natural bench long and smooth. Easily able to accommodate more than one person sitting side by side.

It was set within a part of the spring towards the middle from the far side of the entrance. The large boulders and vegetation lining the edge of the pool in this area offering enough seclusion so that it was fairly private. A small hidden oasis that would allow for a bather to feel as though they were sequestered in nature.

"I didn't know that was here," She said with some surprise.

Hopping back a few paces as he slid completely underwater before resurfacing, Kagome's breath caught. The sight of him standing there reminding her starkly of how their descent into carnal activities had started.

"I would have thought, with the numerous times you have visited here, that the hot spring would hold no surprises for you at this point." He copied her position while facing her.

The taller length of his body only allowed the heated liquid of the pool to reach the middle of his chest. His hair and tail undulating beneath the water hypnotically as he turned to regard the area they had just left.

"I haven't really explored much of anything here, to be honest." She waved her hand to encompass the building. "Not only at the hot spring, but everywhere. It's how I got lost so easily last night."

"A situation we will rectify in due course." He gave her a soft kiss on her brow on his way back towards the shallows.

Kagome smiled like the foolish woman her mate often called her while feeling giddy as a schoolgirl as she followed behind her mate. Admiring the view when he left the hot spring without a hint of the modesty she had displayed before entering it.

Thank Kami he had no scruples about his nudity where she was concerned, because Kagome could have stayed in the water all day tracing the plains and valleys of her lover's naked body. The sopping length of his tail dragging over the stones as he moved about the area, leaving a trail of water in his wake.

Gathering up her toiletry bag, he set it at the edge where the water was still deep enough so she wouldn't have to climb out and get it. Kagome gave him a grateful smile as she made her way over to retrieve it. Dunking underwater and then sneaking glances at Sesshoumaru as she got her shampoo and began lathering her hair. The Taiyoukai going to gather his own bathing utensils afterwards before wading back into the water.

Rinsing the suds from her black locks, she came back to the surface to see the Taiyoukai nearby with his back to her. Focused on running soap over his chest and neck. Kagome winced when she saw the stub of his arm. Sadness knifing her in between the ribs that he was missing the appendage even if he never acted as though it bothered him.

Without saying a word she stood up and walked over to him. Uncaring that the water only went to her midriff leaving her chest exposed. Giving his shoulder above the void where his arm should be a quick kiss before setting to work washing the lengthy silver tresses she found so beautiful.

When he glanced over his shoulder with a small frown, his lips parting as though to protest, Kagome placed soapy fingers over his mouth to silence him.

"Let me. Okay? Please." Blue-grey eyes pleading and shadowed as she waited for his response.

Studying her closely through narrowed eyes, he finally nodded before facing forward to continue with the cleansing of his body.

The rest of the time in the hot spring was spent quietly caring for one another. She, helping him with his tail after doing his hair and he washing her back for her. The firm smooth stroke of his hand soothing. Both of them mostly silent and totally content with taking care of each other in something as simple as this.

Thankful for these few brief moments they had managed to steal for themselves before life could intrude and get in the way.

Yes, it was truly surreal to bath naked with her mate. But also satisfyingly sensually rewarding.

***********BBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRR*************

Kagome's lips curved in an indulgent smile while running her fingers gently through the russet bangs of the kitsune currently perched atop her thighs. His exuberance as he pantomimed along with the story he was telling with great animation and noise made her chuckle even though she was only partially listening. Content to simply to spend time with her kit as Shippo did a little flip in the air before landing. Tiny black claws digging into the tough material of her jeans as he regained his balance when he almost toppled over.

Crouched on her lap, the kit gave her a toothy grin that displayed a pair of sharp fangs. His emerald eyes shining with adoration as she caressed him on the head again. Glancing surreptitiously beneath sooty lashes, the miko bit back a chuckle as she saw Sesshoumaru. The inu youkai nodding sedately without a trace of emotion on his handsome features as Rin sat beside him chattering nonstop. His tail having been absconded by the little girl for a makeshift blanket shortly after his ward and the baby fox had joined them in the personal study attached to their room.

Seiryn was on the other side of the low table. The owl youkai reading a scroll she had brought when she had escorted her two charges to their respective parents. Even though her eyes darted back and forth as she perused the document, Kagome caught the smile she was attempting to hide when she turned her head, as though looking for something beside her. The many shades of her sienna hair glinting like beaten metal in the gray of the afternoon sunlight peering through the sea of clouds and rain. The dark blue kimono with its black obi hugging the scholar's body fetchingly.

Gazing at the small family they made, Kagome felt emotion clog her throat with happiness. Her heart swelling with pride and affection as the Taiyoukai obligingly took the couple of crimson posies the dark-haired little girl gave to him with a lopsided smile. Setting the gift on the table next to the pot of tea on the trencher.

With Fall now in full swing, Kagome mildly wondered just where Rin had acquired the flowers considering the gardens were taking a beating from the weather in the last 24 hours. When the wind and rain stopped at some point, the ground would be littered with leaves and petals and any other debris from the vegetation that had been bombarded.

Kagome had instigated the get together after their bath and breakfast. Before she was to meet with Mitsue in the next hour or so. Missing the kitsune she had come to see as her own and wishing to see Rin as well. To gage her reaction to finding the miko integrated into the sphere of her life. Make certain the child held no worries or fears now that her guardian had taken a mate. His time being further split than it had been already with the added responsibility.

The worries were baseless, of course. Rin was an energetic and loving little girl who was only too happy that her 'Sesshoumaru-sama' had decided to marry the 'nice lady'. Providing a new friend for her to play with since Shippo would be staying at the palace and attending lessons with her from now on.

The baby fox's reaction to the news that Kagome wanted him to remain behind with her when Inu Yasha and the others left eventually was met with much joyful whooping and hugging. His little claws pricking the skin of her neck in his exaltation as he had hopped onto her shoulder to hug her around the neck tightly. Kagome doing her best to hide the wince that came from his diminutive form standing and moving on the sore mate mark under her clothes.

The look in her mate's eyes when he'd caught hers letting him know that he was well aware and wished to make certain she was fine. Kagome had simply given him a subtle shake of her head before turning back to Shippo. Refusing to let the child know anything he had done had been painful to her.

It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. Not enough to warrant raining on the baby fox's happiness, at any rate.

Shippo had even walked over afterwards to bow and thank Sesshoumaru formally for giving him a new home and his own rooms to stay in. The miko's pride at how well mannered he was clear to see in the smile on her face. The inu youkai barely having time to accept the kit's thanks before Shippo had scurried back onto Kagome's legs. Gushing about something or other he and Rin had gotten up to the other day.

A flash of fuchsia and white had Kagome turning her head just in time to see Rin launch herself into her side. The miko laughing as she put an arm around the giggling girl and hugged her close.

The rose-colored silk with white stripes Rin wore was already creased beyond recognition. Her single ponytail on the back of her head askew. A stain marring the expensive fabric along the front where she had spilled some tea on it a bit ago.

The mussed image she presented made Kagome's heart melt at how adorable she was. Shippo retaking his position onto her shoulder to dig into the thick red cotton of her hoody as he made room for the little girl hanging onto her side.

"Rin, you are so cute!" Dragging the happy child onto her lap, Kagome began tickling her. Disregarding the strain on the area she had been bit. The little girl's laughter and squeals ringing out loudly in the room as the miko brushed her fingers along her ribs more than enough compensation for any pain. "I got you now!"

"Hahahahaha! Shippo! Help!" Rin shouted as Kagome kept on with the barrage.

"I'll save you, Rin!" Shippo stated proudly as he sat up on his perch to puff out his chest with importance.

His little vest and pants completely ruining the image he was trying to have of a mighty warrior come to save the damsel in distress.

Kagome began laughing herself when the little kitsune promptly hopped down to begin poking at her side. The ebony haired miko falling over helplessly as she fought off his diminutive paws and deft fingers that still managed to make themselves known through the shirt she wore.

She was vaguely aware of falling into her mate's side. Being careful with the strength she used in her arms and hands to push them away as both Rin and Shippo attacked her with merriment. The children and priestess' roughhousing noisy as they wrestled around on the floor like a pack of puppies.

"Stop, stop!" Laughing, out of breath with tears in her eyes, Kagome gave her stoic mate a pleading look as he simply looked down at the three of them in a pile on the floor. "Sesshoumaru, save me from these little heathens!"

Arching a silvery brow, his amber eyes giving away nothing, he took a sip of his tea before answering. "You started it, Kagome. Do not expect me to get you out of every scrape you find yourself in."

"Traitor!" She called before she dissolved into more laughter.

Kicking her legs out she accidentally hit the leg of the table. Some of the tea from the collection of mugs spilling out from the violent vibration. The hard wood bruising her shin as she yelped in between trying to breathe and chuckle at the same time.

"Ouch!"

"And that is quite enough." Sesshoumaru's voice was icy, but his hand and tail were exceedingly gentle as he took up a child in each.

Effectively separating them from his panting red-faced mate laying on the floor in a messy heap. Putting Rin to his side by having the furry appendage wrap about her middle and place her there. His clawed fingers grasping the back of Shippo's vest. Holding the kit up to eye level, the baby fox blushing as he folded his arms over his chest mutinously. His emerald eyes darting away from the dog demon's own after holding the older male's gaze for but a moment.

"You must be careful when dealing with humans, little kit." Placing the unresisting little fox down on the other side of him by his knee, the Taiyoukai continued. Shippo now gazing up at him attentively as he realized he wasn't about to get hit as per usual with Inu Yasha. "Especially the females of their race. Being a youkai, our strength is much greater than their own. They bruise or break easily so you must always be mindful when handling them."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Shippo nodded, his little hands held tight to his front, his fingers fiddling with one another as he absorbed the older demon's words of wisdom.

Sitting up, Kagome pulled her shirt away from her chest a few times in an attempt to cool down. The heat from the brazier and the energetic assault the kids had done to her making her sweat under her clothing. Cheeks painted a dark red that matched her top, Kagome smiled fondly at her kit and mate. Patting the former one on his head in front of his little ponytail.

"One day you will be a full grown handsome strong youkai, Shippo. With the strength of your kitsune heritage making you a formidable demon indeed." Winking at her mate, she added with a smirk, "Who knows! Maybe you will fall in love and marry a human woman just like Sesshoumaru. It is good that you are learning how to treat them already. Gives you an edge over the competition."

Shippo's disgusted curl of his lip at the mention of being married made her chuckle. Knowing that at his age he would see any type of romantic relationship with the opposite sex as gross and to be avoided an any cost to his young sensibilities.

Rolling his eyes at his mate over the kit's head, the Taiyoukai, turned to gently unwind his tail from about his ward. The little girl now calm as she hummed to herself while sitting on the floor and combing through the fur heaped around her. He made certain to leave a large portion over her lap to keep her warm. Knowing Rin had a bad habit of not dressing appropriately for the weather.

It was as though she was forever convinced it was spring and summer year-round. The two seasons when the most flowers could be found at the palace and throughout the countryside.

Rubbing the sore spot on her leg through her jeans, Kagome pushed a few straggles of damp hair behind her ear. Glad that she had possessed the foresight to put the heavy mane up with her chopsticks woven into the ebony tresses instead of letting it hang loose as she typically did.

"I hope you have been behaving for Seiryn and anyone else who has been watching you, Shippo."

Her baby kitsune nodded vigorously. "Of course!" Waving a clawed hand, he added with an unrepentant twist of his lips, "Except for Inu Yasha. I don't listen to him if I can help it."

"A wise decision, kit," Sesshoumaru stated prosaically. Receiving an irritated look from his mate that had him smirking behind the rim of his mug as he drank the warm green liquid.

"Well, at least you are being good for the most part." Kagome glanced out the windows to the nasty weather that continued to pour from the sky. "It's about time for you two to be heading back to your lessons. I have an appointment in a little bit with my new tutor."

When Shippo's features became crestfallen at her words, his shoulders slumping as he looked towards the floor, Kagome felt guilt assail her.

"I'm sorry, Shippo. I promise I'm going to see you again real soon, okay?" Which she would, she decided firmly.

Resolved to make time for the kitsune every single day from here on out. He needed and deserved to have her attention if she was going to try and take on the role of his parent. It wasn't like she had much to do right now anyway, besides whatever learning she needed for the ceremony. The lessons would keep her occupied enough where beginning to have Sesshoumaru integrate her into handling any part of running the Taisho lands would have to be put on hold for now. Leaving her ample opportunity to devote in getting Shippo settled into his new home.

"Okay, Kagome." Shippo's grin was dimmer than before, but he didn't hesitate to give her a quick hug before stepping back.

Rin stood without complaint. Used to her guardian being in demand. The snippets of each day she saw the Taiyoukai enough for her since she had Seiryn, Jaken, and now Shippo to keep her company.

The little girl came over to the baby fox. Taking up his hand in her own while grinning down at him. "It's okay, Shippo. I'll keep you company until Kagome-neesan can come see you again."

"Okay, Rin." Following his new friend, he stopped long enough to give Sesshoumaru a long considering look. The inu youkai staring back impassively with an arched silver brow. Standing straight, Shippo said baldly, "You better take care of Kagome, Sesshoumaru-sama. Be nicer to her than Inu Yasha. Or else!"

"Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed with some embarrassment as she gave him an admonishing look.

Praying her mate would be tolerant of the kit's impudent outburst and not become angry as the hanyou always did whenever Shippo got mouthy.

Sesshoumaru caught her eyes with his.

The look he gave her speaking volumes as he said in an icy voice, "As I said. You collect kitsunes and their adulation with disturbing frequency." Looking down at the little youkai giving him a glare, he added, "You worry for nothing, kit. You can see for yourself Kagome is happy. I am well aware of the treasure I have managed to cultivate in my new mate."

"Yeah, well," letting go of Rin's hands to fold his arms over his chest in a pose that was disturbingly reminiscent of a certain half-demon, he added, "See that you do."

Seiryn stepped in at that point to chuckle as she picked up the little kit to hold him in one arm around his waist. Her scroll in the other as Rin came up beside them and gave Shippo's foot a pat when he grumbled at his new position.

"I'll just take these two back to their rooms. Just let me know when you wish for me to bring either or both to see you again. My Lord, My Lady." Bowing to the miko and Taiyoukai with a small grin, the owl demon and her two charges quit the room. The scholar bidding Kiro farewell as they passed the arctic fox at his post in the hallway on their way out.

Alone for the moment until Mitsue arrived, Kagome sighed and leaned into Sesshoumaru's side. Grabbing his hand to lace her fingers with his before giving them a squeeze.

"Thank you for not being mean to Shippo. He can be a little outspoken at times." She kissed his bicep through the silk of his haori before placing her head there.

"I highly doubt melting my mate's ward would endear me to her," he said wryly while looking down to watch her fingers trace the tips of his claws.

"You would be correct," Kagome quipped with a chuckle. Enjoying the brief respite as they sat quietly listening to the rain.

Her eyes became half-lidded and drowsy when Sesshoumaru put his arm about her so he could run caressive fingers up and down the side of her neck in a soothing motion. Kagome covering a yawn behind her hand as she snuggled into the warmth of his side.

"Perhaps you should allow yourself to take a nap before meeting with Mitsue." Brushing the top of her head with his lips, he placed his striped cheek on the spot he had just kissed. Careful not to nick her alabaster skin with his claws when he made a loose fist to run his knuckles over her throat. "It is no hardship to send word to your tutor advising him you need to rest before beginning your lessons."

"I'd rather just get them started, to be honest. Besides, I don't want to miss a second of our time together today by sleeping. I do enough of that as it is." She yawned again, louder this time. Closing her eyes and breathing in his scent as she lightly dozed within his embrace.

Instead of answering her with words Sesshoumaru brought the length of his tail to drape over her legs much as he had done for Rin. Ensuring the delicate female leaning into him so trustingly was warm and comfortable.

"If I accidentally fall asleep be sure and wake me, okay?" Her words were mumbled as she repositioned herself so that she was using the floor as a bed.

Placing her head on her mate's thigh for a pillow while pulling the makeshift blanket up to her chest. Sighing in contentment, when he tenderly brushed the bangs from her face before draping his forearm over her midriff. His touch welcome as the Taiyoukai kept in contact with her as she drifted off.

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Sesshoumaru watched Kagome sleeping on the floor with an affectionate smirk. Thinking how different the circumstances were when she used him as a piece of bedding. Remembering clearly how he used to begrudge the miko when she had done so on multiple occasions in the past.

All of them before he had accepted what he felt for the miko from the future without trying to explain away why doing so would be the height of folly.

Assured the tired woman was fully unconscious, Sesshoumaru called lowly, certain his guard's youkai hearing would catch his words without fail, "Kiro."

The kitsune's tall frame appeared in the doorway. His dark hair and tip of the spear he carried in one clawed hand glinting in the wavering light from the wall sconces in the hall.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The arctic fox stood at attention as he awaited to see why he was summoned.

If the sight of his master's mate asleep on the floor while using his master as a pillow was shocking to the youkai, he was smart enough not to show it. Features bland and icy eyes blank in his usual stoic lines.

Speaking in the same quiet voice, the Taiyoukai ordered, "Inform Mitsue to delay his arrival by an hour and a half."

"Of course, My Lord." Bowing, the kitsune quit the room. Closing the door before the sound of his footsteps departing on his errand began to fade down the corridor.

When Kagome mumbled in her sleep with a frown and rolled onto her side, she took the length of his tail with her. The furry appendage becoming tangled about the woman's body as she nuzzled into his leg before falling quiet once more. Sesshoumaru's arm held aloft once she had begun to move so it wouldn't impede her from situating herself where she wished.

Her new spot had her facing towards him. The chopsticks in her hair poking into his knee, but he let it be. Content to watch over her while listening to the rain and wind of the storm that remained strong.

In this region it was not uncommon for the weather to act thusly.

He arched a silvery eyebrow when she muttered something in her sleep that sounded like 'sit boy'. Draping one of her arms over his leg to dangle in his lap as she moved her feet a few times before falling still again.

Shaking his head ruefully, he reached up to trace a half circle on her brow. Wondering how different his mate would look if she had been graced with the royal markings that sat upon his own façade. If twin stripes ghosted each high cheekbone and deadly fangs adorned her mouth.

Honestly, he couldn't make the picture coalesce into a solid image. Morphing Kagome into the physical traits that most demons of noble birth displayed would make her the exact opposite of who she really was.

Youkai were beasts at their natures. Animals, elements, mystical creatures, whatever the case may be, they were definitely not human. They may take on certain attributes of said species when not in their true forms, but that did not a ningen make.

It was another false front. A clever subterfuge that put the weaker creatures at ease, so they did not panic whenever they saw a high-born demon in their midst. A ruse Sesshoumaru, himself, had utilized more than once whenever a situation warranted it.

Doing so had made it much less difficult to gather intel, acquire supplies needed for his people, broker deals for trade with the less powerful leaders of the humans they governed. A necessary evil for any intelligent Taiyoukai if he wished to rule his lands in an accomplished fashion.

One of the main reasons he roamed Japan was to ascertain for himself whether engaging in such talks would be productive and worth it. Personally scouting out any potential advantage he could accumulate that would result in the Taisho provinces flourishing. Maintaining and growing at a healthy rate while providing stability for his kingdom.

His father had done the same thing. The previous Taiyoukai traveling the hills, valleys, and coastlines bordering the Western Lands to not only make alliances, but also to gather information. See for himself what the orchards or fields looked like that surrounded his various manses. Get a feel for the daimyos and spattering of humanity that toiled their lives away with little reward for their efforts.

It was during such an excursion that he had come across Inu Yasha's mother. Happening upon the comely female in the woods when she had been dressed in the garments of a peasant when, in fact, she had been a princess in her own right.

Sesshoumaru had often wondered what it was that had drawn his powerful father to his ningen mate. The taciturn demon he had become after losing his first mate so tragically to an unknown illness haunting the Taiyoukai so that he could barely stand to stay within the walls of his own castle. The memories of the bride he had lost too soon, even if he had been made aware of it by the seer, tearing at his ability to think rationally.

Many a night Sesshoumaru had happened upon the defeated figure of his father sitting at the same table the inu youkai sat at now with Kagome. Slouched over a bottle of sake, numerous others empty and scattered about the floor. His long hair askew atop his head, amber eyes bloodshot and clothing mussed.

The desolation the pup had sensed from his parent had been too great for the small demon to intrude upon. The Taisho heir leaving as quietly as he had sought his father out with the hope he would offer solace for the missing of his mother.

The old bitterness and anger he used to feel towards his father were blatantly mellowed for the first time in memory. Sesshoumaru's eyes widening subtly as he searched his emotions while purposely bringing up pieces from his past to analyze. The hellish scenes he typically locked away tight and impenetrable within his mind now unlocked to ooze free.

It was amazing to him.

To realize that he no longer felt the same towards his deceased parent. That he could now look at everything objectively with the maturity of an adult who now knew what it felt like to love another so deeply that their loss could nearly make someone want to follow them into the afterlife.

Just the thought of going through what his father had with Sesshoumaru's mother had the Taiyoukai's face clouding with disquiet. Amber eyes somber as he stroked loving fingers along his slumbering mate's cheek. Holding the caress there when she leaned into it with a happy sigh as she slept on. His thumb smudging at the dark circle under her eye. Mindful to keep his sharp claw out of the way so it didn't accidentally cut the delicate skin there.

As a child, he had harbored his own sorrow at the loss of his mother. Only knowing the beautiful white dog demon with her moon and single striped cheeks for a few brief years. Long enough to enrapture her son completely. The mysterious illness ravaging her lithe frame hardly known to her pup as she kept the symptoms carefully hidden so as not to worry him.

Sesshoumaru had not even known his mother was ill before she passed away. His parents and the other demons of the keep maintaining the image of perfect health so he could never guess that the time he had with her was limited.

Older now, he could admit that he would probably do the same if the situation had presented itself. His inner beast balking with a rabid snarl at the thought of their new mate dying slowly. Wasting away a small piece at a time until she resembled a skeleton wrapped in the thinnest veiling of flesh. Eyes sunken and visage sharp from all the weight she had lost at the end.

He would never forget what his beautiful mother had looked like on her deathbed. The sounds she made as her lungs struggled to inhale and exhale. The gurgling held within each breath of air as though she were drowning even though she was near no water.

How her skinny frail hand whose claws had seemed too large on her emaciated flesh had tenderly stroked his brow. A caress his mate was wont to do often. His mother's fierce intelligent golden eyes blazing with fever and sadness as she stared into her pup's drawn features beside her bed.

His father had been next to her in the ornate large piece of furniture decorated in the crimson color his mother had loved so well. Her indulgent mate having allowed her to fairly cover every available space in their private quarters with the shade of red since it pleased her.

He could still see within his mind's eye the tortured expression on his father's face. The brim of tears in the amber eyes that resembled their son's as he lay atop the comforter and cradled his dying mate close. Clawed hands gentle as he stroked the bedraggled lengths of her unbound silver hair. Clasping her tightly with the other as though by force of will, he could keep her soul inside her body. Prevent the essence from fleeing, taking her warmth and life with it.

It had been shocking enough to see how upset his father was, let alone the state of his strong mother. He had not been allowed to see the Lady of the Western Lands for almost a month. His father always smiling reassuringly while telling him she had caught something that she feared was contagious and thus would not allow her child near in case he contracted it.

An explanation Sesshoumaru had taken at face value as a pup. His young mind confident that his father would never tell him a falsehood. That his mother would be fine given enough time and be playing with him through the gardens as she loved to do. Chasing him around the trees and shrubbery while she pretended to be hunting him. His stifled laughter always giving his hiding spot away so that she'd pounce on him with much mock growling and laughter before tossing him into the air above her before catching him again.

The frail creature with its bones trying their best to protrude from their pale skin bore no resemblance to the woman he had been raised by. The eyes were familiar. The scent he could detect beneath the disease and odor of medicinal herbs was, indeed, hers. Everything else from her usually perfectly coiffed hair limp and uncombed over the crimson pillows to the rattling cough violently shaking her entire body was not, however.

Sesshoumaru felt the same fear mixed with disbelief assail his senses at the memory. The stench from the sickroom invading his nostrils, causing them to flare with a curl of his lip. It was painful to recall this scene, but he made himself live through it. Able to appreciate what every nuance of his father and mother's behavior meant now that he could look at them through the eyes of a mated adult who was very much in love with his own woman.

Her voice had been raspy. Completely foreign from the strong dulcet tones that had graced his ears for as long as he could remember. She had grasped his chin in a shaking hand, body leaning heavily against the strength of his father's own as the Taiyoukai had tenderly wiped away the flecks of blood which had dotted her lips that held a bluish tinge to them.

"My son. My Sesshoumaru." She had found the strength to brush his bangs back once more before cupping his cheek. "My brave little demon. I am so proud of you, baby. You have the best qualities of both your father and I."

His eyes had darted to his father's in fear. The strong Taiyoukai burying his face against his dying mate's hair while clenching his eyes shut. The inu pup too young to fully understand what was happening as an unknown wave of sorrow and impending doom had reached in to fist his heart. Strangling his larynx so that he couldn't reply to her, though he so desperately had wanted to.

To become unfrozen in time as he stood. Rooted to the spot with a fearful expression as she continued to stroke his face lovingly. The beat of her heart alternating between galloping and slow. As though it could not make up its mind and settle upon a steady pulse.

When she had reached down to capture his small clawed hand in her own his fingers had grasped at her frantically. White-knuckled as they held the hand of the woman who had helped him to walk and then run as he had grown.

"I love you so much, my Sesshoumaru. Never forget that." Her frail fingers tightened minutely. Lacking the normal strength of her heritage so that it made the pup's chest tighten until it hurt. "You must promise me that no matter what happens in your life you will meet the future openly and without fear. That you allow your heart to be free so it can experience every joy in the long years ahead."

The odd muffled cry that ripped from his father's throat as he had wrapped his arms tightly around her had made Sesshoumaru glance at him momentarily before going back to his mother's glowing eyes. Afraid that if he didn't continue to watch them the light would fade from their luminescent depths to be replaced by glassy obscurity.

"I promise, mother," the pup he had been whispered.

The tone husky as tears had threatened to choke him. Even at that age realizing something momentous was transpiring. That from this day forward his world would be changed irrevocably.

His vow had seemed to appease her because she had sighed unevenly. Her tense body falling lax as she coughed again weakly into her hand. The thick puddle of blood that heavily coated her palm being wiped clean with his father's haori sleeve before the Taiyoukai had placed a kiss there. Holding it to his cheek that held one ragged stripe while offering his ill mate a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

The metallic scent of his mother's blood had blanketed his sense of smell until Sesshoumaru had been unable to detect anything else.

Gasping for breath, his mother had given her mate a grateful look filled with love in thanks. Finding the strength to tilt her head up and brush her lips under his tightly clamped jawbone. His father's amber eyes haunted as they gazed down at the female youkai at his side.

Once she could breathe easier, though it was still unhealthy and moist, she turned to regard her only son. Tugging with waning strength on his hand until he obligingly had crawled onto the bed. Cautiously walking on his knees so he could settle beside her on the opposite side his father occupied.

Sesshoumaru felt sorrow assail him as he watched the memory of his mother clutching him to her as tightly as she had been able. The pup he had been burying his face against the rumpled silk of the purple yukata she wore absorbing the few tears that managed to leak from his tightly closed lids. Clawed hands desperate as they twisted into the material adorning her midriff as she ran her fingers through the heavy length of his hair in a bid to soothe him. Something she had done countless times whenever he had felt upset from some nightmare or other which had assailed his dreams as a child.

It became almost unbearable for Sesshoumaru to continue letting the memory play out as his chest began to feel tight. Like a band of steel was encasing it with brutal force. But he let it continue to its end. Needing to finish this so that he could fulfill the oath he had given his dying parent all those centuries before. A vow he had done nothing to make fact.

He wished to make it so now. To filter through the painful bitterness of his past so he might let loose the poison which had festered there into his adult life so he could heal. Be a more stable and receptive mate to the miko who continued to sleep upon him. To honor the memory of his mother by fulfilling her dying wish for the pup she had loved so much.

The only way to do that was to face his worst recollections and learn to accept them. To allow himself to feel every terrible emotion associated with them and then step through the pain to the other side. Relinquishing their hold upon him so he could give himself completely to Kagome as he had promised hours prior.

Fortifying himself with an uneven breath, Sesshoumaru let the rest of the memory play out.

Watching the younger version of himself lay there in his parents' bed with their loving arms around him. The small family of inu youkai offering one another comfort for a loss that would prove devastating to all involved.

His mother brushed a tender kiss atop his marked brow as her arm held him close. "I will always be proud of you, my little demon. And I will be watching over you wherever you are in the world. Never forget that your mother loves you and that she will see the strong proud Taiyoukai you will become even if you cannot see her."

Unable to respond, he had simply nodded as he continued to cry and clutch at her. His father holding his pup's bowed head with a large clawed hand in silent succor.

The memory faded away. He remembered he had fallen asleep after crying himself into slumber. That the next time he had awakened he had been in his own quarters and that it was the next day.

His mother had died two days later.

Sesshoumaru had never again laid eyes upon her after that night in his parents' room. Her internment and burial ceremony not something he had been a party to since his father later informed him that it had been his mother's last request before leaving. That her pup not be made to endure the public hardship of her funeral that would take hours to accomplish.

As a fully grown youkai, Sesshoumaru was now thankful for his mother's thoughtfulness. Humbled by the courage she must have had to face death for years knowing there was no escape. Of the dedication of his father who had loved her with all his heart even though he had been told their time together would be fleeting.

Loving Kagome as he did. Understanding finally the depth of his father's despair at losing his mate, Sesshoumaru let the bitterness and resentment towards him fade away. No longer holding onto the negative emotions that had ensnared him since his uncle had gotten his claws on him. Realizing that his father would have never knowingly placed him in the sadistic dog demon's care if he had but known what was happening to his son.

It hadn't been negligence or a type of hatefulness on the previous Taiyoukai's part. The dog demon had simply been to overcome with the loss of his mate to be aware as he should have been to what was going on. Figuring that the woman he had cared for so deeply would have a brother who was just as generous and warm as she had been.

His father had made a mistake. One that Sesshoumaru had made him pay for until the day he had died, he realized. Every ounce of sadness, anger, betrayal, and a variety of other emotions he had felt as a child having been lain at his father's feet.

Yet, now he understood as an adult that his father had been only mortal. Not the omniscient god he had seen him as when he was a pup. It was easy back then to use his parent as a scapegoat for everything. An outlet for the loss of his mother and the subsequent physical and mental abuse from Aion.

It made him feel shame. A sentiment he had little experience in for centuries. Not having experienced it to this extent since his training days with his relative. The brutal dog demon relishing anytime he brought the son of Inu Taisho low with the crack of his poison whip or a well-placed kick that resulted in cracked ribs.

He had done a huge disservice to both of his parents. It made him offer up a silent prayer that if they could see their son from wherever they were they forgave his deplorable behavior.

Seeking comfort, he drew his tail tighter about his slumbering mate so that he could bring her fractionally closer and capture her lax hand. Lacing his fingers with the delicate digits as he closed his troubled eyes and let the power of their bonds wash over him. The light of Kagome's love soothing away the rough edges of his distress. Calming the rage of his pulse as the aura synchronization pulled him back from the self-hatred he had begun to feel.

As though to say wallowing in self-contempt of his past deeds was a fruitless venture that would do nothing but damage the relationship he was trying to cultivate with his miko.

Sighing heavily, he brought their joined hands to his face to lay a reverent kiss on the raised patchwork of her scars. Holding it to his striped cheek afterwards. The gentle scent she carried of apples and vanilla replacing the odors of the sickroom from his memories. A smell that was now familiar and adored as much as the woman it emanated from.

Kissing the pulse in her wrist he nuzzled into her hand until she cupped his cheek in her sleep. Tilting his head as he worked through the maelstrom of his memories. Determined that by the time she awoke it would be to find a more well-adjusted dog demon by her side.

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	59. Family Portrait

Kagome groaned loudly as she went from a standing position to lowering herself slowly to her knees. The overtaxed muscles in her spine and legs angrily protesting the entire while. Grimacing, the miko tried to ignore how her toes were already going numb from bearing the weight of her seated form. Her butt settled upon her heels and her back arrow straight. Her head was held high with the barest hint of an autocratic angle. The palms of her hands resting upon the tops of her jean-clad thighs as she held the pose for as long as possible.

"You are doing excellent, My Lady." Mitsue's encouragement was said from behind his mask. The youkai facing her in the same position so that their knees were almost touching. "I know learning to do something that appears simple, but is actually quite strenuous, can be daunting at first. You must remember to breathe as I have taught you and to try and remove yourself from the pain."

"If she is in pain then I see no reason to continue on with this lesson." Sesshoumaru glared at the pair of them from his spot behind the low-slung table of his personal study. Two clawed fingers tapping on the light-colored wood as his lips thinned in displeasure. "I will not have my mate harming herself just to appease the idiotic ideals of how one properly sits that the youkai nobles hold so dear."

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome bit out as she did her best to keep from turning so she could give her mate the full force of her annoyance. "If you don't mind, I'm trying to concentrate here. Stop interrupting!"

"Hn." His amber eyes grew fiery with his own irritation as the fingers he was drumming sped up in pace. "Foolish woman, what is the point of learning all of this when, once the ceremony is completed, you will never have to suffer through it again if you so desire?"

"Arrogant Taiyoukai, these are my lessons and Mitsue is my tutor. So quit trying to boss the both of us around and drink your tea quietly." Kagome growled as she became distracted enough that she lost her balance and fell over. Landing on her hip as her legs slid to the side. "Damn it!"

"My Lady, you must not allow yourself to give up. Your form is perfection when you are able to concentrate at it." The rebuke towards the inu youkai was obvious, even if the demon facing her didn't even turn his head in Sesshoumaru's direction.

Kagome mildly wondered how Mitsue dared. Those who could openly ridicule or admonish her mate were far and few between. Even rarer those who could get away with it as the dark-haired youkai seemed to be doing.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Kagome regained her feet. The stiffening of her legs so she was standing straight taking more effort than it should have. Aching from her shoulders to her toes, she set her jaw in a determined angle and repeated the motion of before. Willing her body to memorize what she was doing so that it would be second nature by the time the presentation took place.

"I won't give up, Mitsue." Gritting her teeth as the muscles in her thighs trembled, Kagome made certain to keep her hands relaxed while calming laying them on top of the aggravated flesh under her jeans. "How is this?"

"Again, perfection." Reaching over a clawed hand, Mitsue cradled her chin with three fingers. Adjusting her head to the proper angle before withdrawing. "Remember you are a Taiyoukai's mate. Your gaze and head never bow to anyone. It is you, rather, My Lady, who looks down on them."

"That sounds so snobbish." Kagome barely moved her mouth as she spoke. Concentrating on trying to remove herself from the pain remaining in this position had coursing through her body. "Is it really necessary to look at everyone this way who is presented to me at the banquet?"

The tutor nodded, the black of his air absorbing the soft golden light from the candles spread about the room. "I am afraid so, My Lady."

Night had overtaken the heavens a few hours ago. Kagome waking with disgruntlement when Sesshoumaru informed her that he had pushed back her meeting with her teacher so she could catch a few moments of sleep. It had been late afternoon when the tall masked demon had arrived and ever since they had begun her first lesson dusk had given way to evening.

The miko was so focused on trying to master what Mitsue was telling her that she'd barely noticed when Kiro had come in to light the various candles in their tapers. Not even breaking to eat or have tea when a servant had brought a pot in a half hour ago.

"As I said. Idiotic," Sesshoumaru snarled as he watched the way his mate's body was quivering ever so slightly. Agitation written over the plains of his face as he bit back a curse.

Tossing her inu youkai a death glare from the corner of one blue-grey eye, Kagome was pleased that she was holding the pose for his long. Thus far she hadn't been able to, so as one minute ticked by and then two, she felt victory replace the discomfort.

"You are doing wonderfully, Lady Kagome." Mitsue's praise had her lips curving in a blinding smile. Her tutor deigning from reminding her that when she would be at the ceremony smiling at random people wasn't done. "Remember you are representing the powerful and revered house of Taisho. The house of the moon and triple sakura that are infamous throughout the entirety of Japan."

Bolstered by his pep talk, Kagome drove herself to hold onto her position as long as possible. Finally unable to keep it after five whole minutes. An excited laugh leaving her throat as she toppled sideways. The quick reflex of Sesshoumaru wrapping his tail about her waist preventing her body from meeting the floorboards.

Tired, aching, and worn out she might be. But that hadn't stopped her from accomplishing the small amount of headway she had.

Feeling as though she had climbed a mountain and reached the summit, Kagome moved until she was sitting flat on the floor, her legs stretched out before her as she pointed her toes forward then skyward. Trying to get the pins of needles to go away now that her circulation was returning.

"You did well, My Lady!" Mitsue nodded his approval, a grin heard in his voice as he watched what she was doing. "Your muscles will be sore come the morrow so we will focus on table etiquette instead."

"Okay!" Smiling widely, Kagome patted the tail about her middle as she gave her scowling mate a wink. "See? I told you I could do it!"

"It has never been a doubt on whether or not you could accomplish what you set out to do, foolish woman." The Taiyoukai reached over to gently move her bangs from her flushed cheek. His gentle touch at odds with his gruff tone. "It has to do with you overexerting yourself when I distinctly recall you telling me that would not be the case."

"Yare, yare." Giving him a look of exasperation, Kagome threw her hands up. "Sesshoumaru, it's not like I'm out in the rain running laps around the castle. I'm safely inside a warm room with an overprotective dog demon watching my every move making certain I don't keel over and die from the strenuous activity of learning how to sit."

"Lord Sesshoumaru is only concerned for your wellbeing, My Lady," Mitsue cut in patiently as he scooted on his knees until he was across from them on the opposite side of the table. Picking up the teapot with clawed hands to fill a mug with the steaming brew then sliding it to her. "It is an inu youkai trait. The fierce need to shelter and protect those they care for. The beast they carry inside them insistent when it comes to keeping those they consider theirs safe from harm. That their 'pack' is secure and well cared for. It is the trait of any alpha with such matters."

Tilting her head to the side in thought as she gratefully began drinking her hot beverage, Kagome studied the dog demon beside her. His tail tip flicking up and down in his agitation where it rested in her lap, making her hide a grin behind the rim of her cup.

She supposed what Mitsue said made perfect sense if you were to look at Sesshoumaru as a canine and not ascribe him the attributes of humanity. Something she did quite often because of his physical appearance. Instances like the one in the hot spring earlier and her mate mark flashing vividly in her mind.

It was true that Sesshoumaru's more beastly instincts had seemed closer to the surface than they had ever been. At least, not whenever she had been around him before they were mated. He had told her the new bonding would wreak havoc on his control in some areas. Making it difficult for him not to overreact as he had done last night.

At least he acknowledged it instead of trying to pretend his mood swings were a normal part of who he was. Kagome was thankful that her Taiyoukai was adult enough to voice his thoughts and concerns to her and not remain the quiet icicle she had known for the previous three years.

Holding her mug in one hand, she reached over to lay her palm on his tense striped wrist. Giving it a gentle squeeze while looking up at him with understanding.

"Thank you for explaining, Mitsue." She didn't bother to look at her tutor as she spoke directly to the inu youkai who was gazing down at her with a guarded expression. "I get it now. I'll do my best not to get irritated by you trying to look after me."

"Magnanimous of you," Sesshoumaru bit out sarcastically before pinning the masked youkai with eyes frigid and narrow. "How long do you see these lessons of yours taking, tutor?"

"If all goes well then Lady Kagome should have mastered what she needs to a day or so before the presentation ceremony." Mitsue's voice was calm, his shoulders relaxed. Completely at ease even with the force of an annoyed Taiyoukai giving him a glare. "Your Lady Mate will put all other youkai nobles to shame the night of the banquet."

"My Lady Mate is worth a thousand of those frivolous sniveling lords and ladies," the dog demon said with conviction.

"As you say, My Lord," Mitsue agreed with a nod.

"Will I know anyone else besides you and our guards at the ceremony?" Kagome cut in with an anxious frown. Fingers tightening around the warmth of her mug as she darted a concerned look between her mate and tutor.

Glancing over to her, the amber of Sesshoumaru's irises mellowed as they took in the trepidatious set of Kagome's stiff shoulders. "You will recognize a few of those who will be in attendance. Lord Daija, Shurin, and the rest of the arctic kitsune clan." A frown turned down the edges of his mouth when he added disdainfully, "And, of course, the wolf prince whom you have befriended."

"Kouga will be there?" Eyebrows raising is surprise, she grimaced when guilt shot through her. The ookami's anger over her new relationship leaving her feeling helpless on how to mend that broken bond.

"He is the reigning leader of the wolf tribe, My Lady." Mitsue's voice had her turning to look at him as he continued. "It would be seen as a grievous insult to the house of Taisho if another Lord were to refuse the invitation to such a prestigious event."

"But you said he was angry when he left though, right?" Giving her mate a beseeching look, Kagome gnawed at her lower lip.

Reaching up to take his thumb and gently pull the piece of flesh she was assaulting with her teeth free, Sesshoumaru shrugged. "It is immaterial how Lord Kouga feels about the fact that we are mated now, Kagome. Hot-headed and overly emotive he may be, the ookami prince will not shame his house by letting his upset over us to place a permanent mark upon his lineage. To deign from attending your ceremony, it would break the treaties and trade agreements between the Taisho and Sarumara clans. Possibly lead to war if the situation deteriorated further."

"War? Over something so small?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

Mitsue's voice drew her attention as he explained, "It is the way of things, My Lady. The delicate balance of court life and running a kingdom is ever tipping this way and that. A single incident that may seem small can lead to Taiyoukai taking up arms against one another. Our history is filled with such things. Of one Lord suffering what seemed to be the most negligible of insults who answered it with brutal force. More youkai have lost their lives in those skirmishes than to disease or mortal mishap by far."

Swallowing audibly, Kagome felt panic flood her senses. Heart pounding and stomach rolling, she gave Sesshoumaru a desperate look as she latched onto his striped wrist tightly. Her tea discarded on the table as she leaned forward with shadowed blue-grey eyes.

"Sesshoumaru, what if I do something like that at the presentation?! Mitsue just said the smallest thing can set off an all-out war between countries! What if I accidentally mess up and say the wrong thing or act incorrectly and one of the other Taiyoukai or nobles get upset?" Fingers tightening into the strength of his arm, Kagome frowned. "How am I supposed to know what is right and wrong when I know nothing of youkai court life?"

"You must not upset yourself over such things, My Lady. By the time of the ceremony you will have perfected enough mannerisms and behaviors that no one will find fault with you that night." Mitsue's soothing words and waving hands didn't calm her one iota as she continued to stare up into the Taiyoukai's face plaintively.

"But what if? What if I do screw this up somehow and then Sesshoumaru is stuck cleaning up the aftermath?" Releasing her mate, she settled heavily on her behind as she gestured expansively with her scarred hand. "I couldn't live with myself if I ended up starting a damn war that caused people to die!"

"Calm yourself, woman." Sesshoumaru grasped her chin between firm fingers, careful not to accidentally scratch her when she went to pull away causing his grip to tighten. Staring deeply into her worried eyes, he said forcefully, "You will not do or say anything that will result in bloodshed. Do you hear what I am telling you, Kagome? It is a baseless concern that holds no merit. Despite what Mitsue has told you, it would take more than you accidentally stepping on some lord's toes or not adding the proper moniker to a noble youkai's name to incite that amount of discord. The altercations he has described were already in the making when whatever demon had used it as an excuse for battle. So I am telling you, my mate, to not worry over it." Giving her a fierce scowl he added harshly, "You will obey me in this."

His imperious tone and order had her eyebrows raising as amusement filtered through the panic of before. The fact he was trying to make her not worry, that he had the power to hold sway over her emotions, made her grin as she laughed. Her reaction making the Taiyoukai holding her frown thunderously, which in turn, had her laughing harder.

"I fail to see where the amusement can be found in this, foolish woman." His voice held a growl woven about the words. Amber irises flaring brightly and body going taught at the sounds of merriment leaving her throat.

Trying to stifle her inappropriate laughter, Kagome chuckled as she patted his chest. Eyes shining with mirth and affection into his own as he let go of her face with an irritated grumble.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru." Smiling at her disgruntled mate. Clasping his hand between her own, his fingers taught and unwilling to return the squeeze she gave them. Trying to smooth her face into bland lines, failing miserably, she said, "I'm not laughing at you, you stubborn Taiyoukai! I just find it funny that you believe you are powerful enough to order me to do anything. When you know I hardly ever listen to you, anyway."

Features still set in disapproval, he arched a silver eyebrow at the woman who was still trying to keep a smile from her lips with little success. "Foolish woman, it is I who have won more of the battle of wills we have than you."

Shaking her head, look turning mischievous, Kagome replied, "Oh I don't know about that. I seem to remember that anytime you ever told me to do anything sooner or later I just went off and did whatever anyway. The track record speaks for itself."

"Ha!" He scoffed at her, turning to face her fully as he engaged his mate. Both of them completely ignoring the other youkai in the room as they verbally bantered back and forth. "Name an instance in which I have given you a true order and it was not followed."

"Well let's see…" She tapped a finger to her chin while her other hand remained holding his. Looking up at the ceiling a few moments before meeting his challenging stare. "There was the time you told me that you were going to leave before you were healed. Then there was the whole you weren't going to allow me to escort you home." Gaining speed, she released him to begin counting off other instances with her fingers with great gusto. "There's also the whole you won't be staying at my castle thing. That changed hours later to you can only stay until you are well but then you are leaving. Let's also not forget the order you gave not to talk, interact, befriend, or accost your soldiers while I was here. I seem to also vividly recall something about not roaming about your castle upsetting the daily run of things."

Mitsue's laughter echoed about them as he watched the couple. Sesshoumaru's frown deepening as his mate continued with her list.

"You also said we couldn't share the same bed while here because people would talk." Smirking, she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Again, that lasted only a day at the most!"

"Enough!" He barked at her, effectively stopping the ongoing recital of his losses. The miko laughing openly as he growled at her in irritation in the face of all his failures to best her. "Half of those can be explained away by circumstance."

Scoffing with a laugh, she crossed her arms over her chest to give him an arch stare with a grin. "Sesshoumaru, you sore loser!" Shaking her head, she gave Mitsue a look. "Can you believe him?" Facing her irked mate, Kagome pointed a finger at him. "Listen to you over there trying to weasel out of admitting I'm right."

"I do not 'weasel', you irritating female!" Clenching his jaw, he pinned her unrepentant face with one of his best quelling glares. The expression entirely lost on his mate who showed no signs of fear or of being cowed. "This Sesshoumaru does not lose. By logic, I cannot be a sore loser."

Eyebrows raising, Kagome's lips parted as she gave an incredulous laugh. "Are you serious right now?" Rolling her eyes, she added while imitating his tone and the way he was sitting, "This Sesshoumaru does not lose." Dissolving into a fit of chuckling, she shook her head. "Arrogant dog demon, I'll have you know that my memory appears to be clearer than yours on this issue." Giving him a simpering look of sympathy, she patted his clawed hand consolingly. "There, there, Sesshoumaru. I know it's hard being old enough that your mind begins to go. I love you even if you are forgetful of the past."

"Are you implying I am ancient, foolish woman?" He looked as outraged as he sounded when he took a page from her book and pointed at her. "I suppose this means that I am mated to an infant, then, if we are judging maturity by years. A notion I am becoming convinced of by my mate's juvenile behavior right now."

"Hey, don't blame me if you're robbing the cradle where I'm concerned." Tilting her head to the side, she added with amusement, "I suppose that leaves me robbing the grave then." A mischievous curve of her lips was accompanied by the twinkle in her eyes as she leaned towards him to add, "It's a good thing you're so handsome at your age. At least I won't have to put up with a mate who is bald and fat as well as having dementia."

"Mitsue, you may go." Sesshoumaru kept his eyes trained on Kagome's as he ordered the other youkai from the room.

Rising with a chuckle, the tutor gave his master and mistress a bow even though neither of them glanced his way. "I will see you on the morrow, Lady Kagome. Send for me whenever you are ready. My Lord, My Lady, have a pleasant evening."

"Thanks Mitsue, will do. You as well." Kagome waved in his direction while determined to win the staring contest with her mate.

Silence encompassed the couple only as long as it took for Mitsue's footsteps to fade away before the Taiyoukai broke it.

"You are the most infuriating mate that has ever been cursed upon a youkai." Giving her a narrow look, he snapped, "Foolish woman!"

"Arrogant Taiyoukai!" Kagome chirped immediately.

"Gullible girl," he growled with a curl of his lip flashing a fang.

Unphased at the sight of that deadly tooth, she purred just to irk him, "Stubborn dog demon."

His features began to soften into a smirk as he took up the game. "Annoying Female."

Poking him on his abdomen that she now knew to be ticklish, Kagome snickered as he jerked away with a glare. "Ice prince."

Capturing the offending digit when she tried to get him again, Sesshoumaru used the leverage to yank her into his lap. Her surprised squeak muffled as she splayed onto his legs and over his chest. Eyebrows forking down in a V as she fumbled about until she was sitting sideways over his thighs. His fingers laced with hers to hold onto her hand firmly as he gave her an amused smirk.

"Rude!" She cried in mock outrage. Snuggling into the warmth of his body despite her fierce expression. Laying her head back against his shoulder so she could see his face clearly, she used her other hand to poke him in the chest. "High handed male! Just going around manhandling your woman as though she is a sack of potatoes. Rude I say!"

He leered down at her while lowering his face so he could rest his forehead against hers. His voice a seductive purr when he said, "I distinctly recall that you do not seem to mine my handling of you. Especially when it results with you screaming down the rafters in pleasure."

Gasping she blushed darkly while placing a hand over his mouth. Expression scandalized as she scolded while casting a furtive look towards the door, "Sesshoumaru! Shhhh! Kiro or someone might hear you!"

Shrugging, he nuzzled her nose. "So let them. I do not care that they know I can please my mate in matters of the bedroom."

"I care, you arrogant Taiyoukai!" Irritated, she nipped his lower lip in reproach. "It's bad enough you can't get any privacy around a bunch of creatures with acute senses that detect everything. You don't need to go yelling it out just because."

Shaking his head with a chuckle, he placed a soft kiss on her frowning lips before nuzzling her again. "Itoshi anata, you have nothing be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed." Kagome's eyes darted away to stare over his shoulder when he arched a silver eyebrow with a look that said he didn't believe her. "I'm not ashamed of what you and I do together. I am modest and shy, okay? Not many women like their man to go around bragging or boasting about them to other people when it concerns the bedroom."

Rolling his amber eyes, he gave her an affection look. His features softening as he kissed her on the forehead with a grin. "My mate. So fierce she is. So brave. Until anything is mentioned about intimate relations."

Shrugging, she gave a sigh. The heat fading from her cheeks as she tilted her head so he could kiss each one. "I can't help it."

Releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her and cuddle her close, Sesshoumaru placed his chin on top of her head. "I know, Kagome. I shall endeavor to curb what I say whenever you are not convinced that we are completely alone and unmonitored."

"Thank you." She moved back enough so she could give him a soft kiss of gratitude. Her arm coming up to hook around his neck when the inu youkai deepened the caress.

She was breathless and a little aroused when he finally released her lips. The panting of her breath mingling with his own as he rested his marked forehead to hers. The molten quality to his half-lidded eyes enough to sear her as she moved her arm so she could brush his striped cheek with her fingertips.

"You're so handsome." Tracing the twin magenta lines of his heritage repetitively, Kagome's heart swelled with emotion. All her love behind the slow tender kiss she placed on his lips. "I love you to death, Sesshoumaru."

Amber irises igniting as his cat-like pupils dilated at her heartfelt statement, he caught her mouth with a hungry kiss before nipping the tip of her nose. Arm a tight band across her back as he buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck below the tips of the chopsticks holding the heavy tresses in place.

"My heart is yours, itoshi anata. It would stop beating if I ever lost you." Features turning somber, he searched her eyes a moment before adding quietly, "I would not survive the loss of you, Kagome."

Swallowing audibly, Kagome felt the truth of his words through their bonds. That were transmitting his earnestness in pulsating waves. That the powerful Taiyoukai who held her so carefully in his arm really did not believe he could continue living without her by his side.

It humbled her. The depth of his love a vast ocean that swallowed the pride of his station. The power of his empire. The responsibility to thousands of lives. Even his devotion to Rin would not be enough to keep the inu youkai on the mortal plain if the miko were to die and leave him behind.

Overwhelmed, her voice was husky when she spoke. "I feel the same way about you, Sesshoumaru." Smoothing the lapels of his haori, she cleared her throat and gave him a reassuring grin. "However, you won't have to worry about that happening. I'm not going anywhere. You couldn't get rid of me before and now that my age will mirror yours, I'm afraid you're stuck with me for eternity."

"Hardly enough time, but I will take it." Brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear, he let her fuss over him.

Used to her mannerisms and quirks now that they had been around one another for a while. Content to have her attention no matter how it was imparted to him.

The growling of her stomach reminded Kagome that she hadn't eaten since breakfast before Shippo and Rin's arrival earlier. Now that she was no longer using all her concentration on perfecting how to kneel and remain in that position with Mitsue, hunger gnawed her insides like an angry beast.

Placing a hand over her abdomen she gave her mate a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I'm starving. What time is it?"

A glance out the window and at the melted creamy wax of the candles about the room showed it must be at least around 8 or 9 at night. Kagome scrambled off his lap after a quick buss on his chin with her lips. Standing to stretch with her arms above her head. Holding the pose as long as possible before relaxing with a groan. Rotating her stiff shoulders with a grimace as the mate mark throbbed.

Rubbing at it through her shirt, Kagome raised her eyebrows in inquiry at the Taiyoukai still seated behind the table. "Would you like me to have Kiro get someone to bring us dinner here?"

"Whatever you decide is fine." Waving a hand dismissively, he smoothed his face of all expression.

Nodding, Kagome gave Kiro the orders to have a meal sent to them from the kitchens along with fresh hot tea and water. Going back to her previous spot next to the dog demon while they waited.

Turning to him as a sudden thought hit her, she asked, "Sesshoumaru, after dinner could we go to the royal gallery? Mitsue told me about it and I've been dying to see it ever since."

"If you are not too tired or sore, I will escort you there." The meaning was clear behind the words as he gave her a speaking glance. "It is on the far side of the palace located on the upper levels. Not too far from where you had your fitting for the junihitoe done."

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Kagome was determined that even if she did feel like someone had beat her with a baseball bat, she would find the fortitude to go see the place her tutor had described to her last evening.

Intrigued about what Sesshoumaru's ancestors and their mates looked like. Curious to know what parts of which parent he resembled in the shape of his nose, the curve of his lips, the slant of his eyes.

She wanted to see for herself the Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha had called father. The dog demon who was spoken of reverently amongst other youkai. To put a face to all the great deeds she had heard about that he had done during his life.

Kagome was also interested in seeing what Inu Taisho's two mates had looked like. To see the differences between his first 'wife' who had been a full-blooded demon from a noble house. To his second, a human princess, who had birthed the hanyou son she had come to know so well.

Resolute, she pretended that she felt fine. That her muscles weren't grouching at her each time she moved. Or that her mate mark wasn't acting up ever since she had stretched. Pulsating angrily as though upset she had forgotten about it for so many hours and now it was retaliating because of it.

Yes, she would see that gallery, damn it. Even if she had to be the best actress in the world to get around her over-protective mate.

*****************BBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRR******************

One thing Kagome realized as she walked beside Sesshoumaru down a long hallway, was that Taisho castle was much larger than anything humans had built. Glancing about her with interest since this time she wasn't on schedule for an appointment, she let herself go slower. Take the time to study the random pieces of artwork she passed.

The delicate watercolors of a painting depicting birds along sakura tree branches. An ornately decorated vase that held its treasure of lilies just so upon a hand carved dark table. Given the time to explore at her leisure this time around, Kagome was enraptured by the priceless collection that Sesshoumaru's family had acquired over the centuries of their lives.

Whether by commission or thievery from sacking another youkai's domain, the truth of the matter was that Taisho palace did not lack in tasteful decoration. Noticing a wall scroll ahead that took up one whole portion of a wall, she stopped to study it. Fascinated at the frolicking depiction of an inu youkai in true form.

Unlike her outer kimono to her junihitoe, this one's eyes were blood red. The robin's egg pupil striking as it stared balefully at whomever dared to cross its path. Front paws large with deadly claws curved into the brown earth he looked to be landing on. His hind quarters at an angle and the silken length of the tail trailing around its body akin to a cloud. A large full moon was above and behind the snarling dog demon. Its fangs tinged pink with the crimson markings of its heritage plastered on its brow.

Except this one had a full moon on its forehead. Not the crescent that her own mate wore.

The sound of Sesshoumaru coming to a stop behind her didn't draw her attention from the masterpiece in front of her. Kagome couldn't tear her eyes away from the painting. Blue-grey orbs tracing the creature over and over. Almost convinced it was looking back at her as she gazed into those deadly red eyes.

Stepping closer, Kagome reached out with tentative fingertips. Ghosting the markings on the large white dog's head without actually touching the painting itself.

"Kami, Sesshoumaru, this is beautiful." Arching a brow, she looked at him over her shoulder to ask, "What year was this done?"

Tilting his head to the side, the Taiyoukai narrowed his eyes as he traced his ancestor's features with a critical eye. "I believe it would be what humans consider the Nara Period of Japan."

Gasping in disbelief, she turned to face him fully. "Are you serious?"

Arching a silver eyebrow at her question, he answered mildly, "Woman, why would I make up a falsehood about a painting?"

Waving her hand with a frown, she gestured towards the work of art that would make it at or over a thousand years old in the Sengoku Jidai that they were currently living.

"It was a rhetorical question, you arrogant dog demon!" Dismissing her mate, she peeked around his tall frame to catch Kiro's cobalt gaze. The guard having stopped a respectful distance away from them to stand at attention with his spear. "Kiro."

"My Lady?" The arctic fox stepped forward. Features bland and eyes icy as was his norm. The dark blue of his hair and marking undulating in the light offered by the various sconces. "You wished something, My Lady?"

"How many years have you been with the house of Taisho?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she waited patiently. Ignoring her mate's irritated sigh as he watched the miko converse with his guard.

"Since the time of Inu Taisho, My Lady." Tilting his head to the side, he asked with a frown, "Is there a certain reason why you asked?"

Looking back at the portrait of her mate's heritage, she shook her head. Gesturing with her hands towards the painting with a helpless shrug. "I was curious if you had been here when this was done. I just can't make my mind comprehend that I'm standing, right now, in front of something that has been preserved for about a millennium."

"It is not the oldest piece that we have, Kagome." Sesshoumaru gave his surprised mate a small smirk. "If art interests you this much then perhaps going to peruse the royal collection would be of interest to you. What is on display is but a small portion of that which is in the vaults or second and third galleries here."

"Second and third?" She asked faintly. Mind spinning at the enormity of what the dog demon was saying.

That he came from a family which had held power in this part of Japan far longer than any human civilization. His ancestors stretching back until who knew how long!

Kagome couldn't decide if she was impressed by that fact or terrified.

If Sesshoumaru came from such a venerable house that meant every noble youkai who would be attending her ceremony would be expecting him to have a mate worthy of the position. A female who would do honor to the Taisho line and provide strong heirs that would carry on into the future. Making certain the white dog demons reigned for as long in the coming years as they had in the past.

But Kagome already knew what became of the children created between a Taiyoukai and a human. Inu Yasha was living proof of that. Hanyou who were unable to control the power of the legacy flowing through their veins. Turning completely human and vulnerable every new moon.

She cleared her throat. Not voicing any of these thoughts to the Taiyoukai who was now frowning at her with a narrowing of his amber eyes.

Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a large fake grin as she began to walk down the hall again. Their guard and her mate following her lead as the trio continued to where the royal gallery was held.

Judging by the furtive way he would look at her out of the corner of one eye, she knew the damn mate bond was telling on her again. As usual.

When the miko attempted to see if she could identify his emotions through the link she was only able to get the barest hint of curiosity laced with suspicion. Everything else blanketed in a calm that reflected on the bland lines of his features.

Oh, but it was irksome to be around creatures who were so good at hiding what they felt when she never seemed to be able to.

Damn youkai and their perfection! It was annoying as hell being the only human around the demons, even if said people never once made her feel as though she was less because of her humanity.

The trio's footsteps traversing shining wooden floorboards was the only sound from this part of the castle. The hour late enough that none save a handful of servants and the regular soldiers were at their posts. The uniformed demons stationed outside along the perimeter and not within the main building itself.

Rain no longer fell from the sky, but large gray clouds could be seen sailing in the heavens. Obscuring the light of the moon and stars and creating a stillness in the air now that the wind had died along with the precipitation.

Turning a corner, Kagome cast a cursory glance over the railing as their journey took them outside. The overhang of the roof still not enough to have blocked water from accumulating on part of the walkway.

"Please be careful where you place your feet, My Lady." Kiro was suddenly on her side, opposite of his master. Cobalt eyes watchful as they continued on. "The footing this high up can get tricky as the weather becomes cooler. It is not uncommon for ice to form a slick and dangerous layer that blends in seamlessly with the polished wood of the floor."

"Thank you, Kiro." Kagome didn't believe ice would be a problem this early into Fall but figured there was no reason to take chances.

She was, however, looking forward to seeing what the castle would look like once it became blanketed in snow. The curving rooves blanketed, trees bare and skeletal, and the path to the hot spring a blazing ribbon of white cutting through the gardens.

Hopefully by then she would be well enough acquainted with her new home that she wouldn't need a babysitter. Not that she truly thought Sesshoumaru would let her walk about without at least one bodyguard, no matter what the inu youkai had said.

After Mitsue had told her how protective and possessive dog demons were, especially the alphas of the breed, she highly doubted he could curb his instincts enough to allow it. But spending time with Akito was no hardship. There were worse things than being told you had to hang out with a good friend all the time.

Three hallways and two more flights of stairs later and they arrived at their destination. Once more inside the castle. Located safely within the innards of the level they were on so that none of the elements could get to the artwork housed in the gallery.

The shoji doors had been meticulously painted in vibrant crimson with three enormous sakura blossoms. An emblem that was associated exclusively to the dog demon clan and repeated often throughout the entire manse.

Kiro Stepped forward to the doors before giving her his typical flat stare. "Please remain here, My Lady, so I can light the candles so you will be able to see."

"Of course." She gave him a small grin that wasn't returned.

The arctic fox slid the shoji doors aside, the large sakura emblem splitting down the middle as he did so. A moment later he disappeared into the black of the room. Swallowed up completely by the abyss that defied her best efforts to see what the inside looked like.

Now that she was here Kagome was impatient to look at everything. Excitement and anticipation causing her to shift about restlessly.

"Who knew the quickest way to excite my mate was with a collection of stones and parchment with ink." Sesshoumaru's amused voice drew her attention. A smirk prominent on his lips and laughter in his amber eyes. "If this is the case, you are going to be remarkably easy to please, Kagome."

Scoffing, she gave Sesshoumaru an impatient glare. "Easy to please, he says." Waving a hand airily, she looked down her nose at him. "I'll have you know I am a very undemanding mate. I hardly require any attention, am able to amuse myself, and don't go around spending all your money."

"Our bond is young. Give it time," he said with a deadpan expression. Thinking for a moment, he frowned. "And I am not certain I would consider you an undemanding mate. Most of my day is spent wondering what chaos you have instigated inside the castle during my absence."

"Rude! Acting as though I'm a child!" Stamping her foot, she crossed her arms over her chest. The desire to watch Kiro continue to light the gallery forgotten in her irritation. "You can't blame your paranoia on me, you stubborn dog demon. I distinctly recall telling you that on more than one occasion! Besides, I haven't caused chaos anywhere since I've been here."

"Perhaps not in the last week," he conceded. The mellow cast to his irises dancing in merriment even though his features were set in censoring lines. Smirking, he added, "But then, I have kept you fairly occupied indulging in other….activities. Which do not allow much time for leaving the comfort of our bed."

Blushing to the roots of her hair, Kagome put her hand over his mouth. Eyebrow twitching as she tried to keep from strangling her mate with his own tail. His laughter rumbling over her palm and tickling her fingers.

"Will you stop!" Poking the unrepentant Taiyoukai in the chest with her free hand, she whispered harshly, "Who knows what Kiro would think if he heard you say stuff like that!"

Reaching up to grasp her wrist, he parted his lips to dart his tongue over her palm before placing a kiss there. Kagome gave a small yelp in surprise at the feel of the caress. Unable to pull free of his hold as he tightened his fingers.

Amber eyes beginning to smolder, he nipped at her fingertips while saying, "I imagine he would consider himself unlucky that he does not have the luxury of such a beautiful mate to warm him at night. Or the day, depending."

Kagome was torn between mortification that the guard might have heard them and melting from the sentiment and how Sesshoumaru placed a courtly kiss on the back of her scarred hand before releasing her.

"You're impossible." Giving him an affectionate look of exasperation, she shook her head. Unable to keep a grin from curving her lips.

Kiro's return forestalled any further conversation as he glanced between his master and mistress.

He Stepped to the side while gesturing with his spear. "All is ready, My Lady. You should have no trouble being able to see everything clearly."

Giving the hand attached to his weapon a squeeze, Kagome smiled in thanks. "Thank you, Kiro. I appreciate it."

A brief flash of some unnamed emotion ghosted over his features. Too fast for her to define what it could be as he nodded without saying a word.

"Come along, you foolish woman. Your penchant for going around handling every youkai who crosses your path is making my guard uncomfortable." Sesshoumaru's tall frame disappeared into the room as he spoke. Not waiting to see the reaction he got from his mate or the assassin.

"That dog demon, I swear," she muttered with a scowl directed at his retreating back before turning back to Kiro. Giving his hand one final pat, she winked at the stoic arctic fox. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Kiro. Thanks again."

"It is no trouble, My Lady." He waved away her apology. Taking up residence beside the open doors so he could watch the hall.

Shrugging, Kagome stepped over the threshold. Barely clearing the doorway before the sound of Kiro closing the twin doors sounded behind her.

Spying Sesshoumaru towards the middle of the long rectangular room, Kagome noticed the expression on his handsome profile. The set to his shoulders taught and the clawed hand at his side in a fist.

Forgoing stopping long enough to look at the various sculptures and wall scrolls on her way to her mate's side, Kagome quietly stared up at him when she reached his side. The Taiyoukai not acknowledging her presence as he continued to stare at the enormous painting before him. Head tilted back enough so that the candlelight bathed his silvery mane and pale features eerily.

When Kagome finally left the perusal of her silent mate, she couldn't prevent the small gasp that left her parted lips. Blue-grey eyes widening in wonder as she took in the masterpiece of brush and paint displayed prominently.

The piece was incredibly large. As were many of the portraits that depicted one royal couple after another. Some of them with their children present while others were just the mated pair themselves.

The figures in the painting that held her in awe were life sized. Tall and proud while adorned in ornate garments that were emblazoned with the Taisho house seals of a crescent moon and the triple sakura.

A bright crimson kimono with white sakura blossoms floating over its silken surface hugged the form of what had to be Sesshoumaru's mother. The marking on the brow, the paleness of the skin and slant to the golden eyes reminiscent of her mate who still had not said a word.

A black obi hugged the royal female's small waist. Her lips parted in a small mischievous smile as one clawed hand rested on the shoulder of the small youkai standing to the side and in front of her.

Her long silver hair was worn in two long pigtails in the back with mirroring strips of the lengthy tresses placed over her pointed ears to flow down her front. A large blue jewel incased in gold was hung from her neck and settled near her breasts. The draping of a fluffy silver tail across her shoulders added to her looks rather than detracting from them.

Eyes trailing downward, she came to rest on the picture of Sesshoumaru as a young youkai. His head only reaching the top of his mother's thigh. The expression on his face blank, but without holding the sharp icy quality to his eyes that were so a part of him now.

He was dressed in a miniature version of the silks he always wore. His much shorter tail wrapped about his shoulder. The adorable picture he made as a child making Kagome want to reach out and cuddle the stoic little demon. Cup his rounded cheeks in her hands. An innocence to his features that she was certain would never be seen again.

But his eyes. The artist, whoever they had been, had done a fantastic job capturing the expressions of the trio he had painted. The Sesshoumaru in the painting had amber eyes that were open and content. Unguarded. They were the eyes of a child who felt safe, happy, and loved by his family.

After staring at the inu youkai pup a few moments more she finally followed the second clawed hand that was placed on the opposite shoulder as the one his mother held. The fingers longer with much larger claws. The wrist it led to encased in a black scaled guard that led to a white haori covered by extensive bone armor that extended over both shoulders and down his chest. The pure white of his outfit spotless and perfectly tailored.

Kagome noted with surprise that his features more resembled Inu Yasha's than Sesshoumaru's. The shape of the face and eyes the same as she had seen on the hanyou she had used to travel with. Besides the jagged stripe and color of the eyes, she could find little of a resemblance at all when it came to Sesshoumaru's father.

Frowning in thought, she took in the high ponytail atop his head. The utter lack of ornamentation holding the silvery lengths in place. His bangs were the same as her mate's, she noticed when she stood sideways to first look at the painting and then back to the silent Taiyoukai.

Tilting her head to the side, Kagome realized the more she looked at her mate and the painting, it was glaringly obvious Sesshoumaru had taken heavily after his mother. Which was not a bad thing, just very surprising.

For some reason she had always figured that once she saw the Great Dog General it would be like looking at the current Taiyoukai dressed in different clothing. That the Taisho bloodline would have shone through in his genes strongly.

Regarding Inu Taisho's relaxed expression in the painting, Kagome searched the amber eyes staring down at her. Again, amazed at how well the artist had captured the barest smirk to the youkai's mouth. The slight softening at the edges of his eyes. The fur about his shoulders appearing so real she almost believed if she were to reach out and touch it that it would move.

She was impressed with the fact that the artist had captured their likeness in a more modern expression of art than what was so popular amongst humans during that time in Japan. None of the over exaggerated limbs or generic set to their features.

It hit her once more how much of a Western influence the Taisho house seemed to have. The incongruity of things like this becoming more apparent to her as the days she spent there went by.

Even though it wasn't on true canvas, the portrait of Sesshoumaru and his parents was more the clear beauty seen in modern depictions of people rather than the ancient time it was made in.

Truly puzzling on a number of levels. Something she would broach at a later date.

For now, she was going to intrude on whatever thoughts were so occupying her dog demon. The mating bond transmitting sadness, regret, and longing mixed with what felt like bittersweet acceptance to her.

Wrapping her arms around his, she leaned her head on his bicep after placing a kiss there. The stiff set of the muscles she embraced remaining hard even when she began stroking her hand up and down his forearm.

"It is amazing to finally see your parents, Sesshoumaru." She knew he was listening even if he hadn't acknowledged her. The barest difference in his stance cuing her into the fact. "Especially your mother."

The mention of the female youkai grinning down at them had his body growing tighter if that was possible. Kagome recalling the desperate quality to his voice when he had cried out for his mother all those weeks ago when he had come to her. Injured and delirious with pain and fever. Traversing through a Well, that, at the time, she had not known had been built at his father's behest so that his sons might reach her and she them.

She was beginning to think he wasn't going to speak at all when he broke the silence.

His voice uncharacteristically filled with emotion as he said softly, "She was the most beautiful youkai I have ever met. In spirit as well as body." He finally glanced down at her. His amber eyes filled with such deep sorrow that it made Kagome's own heart ache. "Before I was born, she became afflicted with a mysterious illness. A deadly disease that slowly tore her apart from the inside out. Until she wasted away to a shadow of her former self."

"I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru." Their bonds were flooded with his desolation. Her eyes pricking with tears as she cupped his striped cheek. "Did they ever figure out what it was?"

He shook his head. "No. My father scoured the entirety of the country in search of a healer who could diagnose her. Cure or remove whatever affliction had taken a hold of her. No matter the youkai physician brought to her, they all said the same thing. A complete anomaly. The only certainty they agreed upon was that it was fatal."

"It must have been so hard for you. Seeing your mother die slowly." Kagome couldn't imagine what that would feel like.

Picturing her own mother, who was safely in the future, getting something like cancer or another illness that caused the patient pain and misery before they died was frightening. Something she hoped to never have to go through. Her heart breaking that the Taiyoukai she loved so deeply had.

"I never knew she was ill." His head turned to gaze back up at his mother as he added, "Mother and father kept it from me. Never letting me know that her time on this earth was limited. That one day I would lose her."

Kagome saw in her mind's eye how devastated he must have been as a child. Wakening one day to find his mother dying. The horrifying realization that he would lose the most important woman in his young life well before he was ready to.

Especially considering how long youkai lived. For her to die when he was still at such a tender age must have been terrible for him.

Moving, she released his arm to face him. Wrapping her arms tightly about his tall frame while placing her face in his chest. Hugging him as hard as she could as a tear slid from her clenched eyes.

She felt the gentle touch of his fingers brushing away the saline from her cheek.

"Why do you cry, Kagome?"

"Because you will not," she said with a sniffle. Nearly drowning in the limitless scope of the sorrow flooding their bonds. Tears beginning to flow freely no matter how hard she tried to hold them back as she experienced his pain as if it were her own.

Grasping her chin, he tilted her head back so he could see her face fully. The miko blinking up into his face as water continued to pour from her eyes. Leaving silvery tracks down her cheeks that undulated in the candlelight in a mockery of youkai markings.

"Foolish woman." His voice was filled with fondness as were his eyes. The thumb he used to trace the quivering downward curve of her bottom lip careful not to nick her with his claw. "My mate. Who would waste her tears and fierce gentle heart on such a Taiyoukai's sadness."

"It isn't a waste," she denied indignantly as she squeezed him to her. Sniffling loudly as she let her tears flow unchecked, she grumbled, "Arrogant dog demon, I will give my tears to whoever I feel needs them. You can't control everything, oh high and mighty Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands."

Placing a kiss on her brow, he rested his own there right after. Palming the side of her face to wipe away the moisture that gathered there.

"So demanding," he said with a sad smile. Kissing the tip of her nose before going back to his previous position. "You humble me, itoshi anata."

"Not intentionally." She forced herself to smile as she tried to joke.

Sending as much of her love through their link as possible. The bright silver chord vibrating and alive. As though it was an inu youkai itself that was purr growling beneath the onslaught of caring traveling along its mystical tether.

"I can feel what you are doing, Kagome." The luminescence of his amber eyes brightened as his cat-like pupils dilated. The soft illumination from the candles dancing beautifully over them until they appeared to be made of precious metal. Grinning wryly, he leaned back within the circle of her embrace to smirk down at her. "My mate. Currently doing her best to all but drown me under the torrential downpour of her love."

"Rude!" Kagome said without any heat behind it. "You would think instead of calling attention to it, you'd be thankful. Ungrateful puppy that you are."

Her tears began to slow as his sadness and sorrow ebbed away. The light of her love banishing the darkness of his despondency to replace it with the soothing caress of her emotions for her inu youkai.

Arching a silver eyebrow at her, he took the corner of his haori sleeve and began to remove the saline from her skin. "I believe we already established earlier today that I am ancient and you are the puppy in this relationship."

Chuckling huskily, Kagome obediently turned her face so he could get the other side. "Well, perhaps not so very ancient." Fixing him with her best lecherous leer, she added, "At least, not where it counts."

Her outrageous comment that was so uncharacteristic for her startled a bark of laughter from his throat. Sesshoumaru giving her an askance glance as he finished what he was doing.

"And who was it not an hour prior who told me not to speak of such things in case Kiro was to hear?" Tapping a finger against his chin, he added after a moment, "Oh yes. I do believe it was my overly shy mate. The same one who would not discard her towel to bathe with me but vocalized loudly enough to waken the dead while I was inside her."

"Sesshoumaru!" Blushing, Kagome tried to hold her glare but ended up laughing instead. Relieved that he was no longer unhappy or sad as he had been before. Sighing heavily, she looked up towards the ceiling. "Kami give me the strength to deal with such a mate. He does try my patience and occasionally make me wish to strangle him with his own tail."

The furry appendage she had mentioned unwound from his shoulder to wrap about her so quickly she was shocked to find herself one second holding Sesshoumaru, and the next, to be incased within her new silken prison. Her arms trapped to her sides as he took the tip and lightly tapped it all over her face with a smirk.

"So you fantasize about murdering your mate, do you?" His smirk was diabolical when he purred at her, "Bloodthirsty witch."

Spitting out the strands of fur that escaped into her mouth when he drew the tip over the crease of her lips, Kagome tried her best to get free. Nearly falling over in the process, the tightening of his tail preventing it.

She couldn't imagine the ridiculous picture she made right now. Thankful that there were only paintings to see the current predicament she had managed to get herself into.

Yet, she would suffer through his teasing since it seemed to be bringing him joy. Kagome would much rather see a look of contentment or passion gracing her Taiyoukai's features than one of pain or loss.

"Sesshoumaru, you jerk, let me out of here!" She growled at him as she stomped her foot. Hands wriggling as she tried to work them free of the makeshift boa constrictor holding her captive.

"I do not know if that would be wise, Kagome." Tilting his head he gave her a considering look. "After all, you just admitted to wanting to assassinate the leader of a kingdom. If nothing else, I should call Kiro in here to interrogate you. Ascertain just how far this plot of yours goes."

Rolling her eyes, she quit struggling to bite out sarcastically, "You got me. However did you figure out my master plan? Jaken, Rin and I have made plans to take over the Western Lands once you're gone. I was sent in as a spy to learn all your secrets after seducing you with my blinding beauty. How clever you are to figure it out, Sesshoumaru."

Arching an eyebrow, he replied with a negligent wave of his hand, "I do not believe either Jaken or Rin could be swayed to your side, Kagome. That explanation does not sound plausible. What could you possibly offer them to gain their allegiance?"

Shrugging with difficulty, she said blithely, "Oh, you know. The usual. Rin gets all the flowers and kimono she desires and I just had to sleep with Jaken to get his support."

His tail loosened as he gave her a look of shock and disgust. Lip curling in distaste at the mention of the little toad youkai engaging in sexual congress with the miko making him snarl.

Shimmying free with a triumphant cry, Kagome was focused on stepping out of the coils of fur and bone, so she didn't accidentally hurt him by stomping on it when an 'eep' escaped her lips. Eyes going wide as she suddenly found herself in Sesshoumaru's arm. Her back arching as he loomed over her with a disgruntled expression.

"You will not joke about such things, foolish woman." Lip curling further so a large canine flashed in the light, he added, "I would see my retainer dead beneath my heel before he lay a single claw on you."

Bombarded with his irrational outrage through their bonds, she gave an incredulous laugh. Quickly killing it when his amber eyes narrowed, and an inhuman growl left his throat. A tinge of crimson circling his irises letting her know she was dealing with a serious inu youkai indeed.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she absently twined her fingers in the hair at his nape.

Giving him a look of exasperation that was mirrored in her voice when she said, "Sesshoumaru. Seriously? It was a joke. You know no one but you has ever touched me in the way you are implying." Memories of just what the dog demon holding her had done hours prior flashed through her mind. A blush stealing over her cheeks as she patted his chest. Giving him a teasing grin. "So possessive and territorial, my mate is. One would think he wouldn't overreact to what I said since he knows me better than that and realizes he is behaving irrationally."

Giving him a stern look, Kagome nipped his chin in reproach. His features and body relaxing under her tender assault as a self-deprecating smile curved his lips.

Sesshoumaru had the grace to look almost sheepish when he straightened the both of them into a full standing position. Shaking his head with a sigh as he brushed the back of his knuckles near her temple.

"You are right. I am behaving just like a certain foolish woman I know." Kissing her softly in apology, he nuzzled her cheek. "Forgive my unreasonable outburst, itoshi anata. I am afraid while within the thrall of the mating bond being so new that I continuously react absurdly. As you have said. It is good I have a mate who is not afraid to voice her displeasure where this issue is concerned. It keeps me from acting even more disgracefully than I already have."

"You aren't acting disgracefully, Sesshoumaru." Another nip of reproach, this time to his nose in a maneuver she had adopted from the dog demon she was reprimanding. "It will fade in time. You said so yourself, after all. Then you won't feel as though you have no control over your emotions like you do now." Smirking, she added with a laugh, "Hell, where I come from we call that adolescence!"

"Hn," he scoffed at her while letting her go. "Infuriating woman. Only you would compare this Sesshoumaru to an immature pup just learning who they are in the world."

"Stubborn Taiyoukai. That ego of yours is so huge I doubt it could even fit inside the cavernous heights of the hot spring sometimes." Leaning up on her tiptoes, she planted a quick kiss on his firm lips before patting his wrist. "But I love you anyway you grumpy old dog demon."

"A fact I am sure you will remind me often I should be eternally grateful of," he quipped with a grin of his own at her declaration and the caress she'd given him. Turning to face the portrait, he no longer showed signs of sadness as he looked up at his mother and father. "I do believe they would have approved of you, Kagome Higurashi."

Copying his stance, Kagome pondered his words.

Asking hopefully, "Do you really think so, Sesshoumaru?" Her eyes met his pensively. "I wish I had been able to meet them. That I had gotten to know the amazing people who had raised the fine Taiyoukai whom I am mated to. Hoping that they liked me and didn't regret that their son chose a human woman to spend his life with."

"Another one of your baseless worries." Sesshoumaru said whilst gazing up at the Taiyoukai who had sired him. Tilting his head in consideration before he said firmly, "My father would have adored you. A fierce and feared demon he may have been, but there was a generosity to his heart that is echoed more freely in Inu Yasha. A playfulness and open curiosity that resembles the behaviors of my half-brother that I never possessed."

"Inu Yasha does physically resemble him more," she nodded in agreement of his assessment of the hanyou's personality. "But something tells me he was probably more even keeled than your brother. Maybe he wouldn't be so outspoken and coarse all the time if your father had been around to teach him temperance."

"I doubt it," Sesshoumaru said with a smirk as he looked at her again. "Certain attributes Inu Yasha will have to lay claim to as his own and not inherited from our father. But my father never looked down upon humans as most noble youkai do. His second mate is proof of that if nothing else."

"And your mother? What do you think she would have thought of me?" Again her eyes were drawn to the previous Lady of the Western Lands.

This was the one person whose good opinion in regard to Sesshoumaru's choice of mate that Kagome truly wished to know. The strong physical resemblance aside, she knew that the female inu youkai had meant the world to the pup she had given birth to. The trauma of her passing remaining with him into adulthood so that he cried out for her within the darkness of his memories.

"Lady Inukimi would have approved of you as well. My mother had a loving and generous nature. A kindness that I have never seemed to find within myself." Grabbing Kagome's scarred hand, he kissed the back of it tenderly. Love shining from his eyes as he looked down at her. "Much like you, itoshi anata. Though I may look like her, you hold a better likeness to her personality. The same fiery spirit and ability to fearlessly give your heart to those you feel deserving. To be the bearer of such treasures makes you far more beautiful than any youkai princess."

Blushing as she blinked back tears at his heartfelt words, Kagome said in a bid to keep her emotions in check, "So basically, you married your mother. You know what they say about that."

Lips quirking at her teasing, he shook his head with a chuckle. "I suppose that stands to reason I must resemble your father enough to have attracted you. That is not the healthiest way to pick a mate, Kagome."

Giving him a grin laced in sadness, she said softly, "I'm afraid I wouldn't really know. My father died when I was young and it's been so many years that I am almost ashamed to admit I hardly remember what he looks like anymore without seeing a picture."

"I was not aware that your father had died." Eyebrows raised in surprise, he asked, "Do you or your brother take after him?"

She cradled her chin in her hand in thought. Considering his question as she delved down into her memories and searched what she could recall about her dad.

It made her a little melancholy to realize there were not that many things she could remember. A whiff of the aftershave he wore. The security of his embrace when he would hold her after some scrape or other, she had gotten. The color of his hair and eyes. But not an entire picture in and of itself. Just bits and pieces that, when separated, made it impossible to imagine what he had looked, sounded, or acted like.

"From what I can remember, Souta looks like him more so than I do. As far as his personality, I feel guilty saying I honestly can't remember much." Shrugging helplessly, she added with sadness shadowing the blue-grey depths of her eyes, "I remember things like he laughed easily. Not much seemed to bother him, you know? He had this upbeat way about him that saw the better side of people rather than the worst. And kind. Mom always said dad was the kindest man she had ever known. It was one of the major reasons she fell in love with him. How good and decent he was."

"You do not believe you are also kind and optimistic?" Smirking sardonically, Sesshoumaru pushed a few strands of her hair behind an ear. "Kireina, even I grow puzzled at times with how you strive to see the best in others who clearly do not deserve it. Do not forget you also took in a kit to raise as your own, despite of what his parents were. Compassion is something you have an overabundance of if anything."

"How can someone have an overabundance of compassion, Sesshoumaru? I just treat others how I would like to be treated." Waving a hand in dismissal she began to slowly walk to the next portrait that showed Inu Yasha's mother and father. "It isn't that big of a deal. That's just being a decent person."

"Not many would agree with you, I am afraid." He wrapped his arm around her from behind and placed his chin atop her head as they looked at the painting.

"Inu Yasha's mother was beautiful."

The short dark-haired woman standing beside Inu Taisho in the varying blues of a junihitoe had a shy smile on her lips. Her deep brown eyes showing a fragility to them that went well with the delicate set to her aristocratic features. Skin like porcelain blended becomingly with the full rosy lips and fine arch of her black eyebrows. Her long ebony hair loose in a straight river down her back with her hands clasped demurely before her.

It looked as though the same artist had done this rendition as well. The brushstrokes and mastery of their craft recognizable after staring at the picture done of Sesshoumaru and his parents.

His father was garbed in the same outfit as before. Face just as handsome and unlined with age. No change to him physically save for the new shadows held within his amber eyes. As though he had gained a thousand years since his last painting and all of it had settled within the twin amber orbs looking down at them.

"Your father looks almost sad in this one. Not unhappy. Just….I don't know. Different."

"He never completely recovered from losing my mother. Even though he had gone to a seer high in the mountains to try and divine a way to save her and learned of her imminent death there, my father was not fully prepared the day he had to bury his mate." Tilting his head against her hair, he added with a trace of amusement, "I know you read the scroll from my father, by the way."

Shocked, Kagome spun in his arms to look up at him. Searching his expression to make sure he wasn't upset with her for having invaded his privacy. She had been working up to telling him, but it never felt as though the time was right to broach the subject. The miko uncertain as to what the Taiyoukai's reaction would be to reading such a personal letter.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I hadn't meant to!" She placed a hand on his striped cheek, blue-grey eyes pleading. "I was sitting there waiting for Akito and his parents to arrive and got bored. So I figured why not try and read some random requisition form or whatever that I thought would be in your study. But once I realized what it was I couldn't tear myself away from it. Please, forgive me for invading your privacy."

Nuzzling her affectionately, he chuckled. "Foolish woman, I scented it as soon as I went in there. There is nothing I have to hide from you, my mate. It does not bother me for you to go rummaging through my things." Sesshoumaru's lips curved in a teasing grin. "Besides, everyone knows a female's curiosity is a formidable thing indeed. Nothing can stand against her once she wishes to have it satiated."

She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. Relieved that he was okay with what she had done and not angry as she had feared he would be.

"Don't be sexist, Sesshoumaru. I don't go around saying how males only ever think about one thing and nothing else."

"I do not know that if you said as much it would be sexist considering it is fairly true." He laughed outright when his remark caused her to blush a bright red. Cuddling her close and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I must confess, the ease with which you flush scarlet at the barest mention of intimacy does bring me much amusement."

"Yeah, well, I aim to please." Grumbling, Kagome inwardly reveled in her mate's attention.

Happy to finally have someone to call her own. Who only wanted her for her and not because of something they figured she could do for them. It was a brand-new experience. One that the miko from the future cradled close to her heart.

To be wanted for yourself, warts and all, was a very rare thing in the world.

People gave a lot of lip service in that area. The false platitudes or overly used sentiments that stole the depth of meaning behind them when they were uttered so carelessly. Kagome had never felt for Sesshoumaru the way she did for anyone else.

The singularity of her emotions tied to the dog demon not something she would ever transmit to anyone else for the rest of her life.

There would come a time when children would hopefully come into their lives. Sons and daughters who took after their parents and grew up secure in the love and safety of their home. And her love for them would be pure and maternal. A constant flame that would burn hot and bright no matter what they may do in life. Whatever path they took or scrape gotten into, Kagome knew that she would always be there to forgive and embrace them.

But that was a different kind of love than the one she felt for her Taiyoukai mate.

She had not felt this sort of contentment before. The newness of it exhilarating and wonderous. The desire to languish in it, to lay inert and let the powerful rays of it embed into her very skin as indelibly as her mating mark, was difficult to push aside.

Speaking of her mating mark.

Kagome grunted when it began to throb when she increased the pressure of her arms around him. Reminding her that all of the aches and pains she'd acquired throughout the day were very much present. She had been able to ignore them up until now.

Of course, her mate noticed right away. Lips thinning as he released her to look her over with a critical eye.

"Don't give me that look, Sesshoumaru." Shaking a finger at him, she said with a scowl, "I'm not leaving here until I get to look at everything as much as I want to. I've been dying to see this gallery since Mitsue mentioned it and I'm not about to leave after only getting to see two pictures because I happen to be mated to an overly protective Taiyoukai."

"This overly protective Taiyoukai desires his mate to hurry up and look her fill then so he can get her back to their quarters so she might rest as she has promised to do on multiple occasions." The stiff set to his shoulders and hardness of his stare let her know he was serious this time.

"Okay, okay. Let's go look at everything starting from the front and working our way back." Sliding her arm through his, Kagome lead him back to the double shoji doors to look at the large sculpture of a fully transformed dog demon on a rocky outcropping in alabaster marble.

Noticing the full moon on its forehead, the swirls grooved into its cheeks as it snarled, Kagome recognized it as the same inu youkai on the ancient scroll in the hallway.

"Who is this, Sesshoumaru? They must have been important to have portraits and statues made of them." She followed him when he pulled her to gaze at the life-size painting beside it.

"This is the founder of the great house of Taisho. The first Taiyoukai for the dog demon clan and the progenitor for the sons and daughters of the moon." Glancing down, he took notice of the naked interest in her eyes as she listened. "His name was Lord Inu Hakuken."

"Lord White Dog?" Giving him a puzzled frown, she asked, "Is that normal? To have a name like that for a Taiyoukai?"

"For the first in a new line, yes. When youkai clans are developing, most of them never have one member who will gain enough power to ascend to Taiyoukai status. It is not something they can train for or obtain by winning battles and besting enemies. That strength must come through the cultivation of specific bloodlines." Nodding towards his stoic ancestor, Sesshoumaru explained, "For example. Lord Kouga is poised to become a Taiyoukai in his own right, but that is not for certain. The breeding is there. His grandfather was a Taiyoukai which is how the wolves took control of the Northern Provinces. Just as the dragons seized power from the less powerful youkai in the East. Once a demon reaches Taiyoukai the forces he wields make it difficult for anyone else save another Taiyoukai to oppose him and win."

"I didn't know that's how or what a Taiyoukai truly is. I assumed it was a title given down the lines." Gazing up him, Kagome began to understand for the first time how rare Sesshoumaru was, even amongst his brethren.

It made her wonder if their children would be affected adversely because of their mother. The human blood they would carry diluting the potency of the Taiyoukai who had sired them. After all, Inu Yasha was a hanyou to a human and Taiyoukai and she had seen firsthand what had happened to him.

Grimacing, she pushed such disturbing thoughts away for now. There was no use worrying about something that was far into the future. Kagome would ask Sesshoumaru about it at a later date and see what he had to say on the matter.

She looked back up at the painting, studying it.

The medium had been accomplished in watercolors, just as the other one had been. The male depicted tall and broad of shoulder. Much more heavily muscled than Sesshoumaru or Inu Taisho. His long silver hair was in a high ponytail with a golden hairpiece of three sakura blossoms engraved in the precious metal.

The bone armor adorning his intimidating frame covered him all the way down his thighs. Forearms encased as Inu Taisho's had been. No sign of any type of striping gracing each high cheekbone. His lips were set in an implacable line, his jaw at a determined angle. He carried two swords laced at his side with a red and white sash. The amber of his irises challenging as they gazed out at the people observing him.

The white furry mantle about his shoulders drug the ground on either side of him. As though instead of one of the furry appendages he possessed two.

"Did he have multiple tails?" She asked in surprise.

His tone was grimly amused when he said, "That would be the tail from his first mate, Kagome. Apparently, great grandfather Lord Inu Hakuken did not care for the fact she found comfort in another youkai's embrace."

Making a face at the savagery of his family history, Kagome decided she didn't particularly care for Sesshoumaru's relative. Anyone who went around killing and removing their wife's body parts and then wore them rated right up there with any other serial killer.

"That's disturbing," she murmured. "And explains why there is no mate in this portrait with him."

"Indeed." Leaving the painting, they moved on to the next masterpiece.

Trailing appreciative eyes over the fine boned features of the female youkai standing before them, Kagome was in awe. This time the sculptor had used a black stone. The lifelike quality to the subject's body and expression so well done that Kagome could almost swear she saw the female's chest moved as she breathed.

"The first Lady of the Western Lands. By the time Lord Inu Hakuken had the painting done the poor Lady's fate had already been decided. This, however, was commissioned right after her presentation ceremony." He watched his mate trace gentle fingers over the woman's forehead which bore no mark. Kagome doing the same to the set of three stripes riding over each high cheekbone before falling away to rest on his forearm where her other arm was still laced in the crook of his. "Lady Akane. It was a tribute to her name that her mate, Lord Inu Hakuken took the three sakura of his house and added the crimson."

"She's so beautiful. Do all dog demons from your clan have the moons and stripes to a varying degree?" Kagome studied the gorgeous folds of the kimono encasing the female inu youkai. Marveling at the way her tail lay wrapped about her waist several times instead of over her shoulders as seemed to be the norm.

"Ah, this is where it might offend your human sensibilities." Smirking down at her, Sesshoumaru shrugged. "From historical accounts it is believed the clans of the white dog demons are bound together through multiple unions of incest. Brothers marrying aunts or distant cousins. Daughters with brothers or even an uncle."

Face mirroring her disgust, Kagome moved to stand in front of him, sliding free of his arm. Placing her hands in her hips, she arched an ebony eyebrow.

"Sesshoumaru, are you telling me your dad was mated to his sister or something? Because you're right. I don't know that I can ever look at that objectively without feeling my skin crawl." Just thinking about it made Kagome shiver in revulsion.

That would be like her sleeping with Souta or even her father!

Laughing, he shook his head. "No, my parents were not related directly by bloodline, Kagome. However, when the clans were first forming it was believed that keeping the strains as pure as possible helped the chances of a Taiyoukai coming from such a union. By the time my parents were born all the dog clans, the white and the black, had intermingled enough that they were no longer practicing the taboo ritual of marrying a close relative."

The relief on her face had him laughing again, his eyes warm as he smiled at her reaction.

"I'm not going to lie. Hearing you say that really is a relief. I was wondering why, if you said the Taisho house had been founded by that guy over there," she jerked her thumb to indicate who she meant, "had a full moon and no stripes but then your mother had a moon and a stripe. That helps me to understand it now. Just physical traits from the royal house gene pool."

Which she knew that history was filled with humans doing the same thing the ancient dog demons had. Intermarrying and whatnot had been more common than a lot of people probably knew. Especially amongst the aristocracy. Hell, even during the time era she was currently in she knew it was going on. The thought making her shiver in disgust again.

Retaking his arm, they moved down the row. Stopping to converse about every relative of his they came upon. Sesshoumaru's knowledge of his family history impressive as he was able to recite information about every male and female they encountered.

She didn't know how long they were there but knew it must have been at least a few hours. And she had loved every second of it.

When they were finished, Kagome and Sesshoumaru quit the royal gallery to head out into the hallway. Kiro still patiently waiting there where they had left him.

"After you have extinguished all the flames you may seek your own quarters, Kiro. I will lead Lady Kagome back and have no need of an escort further tonight."

"Yes, My Lord. My Lady." Bowing deeply to both of them he disappeared into the room without hesitation.

Turning to retrace their steps back to their bedroom, Kagome sighed happily while cuddling against Sesshoumaru's side. Smiling at the thought that they had gone on something very close to a date. Their first date night in fact!

Encouraged by the thought, she was content to walk the stairs and halls of the palace in companionable silence. Yawning a few times as fatigue pulled harshly at her.

When they finally reached their bedroom Kagome wasted no time in gathering her things from the armoire. Passing Sesshoumaru the pants he favored sleeping in with a grin before disappearing into the bathroom. Thankful servants had been by to light a few candles and keep the brazier going so the room was pleasantly warm but not overheated.

Once finished, she tossed her dirty clothes into the growing pile in the corner. Smirking when she saw that Sesshoumaru had taken to doing the same. The white of his garments stark against the darkness of her own.

Rubbing her bare arms, since she had decided to wear a peach spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of green plaid pants, Kagome raced across the cold floor to dive onto the bed. Wasting no time in tunneling beneath the heavy duvet as her mate snuffed the lights before joining her.

Wide awake after she her feet were blocks of ice from the floor, she scooted over so that Sesshoumaru could put his arm around her. Snaking her arms around his neck Kagome pulled his head down for a long passionate kiss that he returned wholeheartedly.

Breaking the caress she brushed his bangs away from his marked brow. "Your mate would be very happy if you could find the energy to make love to her."

"My mate should be tired considering the long day she has had." He nipped the tip her nose playfully. "Not to mention I know you are sore throughout your entire body and that the mate mark pains you right now."

"Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure I know how I feel better than you do." She felt his low chuckle travel through her pleasantly as she hooked a leg over his hip and wiggled her bottom half into his teasingly. "And I say that we should take our clothes off and have fun."

"My, how your modesty disappears when you are in the safety of a dark room," his lips were tilted in open amusement as he gave her a soft kiss. His hand coming to rest on her hip to keep her from moving. "Stop that, you foolish woman. You are in no fit state for physical intimacy tonight."

Growling in frustration, Kagome leaned back so she could run her nails lightly over his chest, delighting in the way his breathing faltered when she reached his nipple. "Your body doesn't seem to be getting the memo on that, Sesshoumaru, darling. You should do what it says!"

Nipping her chin, he grabbed her wrist to keep her hand from traveling past his navel. "Behave yourself, Kagome. Do you not see I am trying to do what is best for you, you insatiable female?"

Rolling her eyes, she used her free hand to tap him on the tip of his nose. Using the distraction of him holding her hand to move her pelvis into his. The satisfying response of his body rising to attention making her grin evilly.

"If I'm insatiable that's entirely your fault." At his scoff she nodded while saying in a serious tone, "It's true. Before you corrupted me, I was completely innocent to the sins of the flesh. I had no interest in getting nude to jump anyone. Then you came along and here we are."

Heart warming at the sound of his laughter, Kagome nipped a line along his chin when he moved his mouth out of range. The hand about her wrist tightening with the clenching of his jaw.

"Kagome, you are the most maddening woman I have ever met." His breathing turned ragged as she continued down his throat. "Will you desist what you are doing and go to sleep already?"

"No," she said stubbornly before biting down on his collarbone with a small growl. His hand dropping her wrist to clasp her hip and pull her into him tightly. Smiling in triumph, she released her hold on him to cup the side of his face and turn it down towards her. Her voice holding a whine and a pout to her lips when she said, "Sesshoumaru, make love to me."

"No means no, woman." His voice was strained but the set to his features said he meant what he said.

Her grin turned downright diabolical. The Taiyoukai she was wrapped around tensing and eyeing her warily as she purred, "We'll see."

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Sesshoumaru sat up against the headboard staring down at the lax features of his sleeping mate. Her nude body draped over his lap like a replete feline. Her arms loosely around his waist, the wild curtain of her unbound hair spread in sharp relief over the white of the sheets and bedspread.

Combing his fingers through the tangled locks of ebony. The Taiyoukai tried to figure out how he had been outfoxed by a slip of a female who held not the strength or training he had when it came to combat.

Her nose nuzzled his side as her arms tightened to hug him in her sleep. Her torso resting over his thighs as she lay sideways in their bed with the blanket around her hips.

He kept up the repetitive motion of finger-combing his mate's hair. The action soothing to him when he was irritated at himself for letting her win earlier.

Sesshoumaru had been certain in his resolution that they would go to bed and sleep only.

No matter how sweetly she begged or the caresses she rained down on him, he had been confident that his willpower was enough to hold solid. That there was no means of persuasion she could use to talk him out of her desire to make love with him and allow her body to rest instead as he knew she needed to.

Yet, somewhere during his denials and her machinations she had asked for a massage. Claiming her muscles were aching and if he was not willing to relieve one type of discomfort then he could alleviate another.

That had made sense, so he had obliged.

Not realizing the little minx had won the second he agreed since it gave her an excuse to get naked. It surprised him. How easily this mate of his could twist him about to fit her purposes. A Taiyoukai who bred fear and respect in the most brutal demons alive, and he was brought to his knees by one human female. Just by using the enticement of her beautiful body. The alluring scent of her skin. The heavenly sounds she made that he had come to crave hearing anytime he put his hands to her.

It had started out calm enough. He had worked the oil of cloves into her muscles. Stroking away the various knots he had found along her spine, neck, and shoulders. Inwardly pleased that he was being proven right by the way she would groan or moan whenever his deft fingers released the taught set of her form.

Then Kagome had rolled onto her back. The smile on her face and light in her eyes victorious when she had seen his expression as she had asked him to do her front now.

Right then, he had lost the battle between them. Barely managing to get past her arms before abandoning the massage to replace his hand with his mouth and tongue. The joyful laughter she let out against his mouth making him grumble with a frown, but it hadn't been enough to stop him.

He had seen his beautiful mate naked. Offering herself up with wanton affection. Her hands loving and body inviting as she had wrapped her legs about him, and his brain had completely gone blank. Unable to form a coherent thought after that save to do everything within his power to please his lover.

Which he had, he admitted to himself smugly. Taking pride in the fact that even with her aches and pains he had been able to drive her mindless with need until all discomfort faded away and she could enjoy herself.

Moving her bangs back from her temple, he smiled down at her softly in the dark. Content to watch her sleep in his lap as the night hours ticked away. Pushing her cape of hair to the side so he could expose her back and rub along her spine. Kagome moaning blissfully in her sleep as she tossed over a little so he could reach both sides. Sesshoumaru obediently doing so as soon as the pale curve of her spine was exposed.

He knew that he really shouldn't have let her win this one. That when she awoke tomorrow, she would be in pain from overexerting herself. The massage oil he used on her that she loved so much since it would heat when he exhaled on it would not be able to keep that from happening. Though, he had to admit, the way the sensual warmth transmitted from the lubricant to her senses making his mate restless and wanting was a definite hidden gem.

It had not been created for the purpose Kagome liked to use it for this evening. Not as far as he knew, anyway. The oil of cloves was a special blend that was meant to help soldiers work through the torture of overused muscles and sinew. The way it would warm when it met any type of air was so that one could wear it even when they were training and clothed. Any stray breeze happening by keeping the body from locking up causing an injury.

Sesshoumaru found he much preferred the way his mate liked to use it than what its intended purpose was.

Definitely more enjoyable to run it over the slopes and valleys of her delectable body. Eliciting the erotic reactions from Kagome that caused his own desire to blaze uncontrollably so common sense and reason fled.

Still, he shouldn't have made love to her tonight. The sight of the mate mark with its four small punctures set within dark bruising made guilt crash over him. Taking a claw and carefully tracing the outline of her swirls and crescent moon he had gifted her when he had saved her life.

Typically, the mark gave her nothing but pleasure. Tonight, however, he had avoided the area entirely. Not willing to have her associate it with a painful memory if he put his mouth to it like he had before, and it made her cry out from hurt and not pleasure.

He had been too rough with his human mate earlier in the hot spring. The loss of control when he had taken her from behind the result of the position appealing to the beastly nature that lived within him. His instincts overriding everything else until he had been unable to fight them or himself into gentling for her.

Even though she had forgiven him, even found ecstasy herself, the marks upon her skin he had put there had the ability to pierce his heart every time he looked at them. It would be a long while before the guilt would fade, Sesshoumaru was certain.

The wait to try that position again would be even longer. If he could not keep himself in check with a lover who was much more fragile than himself then it was best not to chance a repeat. As he had told her, he would protect her even if it was him she needed shielding from.

Not that he would ever tell her, of course. His fierce little mate could be very stubborn when she chose to be, and he had no desire to cross swords with her over the matter. Besides, there were plenty of other ways he could make love to her that didn't involve revisiting what they had done in the hot spring.

Resolved, Sesshoumaru set his jaw in a firm line as he continued to stroke her arms and back through the night. Hoping that doing so would help her when she awoke in the morning and wasn't wracked by pain. Assured in the fact that despite her coming out the victor in this last battle of wills that he would reign triumphant in regard to this other matter.

The Taiyoukai should have already understood, however, that Kagome had yet to lose once where their little skirmishes were concerned.

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	60. Lover's Quarrel

AN: Okie dokie! So, this is where we begin to really get towards the ending chapters. Excuse the small time skip in this chapter, but it was necessary to get where I needed to be for this part of LAD. I hope you guys enjoy it!

The days and nights flew by. Kagome was kept busy with a schedule that included rising early in the mornings to take tea and breakfast with her mate before they parted ways until late in the evenings. Her lessons with Mitsue, visiting Shippo and Rin, going to see Akito as he continued to recover, it hardly left the miko a chance to breathe.

Her nights ended with her falling into bed exhausted. Many times waking groggily only long enough to cuddle into her mate's warm body, give him a kiss goodnight and promptly let sleep take her again.

Sesshoumaru kept later hours than she did. His days taken up completely with the preparations for her presentation ceremony on top of running the vast empire of Taisho castle and beyond.

Honestly, she didn't have any idea how he took it all in stride. Kagome was a little envious of the way youkai didn't need rest like a human did. Life would have been much easier if she had the stamina of a demon. Able to forego going to bed entirely so she could spend more hours with her tutor.

Kagome could hardly believe that it was only three days until the night of the banquet. She had just finished her final fitting of her junihitoe. Saki assuring her that it would be delivered to her quarters the day before the ceremony.

The priestess had invited the same group of women to get together while she stood on the stool and let them take a look at the finished picture she would make. The inu youkai circlet on her head even if her makeup and hair weren't done.

It had relieved her to hear that they all believed her to look the perfect mate to a Taiyoukai. The anxiety riding her for over the past week lessening minutely.

Rotating her shoulders as she walked with Teisa through the castle, Kagome was glad that all the aches and pains from her lessons had finally vanished. Her mating mark bruises now faded and the puncture holes gone. She was pleasantly surprised to see that no trace had been left from Sesshoumaru's bite. No sign of the dog demon having bit her marring the area around the crescent moon and swirls.

Not that she would have been too upset even if they had scarred.

Kagome loved Sesshoumaru to distraction and wouldn't begrudge him if he had left those new marks on her body. The only ones she didn't feel self-conscious about considering the ones mapping her from top to bottom.

Reaching her bedroom, she gave Teisa a friendly smile while opening the door. Pausing on the threshold to give her guard a pat on the wrist holding her glaive.

"Thanks, Teisa. I won't need you for the rest of the night." Pulling the chopsticks from her hair so that the heavy mass could fall about her shoulders and down her back, Kagome ran tense fingers through her bangs. "Akito will be taking over starting tomorrow now that he is fully recovered. Thank you so much for taking such good care of me."

She knew it surprised the female youkai when she impulsively embraced her. Teisa's hand hovering a moment before patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. A blush riding her cheekbones when the miko released her.

"Of course, My Lady. If you have need of me again do not hesitate to say so." Giving her mistress a small grin, she bowed deeply before heading down the hall to her bedroom.

Sighing heavily as she closed the door, Kagome padded into her room. Kicking off her shoes with careless abandon as they landed who knew where. Reaching into the front of her red hoody's front pocket, she withdrew the beautiful crown and placed it reverently on the table where Sesshoumaru's swords sat in their stand.

Stretching, she glanced about the candlelit room. Trying to figure out what to do now that she was back. Too wound up to possibly go to bed, even if she had had a busy day filled with one appointment after another.

Mitsue had informed her today that she had been taught everything at this point. That there was nothing more for her to do but practice each day before the banquet and she would be fine.

Kagome highly doubted the dark-haired youkai's assertions that she was ready, but then, she didn't think she ever would be.

Despite the reassurances of her teacher, mate, and friends, the miko was still a bundle of nerves. The band about her chest that had begun to ease earlier retightening as though she was being constricted by a large snake. Anxiety coursing through her veins until she couldn't stand there in her room by herself a minute longer.

The sudden desperate urge to see Sesshoumaru fixating in her mind until she set her chin and went to leave. Dismissing the idea of putting her shoes back on since it would take precious seconds to accomplish that could be used to find her mate.

She felt that if she could see his calm features. Listen to him tell her she was being a 'foolish woman' and everything would be okay, that it would let her emotions settle down. The bond they shared was filled with his influence through the mystical platinum tether, but it wasn't enough.

Leaving her hair down, Kagome wiped her damp hands on her jean-clad thighs as her attempt to grab the doorknob resulted in her losing her grip. Quitting the bedroom, she walked confidently down the hallway away from the royal family wing of the castle. Not bothering to go get Teisa since she knew where she was going. Having become well acquainted with the path to the Taiyoukai's study that he could typically be found in.

Nodding with a smile to each servant or soldier she passed, Kagome waved away the bows that they gave her. Not used to being catered to in such a way even though she had been the recipient of such behavior since becoming Sesshoumaru's mate.

Spying Kiro's tall frame standing outside the door to her mate's study, Kagome felt a huge smile curve her lips. Excitement and anticipation overriding her trepidation of the future as her steps hurried. Slipping a bit when she came to a halt beside the arctic kitsune so that she had to reach out and grab Kiro's arm to prevent herself from falling down. Quick youkai reflexes grasping her elbow as he gave her a concerned frown.

Laughing with a light blush, Kagome planted her socked feet before patting her mate's guard on the bicep. "Thanks, Kiro. I'm afraid I got a little overexuberant at the thought of seeing my Taiyoukai."

Releasing her once he was certain his mistress wasn't about to hit the floorboards, Kiro gave her a tiny smirk. His cobalt eyes warming slightly as he said, "You are welcome, My Lady. Do be careful in the future. I highly doubt Lord Sesshoumaru would like it if his Lady Mate obtained a broken limb from rushing through the castle to come and see him."

Waving a hand with a laugh, Kagome nodded towards the closed door. "Is he alone by any chance?"

"He is, My Lady." Glancing about the hallway he leaned down to whisper with a grin, "I can assure you a few hours of uninterrupted time if you so desire, My Lady."

"Kiro," Kagome's smile turned blinding as she gave him a quick hug. Letting the surprised kitsune go before he had time to fully process her actions. "You are the biggest sweetheart! Yes, that would be wonderful."

"Do you plan on standing out there all night taking up my guard's time, or are you planning on stepping inside at some point, you foolish woman?" Sesshoumaru's voice called through the door making her stick her tongue out at the piece of wood in response.

"Patience is a virtue, Sesshoumaru, darling!" She called back before giving Kiro a pat on the back of the clawed hand about his spear. "Thanks again, Kiro. I really appreciate it."

"No thanks needed, My Lady." He bowed as he opened the door for her. Closing it to take up his spot once more after she passed the threshold.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat as her shining blue-grey eyes met the mellow amber of Sesshoumaru's. The way the candlelight bathed his features softening the sharp angles of his face turning his pale skin golden.

An old married lady she may be, but the sight of her man still had her pulse racing in her chest.

"Is there something you needed, Kagome?" Tilting his head to the side, he arched a silver eyebrow.

The top of the low table he sat behind was covered with various pieces of paper and parchment. An open inkwell sitting off to the side, the quill in his hand pausing in the middle of signing whatever document needed his attention.

Rounding the table, Kagome was grateful that Shurin wasn't present. Not that she disliked the rain-child. She simply wanted to spend time with Sesshoumaru alone for a change. Ever since the day they had spent together he hadn't even made love to her again. A fact that irritated her on a number of levels. She had a suspicion his lack of sexual interest had nothing to do with him being too busy with the ceremony preparations and everything to do with his moral code.

That, despite telling her he was reconciled that Kagome wasn't upset over their time in the hot spring, he held himself accountable. Paired with how she had gotten her way that night by out maneuvering him into making love with her once more, and she was fairly certain her inu youkai was staying as late as possible here not only because he had work. But because it was the best way to return to their bedroom knowing she would already be too tired or asleep to do anything.

Sneaky Taiyoukai that he was.

Ambling towards the seated dog demon, Kagome shrugged negligently.

"Does your mate have to need something in order to come see you?" Kagome bent down to pick up one of the rolls of parchment spread out on his workspace. Pretending to read what looked to be a report on crop production, she cast him a furtive look beneath her lashes. "What are you up to?"

Amusement warmed his gaze as he carefully set aside the quill beside the inkwell. Turning so that he could rest his arm on the table while facing her. Placing his cheek on his fist as he eyed his mate.

"You came all this way down here to see what I was doing inside the office where I conduct business." It wasn't a question. Sweeping her form with interest, he paused when he spotted her socked feet. "That would explain what Kiro had meant when he told you to be careful. It is Fall, you foolish woman. Perhaps it would be prudent to not walk about a drafty palace with icy floors in nothing but thin material to cover your feet."

Raising the parchment so that it hid her blushing face, she acted as though she was engrossed in the tallies at the bottom. Kagome replying in a distracted tone, "Perhaps."

A few seconds of silence went by. Sesshoumaru frowning when she continued to read, ignoring his presence altogether.

Smirking, he unwound his tail to snake it around her ankle slowly so she wouldn't notice. The furry appendage inching loosely up her leg to her knee.

"I take it reading about how the harvest of kanashimi peppers is progressing provides entertainment for you. If that is the case, then I should set them aside to gift them to you later." His smirk grew when his comment caused her to finally lower the report to give him a glare.

"What kind of crappy gift is that?" Putting it down on the table, she placed a hand on her hip while pointing a finger at the inu youkai. "Women like gifts like flowers and chocolate, Sesshoumaru. Not a bunch of rolled up old paper describing rainfall to picking ratios."

"Do they?" He asked with feigned surprise. His tail now up to her waist to just below where her hand was placed.

Sighing in long suffering, Kagome shook her head with a sympathetic look. "My poor elderly mate. We really do need to do something about the way your mind is going. That can be the only explanation for thinking such a thing."

She let out a small cry of surprise when she suddenly found herself yanked forward. Landing in her mate's lap in a messy sprawl. His tail unwinding to drape over her legs as she used her hands to pull herself up so she could sit sideways on him. Grumbling the entire time about 'inconsiderate dog demons' and their penchant for 'yanking her about like a chew toy'.

Wiggling around, Kagome finally got her legs over his thigh with her bottom settled in the cradle of his lap. Fighting a grin even as she scowled up at her mate's handsome features. Masculine amusement dancing in his eyes. The quirk of his lips sardonic as he wrapped his arm along her back, placing his clawed hand on her side.

"That was rude." Poking him in the chest where the skin was exposed between the lapels of his haori, Kagome added, "You and that tail of yours are a menace, I swear."

"I have the distinct impression you do not mind my tail or the person it is attached to." Nuzzling her nose with his he asked, "So to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit from my mate?"

Melting under the affectionate caress, Kagome's lips upturned in a fond grin as she nuzzled him back. "Your mate missed you terribly and couldn't wait any longer to see you." Cradling his striped cheek, she pouted. "I feel like we haven't spent any time together in over a week."

"We take breakfast each morning together and I am fairly certain it is I who holds you at night in our bed." Leaning back to give her an arrogant look, Sesshoumaru eyed her. "I suppose those instances do not count as spending time with one another?"

"It's not enough," she groused with a frown while wrapping her arms around his neck to play with the hair at his nape. "In the mornings I only have you to myself for about an hour and at night I'm usually already asleep when you come back to our room."

"Ah." Nodding, he placed a kiss on the downward curve of her mouth. "So my undemanding mate has suddenly become demanding." Smirking he added, "As I knew she would, if given enough time."

Kagome was pleased to see the smirk leave his mouth to be replaced by a frown when she pulled his hair in retribution for his comment.

"I'm not a demanding mate!" Huffing in indignation, she let go of him to cross her arms over her chest. Turning her head away and putting her chin in the air. "Saying your mate wanting to spend time with you is demanding. Rude, I say!"

The hand about her middle tightened as he pulled her stiff form into him.

"Forgive my rudeness, Kagome. You barging in here to see me is not to demand attention" Sesshoumaru said sardonically as he lowered his head to place a line of kisses over her tense jaw and along her neck. Kagome shivering in awareness as desire came to life inside her.

It had been so long since she had enjoyed any type of physical attention that led to them both naked and satiated between their sheets. Just the barest brush of his lips ghosting over her earlobe was enough to make her nipples harden and her lower abdomen to clench.

Her earlier anxiety over the ceremony was obliterated beneath the onslaught of desire that crashed through her. Heartbeat thundering in her ears, a flush overtaking her skin as the miko's muscles relaxed. Kagome melting into his embrace as she clasped the sides of his face to pull his lips to hers for a deep passionate kiss.

They were both breathing hard when he pulled away. Amber irises glowing brightly, and cat-like pupils dilated.

Stroking the twin stripes on his cheek, Kagome said huskily, "Why don't you leave the rest of this for tomorrow and come back to our room with me? I can think of a much better way to pass the evening than signing documents or reading boring reports."

The molten metal of his eyes flared brightly before he lowered his eyelids. Masking his expression as he withdrew from his enticing mate. Giving her a soft kiss on her swollen lips then gently pulling away from her.

Kagome realized in disbelief, as Sesshoumaru rubbed gentle claws through her hair without meeting her gaze, that he was turning her down. The rejection piercing her sharply between the ribs as though someone had taken a knife to her heart.

She felt herself go hot then cold. The pain of having her mate brush her advances aside twisting her stomach and gripping the organ in her chest harshly.

"I would love to join you right now, kireina. But there are a number of important issues I cannot delay in handling right now. Some of the nobles begin arriving by tomorrow afternoon and everything must be ready." Cradling her face tenderly, he subtly cringed when he saw the hurt in her expression. His features hardening a second later as the warmth died from his gaze. "I am afraid I will not be back at our quarters until very late."

"So, in other words, don't wait up for you," she whispered. Swallowing thickly around the lump in her throat.

Kagome was bombarded with his regret along their bonds, but also the iron core of his resolution. Her inu youkai was sorry he hurt her but determined to stand by his decision never-the-less.

Feeling like an idiot and completely embarrassed, she kept tears from forming in her eyes with every ounce of will she possessed. Sliding free of his lap to stand without a word. Straightening her shirt with great care without looking at him. Knowing she couldn't stand to see whatever would be reflected in his beautiful eyes.

"I'll just leave you to it then!" The smile she forced felt brittle. As fragile and hollow as her heart that was breaking inside her. "Try not to work too hard. See you later, Sesshoumaru."

Unable to hold back the humiliated tears, Kagome turned to all but run to the door.

"Kireina…" His voice floated to her ears. The emotional undertone to them uncharacteristic for the dog demon, but she didn't care.

She didn't even give Kiro time to let her out. Grasping the wood tightly and yanking it open with forcefully before walking down the hall quickly. Ignoring Sesshoumaru's pleading call behind her.

Brushing a stray tear away angrily, Kagome made it back to their quarters in a blur. Thankful that every youkai she passed on her way simply bowed while casting their eyes aside. The keen senses they possessed alerting them to the fact that their mistress was in distress over something.

Slamming the door to their room shut, Kagome made it to the middle of the bedroom before she started sobbing in earnest. Covering her face with trembling hands, she let all of her emotions run free. The ones he was sending to her along the bond being violently pushed back in anger.

The miko grit her teeth around a loud sob as anger slowly began to replace the hurt of before.

Sniffling loudly, she went to her backpack and rummaged through it. Tossing items over her shoulder to land wherever until she found the small pack of Kleenex and ripped it open with more force than necessary.

Blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, tears continued to track her cheeks at a milder rate. Her ire aiding Kagome so that she was no longer bawling like a baby. She went and sat down on the edge of their bed. The sight of the indent where his head usually laid on the pillow making her so mad she yanked the offensive cushion off the mattress and chucked it at the study door. Petty pleasure spiking through her as it hit the door and slid to the ground.

Damn him! Damn him for his misguided chivalry where she was concerned.

And damn her for caring this much!

If she didn't love Sesshoumaru as deeply as she did then he wouldn't harbor the power to make her feel as though her insides were being raked with deadly claws.

Fuming, Kagome cried until she had no tears left. Eyes gritty, nose stuffed and her cheeks tender from the tracks of saline lining her skin, she finally released an uneven sigh and stood up. Taking the used tissues to toss them into the brazier in the corner afterwards. Hugging herself as she stood before the makeshift heater to absorb some of its heat since she felt chilled from her bones outward.

It wasn't so much the fact he had turned her down for sex. Yes, that had hurt, but that wasn't the root of it. What made her heart break was the proof she now had that he was avoiding her.

Purposely rearranging his behavior so he wouldn't have to be alone with her more than he absolutely had to. That more than anything cut the deepest. Leaving a gaping wound in her chest that bled freely.

As the days had racked up since he had touched her for more than a quick kiss, she had begun to be suspicious that the inu youkai was doing so on purpose. Had hoped she was wrong, and dreaded she was right.

Well if he thought he could just make decisions that affected the both of them and she would just sit quietly by and let him, then he had a rude awakening coming his way!

Kagome wasn't about to let him push her aside whenever his damn insecurities reared their ugly heads to plague him. They were a couple. A partnership. He had to learn real fast that she was never going to be the type of mate who let him decide their lives alone. She had meant it when she'd told him that she wished to be at his side, not following his back.

And she wasn't about to sit all alone in their bedroom and cry herself to sleep!

That would just play into whatever damn problem he had dreamed up in that arrogant head of his. In fact, the more Kagome thought about what had just happened, the angrier she got.

Her temper going from a low ember to an all-out inferno that had her clenching her fists and color riding high on her cheeks.

Just who did he think he was?!

This mate of hers who apparently didn't believe her when she told him not to hold back and promised he wouldn't.

Lip service! The very thing she had told him before that she would never say to him, he had been giving her.

Well fuck that!

Madder than she could ever remember being in her entire life, Kagome peeled off her clothing. Kicking her pants into the corner before pulling her hoody over her head to ball it up and throw it violently into their laundry pile. Wishing it had been a certain Taiyoukai's head she was chucking instead of the soft red material.

She was no biddable mate. No meek female who cried and reposed and bemoaned while sitting and doing nothing.

No, Kagome was a woman from a modern era where if your man pissed you off this bad he got a damn earful at the very least. That's if he didn't also get his ass kicked to the couch for a few nights!

His pillow against the study door caught her eye. The miko tensing before going to pick it up in a hard-knuckled grip. Entertaining the thought for a few seconds of ripping the thing open to coat the place in feathers. The irritation that would cause her taciturn mate making her grin evilly before sanity returned and she sighed heavily. Putting the cushion back onto their bed with a negligent flick of her wrist that had it bouncing once before falling on the floor on his side.

Shrugging, Kagome went to their armoire to look at the contents. Thoughts playing through her mind of varying ways she could pay her stubborn youkai back. The things she could do or say that would put him in his place. Some of the images making her laugh and others mumble with a dark scowl. Her features clouded in anger the entire time.

One of the more interesting scenarios was the random idea to put his robe on before parading around the damn castle. The picture in her mind of her waltzing about the palace with the lord of the manor's white and blue silk robe making her pause and put a hand to her chin to mull it over.

Smiling wickedly as she imagined the length of it trailing behind her like a bridal train. Her long hair loose and head held at a defiant angle as she walked by one servant or guard after another. Lips tilted blithely before continuing on. Acting as though it was completely normal to go about the place in hardly any clothes except a wrap and her undergarments.

Ah, if only she had the nerve…..

Nothing would incite his baser youkai instincts than the thought of his mate being exposed to other demons like that. But, in the end, she knew it wasn't a good idea to provoke that part of him either when he was still in the throes of their new mating bond.

Even she wasn't cruel enough to make Sesshoumaru lose control, possibly in front of his own men. The potential loss of respect and censure he would accrue over his human mate's actions completely detrimental to what she wanted.

Which was for him to trust her enough to be honest. Whether the definition behind what he did made her upset or not, Sesshoumaru needed to be truthful. To communicate whatever reservations or misgivings he had in regard to being mated to a human female and not a youkai one.

Grumbling to herself, Kagome decided to hell with it and shut the doors to the tall piece of furniture holding their clothes. Ignoring the way her skin blossomed with goosebumps the further away she got from the brazier.

Blowing out the candles as she went, she left only one burning on her nightstand. Unclasping her bra and shimmying out of her underwear and placing them on the small chair off to the side. Sliding under the blanket and moving her pillows about so she could use them to lean on when she settled back against the headboard.

Placing the blanket above her breasts, she held it in place with her arms and picked up her book sitting next to the carafe of water and glass beside her candle. Determined to become lost in the whimsy of the fantasy romance novel she hadn't been able to crack open in days.

Who cared if she was nude in bed?

Apparently not her mate! So she would just sit here reading her book and when he came in later ignore him.

It took quite a while, but eventually Kagome was able to become lost in the story. The rage she felt ebbing slowly as she read. Though, the side of her link on their mating bond remained closed to Sesshoumaru. His copious attempts to 'knock' and become receptive met with cool indifference.

She was probably being petty, but she didn't care. He could feel rejection for once and see how he liked it.

****************BBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRR***************

Sesshoumaru knew his mate was displeased with him right now.

Scratch that.

The woman was angry as hell and hurting because he had denied her. Something that had made his own heart lurch in discomfort as it twisted inside his breast. He hated the look that had overcome her face when he had told her 'no'.

The distress and heartache transmitting to him through their bonds causing his stomach to revolt with a somersault. As though he had taken a hard blow to his solar plexus by a deadly youkai.

No injury he had incurred in battle had been as painful as seeing her leave the way she had. Not even the loss of his arm had made self-loathing assail him at being defeated by his brother over the Tessaiga. But failing his mate in some way did. The helpless emptiness of experiencing his Kagome closing him out with such ferocity that he couldn't touch her through the mating bond hard to bear.

Being the recipient of Kagome's anger and hurt was one of the hardest experiences in his long life and he found he had no caring for it.

When she had spontaneously come to visit him he had been happy to see her. Having missed spending time with his new mate as much as she did him. But the worry had remained that his control where she was concerned wasn't as ironclad as it should be. The ease with which she had gotten around him the last time stark in his mind.

Adding credence to the worry that he couldn't count on himself to keep his promise to not to be too demanding of a lover for his fragile human female. He wanted her too badly. Needed and craved the way she made him feel so that Sesshoumaru realized the only way he could go through an entire day without taking her to bed was to avoid her.

A ploy that had worked well until this evening.

He had been fine with holding Kagome in his arm. Nuzzling and kissing her as she melted sweetly into him without reservation. Enjoying the feel of her against him. The taste of her as she had kissed him nearly senseless.

It had only been when the sweet scent of her arousal had hit his nostrils that the steel chain around his baser instincts had broken instantly. The driving primal desire to possess the woman sitting atop him nearly more than he could contain.

Sesshoumaru had understood then he had made a grievous error.

By denying them both it had only made his hunger for her expand exponentially. So that the first sign of Kagome wanting him physically had all but undone him. She was a deep gnawing craving in his blood. A potent aphrodisiac he had ingested that swam through his system and ruined his ability to think clearly.

Keeping her at arm's length had merely intensified his appetite for her. Not abated it. Kagome had not caught on to the fact that his eyes had tinged red. The beastly nature living inside him rising to the surface all but bursting through his skin to get to her.

It had taken impossible effort to push her away when in reality Sesshoumaru had wanted to strip her naked and take her right there. To lay his mate across the table, shred the clothes from her body and feast on her until he couldn't stand it anymore and joined with her.

That alone had helped him to cool his ardor. So he didn't clasp her against him when she withdrew from their embrace. Both physically and emotionally.

The latter pained him far more than the former.

Emotionality was new for the Taiyoukai. For centuries he had bottled up anything he felt and kept it from escaping. All of his attention on thwarting his uncle and beating the other dog demon at his own game. Shoving away anything else besides deadly anger or cool cruelty.

Indifference had been his sword and shield in order to survive the training sessions he had endured from his relative. A frame of mind that had carried over into his adulthood that the inu youkai had willingly accepted.

What he had with Kagome, the mating bond and aura synchronization, amplified every emotion she brought forth from him. Throwing him into a baptism by fire in trying to understand and respond appropriately to everything.

The fact that the miko was infinitely patient and forgiving of his blunders thus far had amazed and humbled him.

Yet, judging by the way she was unreceptive to what he had been trying to send her for hours along the tether that bound them, he wasn't so certain her good will would extend to this.

But what could he do?

He could try and explain it to her. Perhaps bare his soul to the woman who already held his heart in her small human hands. It might appease her somewhat, but she would still be upset at how he had basically lied to her when he had said he wouldn't allow her humanity to curb his instincts.

What was it she had told him?

She would have all of him or none of him.

Sighing heavily, Sesshoumaru stood outside the door to their bedroom that connected it to his personal study. Shoulders tight and senses on high alert as he listened to see if he could hear her inside. To ascertain if he could tell she was awake or had cried herself to sleep as he had feared.

Detecting no movement, he squared his shoulders, smoothed his face of all expression, and went inside his bedroom. More uneasy about facing the displeasure of his mate than he had been whenever he had come across any foe. Including Aion when he was a pup.

He spotted her immediately in their bed. His heart clenching as his amber eyes softened while he silently traversed their room to go to her. Halting at the side of the bed to look down at his sleeping mate.

She was laying on her side facing towards him. The blankets drawn up to her neck and clenched in her hands. Even in repose he could tell her sleep wasn't restful. There was a scowl on her beautiful features and an unhappy curve to her full lips.

The lone candle on her nightstand gilded her pale skin to a honey gold that complimented her coloring well. The book she must have been reading forgotten on top of the comforter in danger of falling off the mattress as it teetered on the edge.

Taking the novel he placed it next to the carafe of water in easy reach. Blowing out the candle and observing his mate as moonlight filtered in from the high windows to trail over her. Amber orbs tracing the miko in his bed with sadness and longing. Her long black hair was in disarray behind her and he noted as he traced the lengthy locks that his pillow was absent from his side of the bed.

Arching a silver eyebrow, he made his way over and couldn't prevent an amused grin from gracing his lips when he found the cushion on the floor. Able to easily see in his mind's eye how Kagome had made certain her message was clear whenever he returned tonight.

Placing it back in its proper spot, he let his eyes take stock of everything in the bedroom. The grin growing into a true smile as he continued the recreation what she had done in her fit of temper.

The haphazard clothing strewn about. The random bits and pieces of what she usually kept in her pack were all over the place as though the bag had regurgitated its contents to spew them everywhere.

Daintily stepping over a package of ramen, he made sure not to accidentally step on anything as he made his way to the armoire. He would pick up everything tomorrow morning when he could be assured the noise of doing so wouldn't disturb her. The damn woman was terrible at getting enough sleep as it was. Sesshoumaru wasn't about to add to that problem.

Changing quietly, he pushed his heavy mane of hair over his shoulder before climbing in beside her. Laying there with a foot between them. Watching the rise and fall of her duvet covered body as she breathed but not daring to touch her like he longed to. The only thing he allowed himself was to pick up a lock of her hair and rub it between his fingers.

Enjoying the silken texture of the black strands as they brushed against his skin.

"Is there a reason you're playing with my hair, Sesshoumaru?"

His mate's voice startled him enough that he dropped the pieces of hair he had been caressing. Amber eyes narrowing to study her face when she rolled over to face him.

Sesshoumaru knew she purposely kept the distance between them. Her blue-grey eyes challenging and bruised with emotion. Lips set in a thin line and her chin at a defiant angle even though she was lying in bed.

"I did not mean to wake you, Kagome." He placed his arm in the gap. The tips of his claws almost able to touch the mound of the blanket she was under.

"Yes, I know. Don't wait up for you, I seem to remember." Glaring at him darkly, Kagome bit out, "Well don't worry. I wasn't waiting up. I just have this habit of coming to whenever you get into bed."

He tried to read her exact mood and failing miserably since she was continuing to block their link and he wasn't touching her for the aura synchronization to work. Sesshoumaru paused a moment.

"I did not say you should not wait up for me," the Taiyoukai said cautiously. Taking note how the V of her eyebrows worsened at his words. "I simply stated that my duties would keep me until the late hours of the night."

"Keep you," she scoffed. Shifting about where she lay as though remaining still was more than she could bear. Fixing him with a heated glower, Kagome snapped, "I'd appreciate it in the future if you would just say what you mean instead of a bunch of double talk with hidden meanings."

"What?" Sesshoumaru felt truly puzzled by her statement. Not understanding what he had said earlier that would make her accuse him thusly. "I do not know what you are referring to."

Growling deep in her throat, Kagome shot up in bed. Uncaring of her nudity as she sat up to face her reclining mate.

Pointing a finger that shook at him as she whispered harshly, "Don't you dare act as though you have no damn idea what I'm talking about."

It took a second for the shock to wear off of seeing her naked body. His own immediately coming to attention as he hungrily took in the sight of her bare breasts and creamy shoulders. The severity of his sudden craving to pull her down on top of him and kiss her senseless being shoved away so he could think.

Mirroring her position, he gestured with his hand between them. "I am not acting, Kagome. I honestly am at a loss as to what you are referencing."

Tears burgeoned in her blue-grey eyes. Look turning wounded a second before she schooled her features back into hard lines. Blinking away the moisture that had gathered, preventing it from falling.

"You lied to me." The depth of pain behind her softly spoken sentence was a dagger to his heart. A hint of betrayal lacing about the sorrow in the eyes that locked with his. Kagome clenching her hand into a fist where it lay on the bedspread between them. "You promised me that day in the hot spring that you would not withhold yourself from me. That you would not hold my humanity against me in our relationship. But you lied. You sat right there with me in your arms and you deep inside my body and you lied!"

Eyebrows raising to his bangs, his ears rang a bit when she yelled the last part at him. Her body trembling with the force of her emotions as she faced him down. Her glorious hair trailing over her nude torso so that she resembled a bare breasted pagan goddess bent on slaying the creature before her.

The way her accusations were arrowing into his chest, Sesshoumaru wasn't so sure his description of her wasn't correct.

Reaching out to cup her face, Sesshoumaru was stunned when she slapped his hand away. Lips parting as that brief contact had stolen his breath with how great the heartbreak she felt went for what he had done.

Swallowing audibly, he raised his hand towards her again pleading, "Kireina, I am sorry. You do not understand."

At first he thought she was going to deny him again. Her eyes training on his proffered hand as though it were a poisonous snake set to bite her with its fangs and inject its deadly venom.

His relief when she exhaled harshly and slid stiff fingers into his palm was enough to choke him with emotion. The harmonization of their auras spiraling as it attempted to even them out but was unable to get a proper foothold since they were both in turmoil.

Grasping her hand tightly, he pulled her towards him. Tugging a couple of times when she resisted at first. Kagome giving him a threatening look from stormy eyes as she got on her knees to go over to her mate. Refusing to let him embrace her but letting the inu youkai keep in contact with her as she settled back on her heels.

Sesshoumaru knew it was inappropriate to be enamored of the sight of Kagome kneeling beside him naked, but he couldn't help it. His eyes couldn't focus on any one spot on her body. Roving over the valleys and planes, the slopes and mounds he knew so well and missed terribly.

Yes, he had royally fucked up when he had made the decision to not touch her all those days ago.

When she snapped her fingers in his face, he reared back in surprise. Her expression sardonic as she smiled grimly. "My eyes are up here, Sesshoumaru. You weren't interested, remember? For a guy who doesn't care to make love to his woman you can't seem to focus on my face."

Grinding his teeth, he bit out, "I have never said I do not desire you! It is not fair to claim otherwise."

"Well you have a damn funny way of showing it! How many nights have I fallen asleep hoping you would wake me up when you got back? That you wouldn't just give me a quick kiss on the forehead, cheek, or lips then hold me and fall asleep? That maybe, just maybe, my mate would come to our bed and show me how much he wants me. Reassuring me that I'm not the only one who finds it hard being apart all day so that we hardly see one another." Grabbing his chin in a hard grip, she put her face next to his, eyes blazing with fury, and growled out, "So don't you even think to give me that smoldering look now! Not when you humiliated me in that office hours ago."

Tears had brimmed in her eyes again at the end. Her sorrow, anger, and embarrassment crashing into him until he nearly drowned beneath the weight of it.

Releasing her hand, he cradled her face. Brushing away a stray tear that overflowed to slide down her cheek.

"I am sorry, Itoshi anata. It was not my intention to make you feel shame or to harm you in any way." Sighing, Sesshoumaru was thankful she didn't resist him this time when he urged her towards him.

The cool temperature of her skin made the Taiyoukai frown with concern as Kagome let him situate her in his lap. Drawing the blanket up to her shoulders once she was straddling his hips to face him. His knees coming up so she could rest against them as he pulled the ends of the blanket closed over her nudity before brushing another tear from her wan features.

"You are right. I have done both of us a disservice by my actions. You have given me nothing, but honesty and I have answered it with subterfuge. Fooling myself into believing it was what was best for you." Sesshoumaru leaned forward to place his forehead to hers. Staring deeply into her blue-grey eyes, becoming lost in their oceanic depths. "The truth is, I was scared. Of myself and my lack of control where you are concerned."

"But, I have told you already more than once, Sesshoumaru. I want all of you. No matter in what context, I want the person I am bound to for life to see me as an equal." Gnawing at her lower lip, Kagome continued in a quavering voice, "I hate that the fact that me being a human makes it so there is this division between us. I wish there were something I could do that would change what I am, but I can't."

Wrapping his hand around her nape, he separated from her to say with a fierce scowl, "Don't ever desire to be anything or anyone but who you truly are, Kagome. The woman I love is warm, kind, generous, loyal, intelligent, and fearless. It matters not the blood that flows in your veins. That is a realization I am just now reconciling with as we speak."

Sniffling, she brushed his bangs away from his brow in a familiar caress. The grin blooming on her lips containing sadness when he pushed into her palm and rubbed his head against her fingers in a searching motion.

"Sesshoumaru, I love you so much." Grimacing, she took her hand from him to clutch at the blanket covering her chest. "Do you know how it made me feel for you to turn away from me? Not just because I really wanted to make love with you, but because I knew right then the suspicions I've had all week were right."

Cursing with a snarl, he grabbed one of her hands and pressed it against the erection straining the silk fabric of his pants.

"Woman, does that feel as though I have no interest in claiming your body?" Letting go of her, he settled back against the headboard. Letting the coldness of the wood shock his system enough so he wasn't entirely focused on how her hand remained where he had placed it. "Kami, if anything I want you too damn much!"

"I—" she didn't get a chance to finish speaking as he charged on.

His voice low with an inhuman growl woven throughout. His eyes ringing red with the force of his emotions.

"I want you so bad that I find it hard to function throughout the day. You invade my thoughts every few seconds, and not just with visions of us locked in coital bliss. I wonder what you are doing. What things you are finding to occupy your time. If you are happy or in need of anything." Shaking his head with a hard bark of laughter that held no amusement, he went on to say, "You think that when you came to see me earlier I did not want to strip you naked right there? That it did not cross my mind to send Kiro away and spend the next three hours pleasuring my mate until she could no longer walk?"

Kagome blushed. Eyes wide and lips parted as she listened to what he was telling her. Naked emotion blanketing his features for the first time since she had known him making the miko sit there, frozen.

"I can hardly form a coherent thought right this second because all that is filtering through my muddled brain is how right now you are naked with but a blanket to cover you. That your hand is in my lap, your legs are straddling mine, and it would be so easy to tackle you to the bed and bury myself inside you." Sesshoumaru knew he was shocking his shy mate with what he was saying, but he was also aware that she was actively listening to what he said instead of brushing it aside. "My control is held in place by a rotted rope where you are concerned, Kagome. And it scares me to death that if I am unable to contain it the ferocity of my youkai desires may hurt you again."

Grasping her chin as she had done to him earlier, he couldn't keep himself from leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek. Desperate for the physical contact. Rubbing his forehead against hers as he focused on absorbing the feel and scent of her. Breathing raggedly, he clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to calm. For the beast pacing within him to stop snarling and straining to claim his mate.

The tender warmth of her compassion filtered through their links as she cradled the sides of his face. Nuzzling him back softer than he had her. Placing a line of butterfly kisses along his cheek and over his nose. The soothing ministrations bringing temperance to his instincts with more efficiency than any of his methods had.

"Shhh, it's okay." Rubbing her cheek against his firmly, Kagome ran caressive fingers through his hair in long strokes. "It's okay, Sesshoumaru. I've got you. I'm right here."

Shuddering, muttering an oaf, Sesshoumaru's arm shot into the blanket to wrap about her bare waist and yank her into him. Burying his face in the shoulder that held the scars of the wolf on the opposite side of her mate mark. Inhaling and exhaling rapidly as he fought within himself as her gentle hands combed through his hair.

All but drowning under the torrential downpour of his instincts roaring through him. Eating away at cognitive thought. Chipping at the eroded fibers of the tether placed on the beast pacing near the surface that screamed at him to prove to his mate that his interest was only for her. That no other female in the world could garner his notice, turn his head, or tantalize him as Kagome did.

That she was irrevocably his! Erasing all doubt from her mind that he wanted her to the point where he could nearly taste it.

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Kagome cradled her struggling mate to her. Holding the back of his head while running her other hand though his hair. Laying her cheek against his skull as she felt the savagery of his nature tearing at him from the inside out through the mystical tether that bound them.

Their mating bond acting unpredictable and aggressive. Rough and untamed.

Kissing the place where her cheek had rested, she bent her head to whisper in his ear, "I didn't realize that this is what was happening to you. That you're fighting yourself so hard that it's tearing you apart."

His arm tightened and his clawed fingers dug deeply into the muscles of her spine in response. Not enough to prick her skin, but close.

She couldn't hold her anger when faced with the amount of inner turmoil he had placed himself in. All because of a random gallantry that she did not want, and he did not need.

Yes, she loved that he was protective. That he considered her needs before his own.

However, that did not mean Kagome wished their relationship to cause this kind of internal strife for her inu youkai. She wanted him to feel safe and secure enough that he could love her as freely as she did him.

Apparently she had misread him as he had her.

"My poor Taiyoukai." Cuddling him to her, Kagome rocked his taught frame gently. Offering him succor as she listened to the ragged pull of his lungs. "Honey, you can't keep fighting yourself like this."

"I do not have a choice." His voice was guttural. More canine growl than human words as he spoke into her shoulder. "I will not risk potentially harming you any more than I already have."

Grimacing, she stopped rocking to grab the sides of his face and pull him away from her. Having to use a considerable amount of force since her mate resisted being moved. Tilting his face up to hers, she felt compassion for Sesshoumaru soften her displeasure. The tortured expression on his face tugging on her heartstrings painfully.

Brushing her thumbs under his scrunched up eyes, she said, "Sesshoumaru, look at me?"

It took a moment, but his lids finally lifted minutely. The reddish amber of his eyes fiery in the darkness. Nearly hypnotizing Kagome with the raw beauty of the cat-like pupil that was outlined in robin's egg blue. The first time she had seen how he must of looked when he had taken her in the hot spring days ago.

Catching his wild gaze with her own, Kagome didn't even flinch when a snarl lifted the corner of his mouth displaying a large deadly fang in the moonlight.

"Please, Sesshoumaru, please don't hide from me." Tracing her fingertips along his temple slowly, Kagome kissed his marked brow in a fleeting caress. "I think you're beautiful. All of you. Crimson eyes, deadly fangs, overly protective instincts and all."

A low whimper left his twisted lips as his eyes flared open all the way. The red intermingling with the amber in his irises like a living sunset.

"Kagome…" He said her name and nothing else as he stared up at her with a kind of anguished hopefulness that tore at her heart.

"Yes. All of who you are." Smirking, she added playfully, "Including that snarling beast inside you who is currently deciding whether he wants to take a bite out of me or not along our mating bond."

"You can sense that?" It was clear that Sesshoumaru was shocked and in tad in awe that Kagome was able to do so.

Tilting her head to the side with a confused grin, she shrugged. "Well, yeah. Ever since I first encountered our mating bond I've always felt that there was almost a sentience to it. Of fangs and fur watching me with glowing eyes."

Frowning, he shook his head while looking at his mate in wonder. "I have never heard of such a thing. Not amongst youkai couples or mixed."

"Unless you go around asking people in relationships how they feel about and see one another, I doubt you would have heard about it." Eyeing him with amusement, she absently brushed her hair over a shoulder. Placing a hand over his racing heart after. Sitting back down on his lap instead of balancing herself on her knees like she had been while consoling him. "The bottom line is it doesn't scare me. I love everything about who my mate is. Not what he thinks I want him to be."

Groaning, Sesshoumaru buried his hand in her hair as he kissed her deeply. An untamed quality to the way he ravaged her mouth that made excitement and sexual desire flame to life inside her body.

Grabbing onto his shoulders, Kagome moaned deep in her throat while moving against him restlessly. Taught nipples brushing the hard planes of his chest. The hard length of him pushing into the apex of her thighs in a delicious friction that had moisture gathering there.

Tearing her mouth from his, she placed a hand over his lips when he went to immediately dive back down to kiss her. Staring earnestly into his feral eyes as his displeased growl flit over her fingers when he gave a small snarl.

"Don't keep kissing me unless you plan on making love to me." Clasping the sides of his face, Kagome nuzzled him in gentle entreaty. His fingers relaxing so that they were no longer pulling at her hair. The twist of his lips softening and his luminous eyes calming. "Make love to me, Sesshoumaru. Lay me down on this bed and take my body. Then give me your heart. Completely, this time."

Swallowing audibly at her requests, Sesshoumaru's hand held a fine tremor when he cupped her cheek. His skin flushed and feverish when he put his forehead to hers. Uncertainty mixed with desire undulating in the amber-red of his irises.

"I am afraid I may not be able to keep myself in check, kireina." Tracing the line of her eyebrow with a finger that held a longer sharper claw than normal, he swallowed with difficulty again. "You must help me." Kissing her deeply he whispered into her mouth, "Itoshi anata, help me gentle myself enough to make love to you."

Heart melting at his words, she kissed him slowly with long strokes of her tongue delving into the moist caverns of his mouth. Careful not to accidentally nick herself on the sharp points of his enlarged fangs. Keeping her touch smooth and firm as she ran her palms over his taught shoulders.

Kagome broke the caress, panting slightly as arousal spiraled through her body to settle between her thighs. A brutal ache of longing to have him fill her body almost painful in its intensity.

"My darling Sesshoumaru. I trust you to bring me nothing but pleasure. Now, make love to me."

She barely had time to finish the last word before the world spun and she found herself suddenly on her back. Sesshoumaru's body brushed over hers as he settled between her legs. His mouth nipping the side of her neck as his hand fisted in her hair again.

Arching into him, Kagome cried out sharply when he abruptly latched onto her breast. Sucking her nipple into his mouth to bite down hard enough that it was almost painful. Digging her heels into the mattress, she writhed into him while her hands dove into the heavy mass of his silver hair.

Laving her breast he traced a line over her sternum to its twin. Copying the action of what he had just done. Arousal turning the blood in her veins molten as she became consumed by the pleasure he was drawing forth from her body.

Wrapping her leg over his hip, Kagome pushed up into him. The way he rocked his pelvis against the cradle of her thighs making her fling her head back in ecstasy.

Tugging at him, she immediately locked her lips with his when he raised his head. The hand in her hair moving her into the exact position he needed to taste of her. The rhythm of his tongue mimicking the push of his hips driving her mindless with need.

Whimpering, she opened her eyes to find herself looking into the eerie crimson irises of her mate. The way his pupil was nearly lost to the blue reminding her that she had promised him she would not let him lose control. Kagome took that trust he had given her seriously and would not betray it knowingly.

Forcing her body to calm down, she began to change the intensity of their kiss. Sesshoumaru taking a few moments to follow her lead so that no longer did it feel as though he was devouring her from the mouth down. Instead, they took long sips of one another. Kagome nuzzling him affectionately as she ran her foot up and down the back of his leg slowly.

Soothing her mate so that the blue receded back into just an outline. Releasing a shaky breath, he rested his forehead against hers. His hair draping around them in an intimate curtain.

"You're so handsome." Giving him a smile filled with love, she traced the stripes on his cheek. The arch of his brow. The line of his lips. Glancing at him beneath her lashes, Kagome added with a mischievous grin, "I love your eyes, by the way. That new crimson thing definitely does something for me."

She was pleased to see her teasing comment had the effect of making him chuckle. The sharp points of his fangs discernable even in the darkness.

"My strange mate." Wonder was in his gaze as he shook his head. Brushing her temple with his knuckles. "Only you would not run screaming when faced with an aroused youkai with red eyes looming over you."

"Hey!" Giving him a look down her nose as she blushed, Kagome waved a hand airily before placing it back on his bicep. "I'll have you know that the only screaming I mean to do where you're concerned is when you drive me crazy when you're inside me."

His laughter echoed around them and made her heart soar. Happy that she was able to elicit such a response from Sesshoumaru when he had been in torment moments before.

"Ah, I forgot." Placing a kiss on the tip of her nose, he grinned. "My mate, so outspoken and brazen whenever she is in the cover of darkness. So brave she is."

"That's right! Your brave mate who is very glad that you finally realized she wants you for you," Kagome gently reprimanded. Kissing him on the chin before settling back on the bed. Arching an ebony eyebrow she tightened the leg around his hip and purposely undulated slowly. Exalting in the way it made his teeth clench as he hissed out a breath. "And your brave mate is anxious for you to get naked with her."

"Temptress," he choked out as she kept repeating the movement.

Watching the way the red bled back into his irises in fascination. Seeing the black of his cat-like pupils begin to get eaten up by the robin's egg blue. Sweat broke out over both of them as the temperature of his body skyrocketed. The skin beneath her hands hot enough that it made her feel as though she had caught a fever herself.

"Take these off," she whined as she reached down to tug plaintively at the waistband of his silken pants. Pouting up at him as she rotated her bottom half into his. "I want to feel you, not a piece of cloth rubbing against me."

Groaning, he rolled away from her long enough to shed the garment before retaking his place on top of her. Kagome eagerly wrapping her arms and legs around him as his weight settled into her.

Sighing happily, she hugged him to her tightly. Kissing a trail over his shoulder and along his collarbone as she spoke. "Finally! I've missed feeling your naked body against mine, you stubborn dog demon. Shame on you, for making your mate sexually frustrated for over a week!"

Smirking, Sesshoumaru rubbed the hard length of himself against the moist cleft of her body. "Consider me duly chastened, kireina. I will be more diligent in seeing to your needs in the future."

Gasping, it took her a second to be able to form a coherent thought and even longer to choke out unevenly, "See that you do."

She forgot everything else when he began trailing a path down her body. Her head falling back as she arched into his mouth when he suckled her breasts again. Breathing choppy and her mouth turning dry. Eyes sliding closed when she felt the erotic trace of his tongue dip into her navel. The sensual kiss he placed on her inner thigh.

He didn't even tease her like he usually did. One second she felt his lips on the inside of her leg and next his mouth had latched onto the most secret part of her. His tongue diving between her slick folds to curl deep inside her. Kagome giving a strangled moan of pleasure as her body bowed off the mattress. Her hands fisting into the silken sheets beneath her as she rode the pleasure of his mouth exploring her.

Just as with her nipples, the pressure Sesshoumaru used to suckle at the hard nub of her desire was a hairsbreadth from being painful. Those large sharp canines of his scraping her sensitive flesh lightly without harming her. The sound he made when she reached down between her legs to fist a hand in his hair making her spread them wider. Offering herself to him.

His elongated claws curved to travel down her body in the caricature of a deadly caress. Lightly brushing over her breast down to the outside of her thigh. Holding her in place when she would have moved against him again. The flick of his tongue increasing. Kagome's moans of pleasure growing louder as she felt herself build to a climax.

When she was at the precipice, he reached up suddenly to pinch her nipple tightly. The erotic interplay of pleasure spiced with just a hint of pain making her orgasm.

Sitting up, she buried her hands in his hair as her head fell back while she gave a long keening cry. Panting harshly afterwards as Kagome fell back onto the bed heavily. Whimpering when he gave her another long stroke of his tongue before moving to nip and lave his way back to her mouth.

Breathing ragged, she placed one hand along the side of his neck and the other on his cheek. Accepting the deep kiss he gave her. Uncaring that she could taste or smell herself on him. Her body overly sensitized and ceaseless in its movements against his.

His voice was an erotic whisper that made her lower abdomen clench when he said, "I love the way you smell and taste. I could feast on your forever, kireina."

Mewling, Kagome nuzzled his chin as she silently pleaded. The ache inside her making her feel swollen and empty at the same time. Her muscles tightening so much that it was becoming painful.

"Please, Sesshoumaru." Kissing him at the corner of his mouth, Kagome ran her nails down his front. His eyes flaring red as he ground his teeth when she found his nipple. "I need you inside me."

His own breathing becoming harsh, he captured her hand to lace her fingers with his. Placing them beside her head as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. Each of her cheeks. The point of her chin.

"Itoshi anata." He captured her eyes with his own. Gaze turning untamed as he slowly began to push into her body. Clenching his jaw, a small snarl painted his lips as he at last buried himself to the hilt. His voice was the guttural growl of before as he gave her a pleading look. "I do not know if I am going to be able to do this, Kagome. You feel too good wrapped around me."

Undone by his words, Kagome reigned in her own ardor so she could soothe her mate. Kissing him over and over as she held very still. Allowing him time to acclimate so that he didn't lose himself to his instincts like he was terrified to do.

Rubbing his shoulders with a soothing hand, squeezing the one that was laced with her other, she spoke to him softly. The uneven inhale and exhale of his lungs slowing as he took in her words.

"Do you know what I love most about you?" Knowing he was listening even if he didn't say anything, Kagome added with a grin, "I love how loving you are. How you don't mind public displays of affection with me or seem embarrassed by the way I want to touch you all the time no matter who is around."

"I find that I actively attempt to create excuses just to put my hands on you as well, kireina." Swallowing thickly, he kissed her cheek. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Inside and out."

Giving him a radiant smile, Kagome blinked back tears of emotion. "Well then we must make quite the dashing pair when people see us in public."

Chuckling, his breathing fairly normal, he nipped his way along the side of her throat. Kagome tilting her head obligingly to give him better access when he scraped his enlarged fangs over her pulse.

Shivering in delight, Kagome moved her hips in a tiny rocking motion. Experimenting with how well he handled it as she froze right after to gage his reaction.

Placing his forehead against her shoulder, he squeezed her fingers tightly. "You drive me crazy when you do that with your hips."

Pasting an innocent expression on her face, Kagome asked while repeating the motion, "What? This?"

A growl was his answer. The sharp nip of his fangs meeting her collarbone making her jump and then laugh.

Turning her head, she nipped the top of his pointed ear. Moving her hips deliberately as she said, "I can't imagine what you mean, Sesshoumaru."

Muttering a savage curse, he grasped the side of her neck between his lips and sucked hard as he thrust into her. Kagome's head falling back when he did it again. Digging her heels into the bed she met his next thrust as she tilted her hips in a circular motion.

Sesshoumaru reared back so she could see his face. His eyes closed and a frown on his forehead. The twist of his lips highlighting the canines in his mouth as he pulled almost completely out of her before entering her swiftly.

Dazzled by the new sensations it was invoking, Kagome grabbed onto his shoulder with her free hand. Her other one still held captive in his firm grip. The fingers wrapped about her own rigid.

When she lifted her head to firmly bite the place where his neck met his shoulder a feral sound left his throat. Sesshoumaru moved to nuzzle the mate mark. Licking it hotly before drawing it into his mouth as he began to thrust into her rapidly. The strength behind the movements of his hips causing her whole body to move every time their bodies met.

Breathless at the pace he was setting and the pleasure she felt where his lips danced over the markings in her skin, Kagome wrapped her legs around him. Unable to keep up when his rhythm turned frantic. Her lower back protesting after a few minutes from the power in which he was entering her body. The inner muscles clasping him beginning to get sore to the point where it was overriding the pleasure.

Gritting her teeth, Kagome was unable to get him to release her hand when she tugged on it plaintively. So she reached down with the other and tugged on his hair a few times. Thankful when it had the desired effect of gaining his attention.

When his eyes met hers they were a dark red. None of the amber was present and his pupils had a thin sliver of black still left in the center of the blue. A growl leaving his curled lip as he voiced his displeasure at her interrupting him.

Tensing in a bid to alleviate some of her discomfort, Kagome grasped his chin firmly and brought his face close to hers.

Staring deeply into his wild eyes as she told him, "Sesshoumaru, you need to slow down just a little bit." Nuzzling his grimacing lips, Kagome pushed her own discomfort away as she attempted to ground her mate. Rubbing her cheek into his and then laying back down. Turning her head to kiss the back of the hand that held hers, she placed her cheek on it while gazing up at him. "Easy, honey. Easy. I'm getting a bit sore."

It took a moment but the force of his body entering hers began to ebb in ferocity. His strokes turning back to the measured rhythm that always drove her mindless with desire.

Seeing the amber returning to his eyes, Kagome smiled up at him softly. Trailing caressive fingers along the side of his face and through the waterfall of his hair surrounding them.

"There you are." Leading him down she gave him a slow kiss. Her muscles beginning to relax again instead of feeling as though they were fighting his. Kagome kissed each corner of his mouth and then his nose with a soft grin. "There's my handsome Taiyoukai. I knew you were in there somewhere."

Grimacing with regret, he stopped what he was doing to gaze down at her. His breathing still harsh and uneven. His brow sweaty when he placed it upon her own.

"I am sorry, Kagome." He squeezed her hand as he apologized.

Giving him a stern look, Kagome smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Well don't stop now!" She gave Sesshoumaru a playful leer as she pushed her hips into his. "Such a tease, my mate is. Always have to drive me insane with wanting you and then stopping. You're going to end up killing me one day, Sesshoumaru."

Instead of answering her, he kissed her deeply as he began moving once more.

This time she was better prepared to recognize the signs that his control was fraying. Kagome shifting her body as she began to figure out how to compensate for her inu youkai's passionate behavior in bed.

She didn't want to bridle him. To make it so he had to constantly think of how careful he had to be otherwise he would never be able to let go and enjoy their love making fully.

At least, she didn't think he would.

Kagome found out that if she shifted just so whenever he pressed forward it took care of the ache in her spine. The soreness inside her was a little more difficult to puzzle out. Not that Sesshoumaru was as 'enthusiastic' as he had been before. But it still was a bit uncomfortable each time he entered her.

She forgot all about any soreness, however, when he suckled on her mating mark softer than he had previously. This time when he latched onto it the pleasure she experienced overshadowed everything else. Including the ability to think.

No longer did she find the way he moved inside her even the slightest abrasive. The tempo of his hips quickening as they had last time except Kagome felt no pain of any sort. Only an erotic ecstasy that cancelled out any thought of monitoring her mate to make sure he wasn't in danger of losing himself to his instincts.

The growl he let loose against her skin was a sensual thrum that traveled from the mate mark between his lips to her wet core where he pounded into her. Kagome moaning in time to every thrust. Panting. Skin slick with sweat and sticking to his each time he moved within her.

When she felt the nip of his fangs against her mark, clarity cleared the fog of her desire for a second. Enough for her to cradle the back of his head and hold it against her. Pushing her shoulder into him with a groan. Knowing what he wanted to do and wanting to give that to him without any reservations.

Tilting her head down, she grabbed his earlobe between her teeth in a short nip.

Her body moving in time to his thrusts as she panted out breathlessly, "It's okay, Sesshoumaru. Bite me."

When he went to pull away from her, she tightened her hold on his skull. Preventing the inu youkai from retreating. Trailing the tip of her tongue over the delicate shell of his pointed ear and relishing the way it made him shudder against her.

Hoping to distract him so he would let go and be what he truly was, Kagome began talking to him in a sensual whisper.

"I love the way you feel inside me. How wonderful your mouth and tongue feel against my mark." Raking her nails through his hair in a motion she knew turned him on, Kagome was heartened by how he was no longer fighting to leave.

Instead going back to licking and suckling at the sensitive spot on her body that drove her wild.

Eyes sliding closed, Kagome was finding it harder to concentrate as her body began to wind up tightly. The familiar building in her lower abdomen towards climax had her placing her lips on his neck and shoulder. Licking and nipping anything she could get her mouth on as she pleaded with him. Knowing he was as close to fulfillment as her and determined that he would join her fully as he had done before in the hot spring.

"Please, baby. Please. Give yourself to me. Don't hold back, Sesshoumaru. I want you. All of you." Panting, she wasn't even certain what she was saying anymore. Driven by her own primal need as she teetered on the edge of orgasming. "I'm yours. I'll always be yours. Claim me, baby. Bite me."

A sharp cry left her throat when Sesshoumaru growled deeply as he bit down hard. Kagome reaching out to sink her own teeth into his shoulder as the initial pain from the punctures faded almost instantly. The deep draw of his mouth as his hips pumped in and out of her in frenzied speed had her experiencing the most powerful climax she had ever had.

Dark spots floated in her vision as her eyes flew open. Unable to prevent herself from biting down as hard as she could while running her nails deeply down his back. The hand holding hers on top of the bed gripping him as hard as she could.

The loud moan of her release was muffled by the flesh between her teeth. Muscles stiffening as the pulsating waves of pleasure consumed her. Sesshoumaru's last few thrusts intensifying every sensation so that she was only vaguely aware of the guttural sound tearing from his throat as he climaxed as well.

She lay panting beneath him. Trying valiantly to find her equilibrium. Failing miserably as she continued to quiver around him in tiny aftershocks of pleasure.

Instead of laying on top of her Sesshoumaru repositioned them. Kagome all but a boneless heap when he let go of her hand to slide his arm under her sweaty back. Kneeling as he pulled her up with him so that they were back to the position they had been in when this had all started.

His back against the headboard, her legs straddling his. Except this time he was firmly latched onto her mark. Had not let go or lessened the strength of his bite once. A stray low rumble from his chest vibrating through her every so often.

Exhausted, Kagome lightly stroke a hand through his hair. The one with the scars aching after being held in his tight grip for so long. Her intimate muscles had begun to ache when he had lifted her from the bed with them still connected. The soreness she'd forgotten in the heat of the moment returning full force. Making her grimace as she shifted in his lap.

An annoyed growl meeting her ears had Kagome biting back a tired grin.

Turning her head, she kissed his ear before nuzzling the part of his face she could see. Continuously finger combing his tangled silvery locks as she waited for him to calm down.

"Okay, okay. I understand, you grumpy dog demon." Another fleeting caress of her lips to his ear. Kagome laying her cheek against his skull with a yawn she didn't bother to cover as her eyes went half-mast. "I'm so proud of myself. I bit you too just like I said I was going to. Now everyone will know you're mine just like they know I'm yours."

Feeling particularly smug at the thought, she yawned again. Dozing with her head against his as her youkai kept the hold on her with his mouth. Startling awake when she finally felt his large fangs remove from her shoulder. Wincing a bit but otherwise offering no complaint.

This time when he began to remove the blood from the area it didn't give her one qualm.

Kagome was determined to accept her new mate no matter what the case. She knew that the overzealous way he had made love to her tonight wasn't how they typically enjoyed one another. That his lack of control had to do with any number of other things but was not tied specifically to one issue more blatantly than another.

But, if every once in a while their love making turned untamed and heated, then she could handle it without a problem.

Exhaling heavily and then yawning while shaking her head a little, Kagome hugged him to her. Grateful that she had managed to make Sesshoumaru finally let go and live in the heat of the moment without holding back.

"Thank you," she whispered before placing a kiss on his head.

When he moved back, she let him go. Leaning on his updrawn knees and ignoring the slight twinge in between her thighs. His eyes and fangs were back to normal. The claws on his hand as Sesshoumaru cradled her cheek their typical length once more.

"Itoshi anata, what are you thanking me for?" His features twisted in regret as he glanced down at her mating mark. "I was too rough with you again."

Poking him the chest with her nail, Kagome swayed a bit as she yawned widely. Moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes from the strength of it.

"Do I look like I'm upset?" She jabbed him twice more for good measure. Narrowing drowsy blue-grey eyes on him. "Don't even start with that again!"

Tilting his head, he frowned at her. His hand sliding down her throat and along the delicate line of her collarbone. Stopping to draw a circle with his fingertip around the area he had bitten.

"But I bit you. Again." The expression on his face spoke of how much that bothered him. His finger continuously tracing the perimeter of the mate mark. "And I know that you had to reign me in a few times while we were making love."

"Yare, yare. If I recall correctly I was asking you to bite me, Sesshoumaru." Placing a hand on her hip, Kagome shook a finger in his face, her nail almost getting him on the nose. "Now you listen here you damn stubborn Taiyoukai! I worked really hard to get you to toss away those reservations so I could get you naked and inside me. I'm not about to go through another whole week of your ignoring me while throwing yourself a pity party in that pretty head of yours."

"Pity party?" Arching a silver eyebrow, his lips twitched as Sesshoumaru tried not to grin. His eyes beginning to lose their self-recrimination to be replaced with tentative hope. "Woman, I do not throw pity parties!"

"Ha!" Kagome scoffed while folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know what else you would call it. Over there thinking up things and worrying over stuff that isn't even true. As I've said before. Being ancient is getting to you, you grumpy old dog demon."

She laughed when he pretended to bite at her with a growl. The scowl on his features fabricated and at odds with the warmth in his eyes.

"Foolish woman, this Sesshoumaru does not imagine things," he said disdainfully. Sounding like the inu youkai she had known years ago when they had first met.

"Yeah, well, I'm serious. As I have told you every time before, I enjoy having sex with my mate and happen to look forward to it. So don't go turning me down because of some misguided chivalry I have already addressed tonight." Spying the indent her teeth had left behind on his pale skin, Kagome preened where she sat while purring at him, "Arrogant Taiyoukai, I have marked you. Now everyone will know you are this Kagome's mate."

Walking her fingers over his chest, she laughed at the puzzled expression on his face. Taking a fingernail and drawing a circle around the bite mark she'd left, Kagome smiled proudly.

Looking down, she saw his eyebrows raise into his bangs in surprise. Tilting his head to study the mark on his skin before turning to give her a smirk.

"You do realize that it will fade and be gone within a day at the most."

Kagome pouted for a few seconds. Mulling over his words and then giving him a wicked smile.

"Well then I guess that means no more abstinence for us! Got to keep staking my claim where you're concerned otherwise who knows what demon hussy will come along and try to steal you away." She leaned over to kiss the bite mark she had given him. "Besides, I told you that I was going to bite you back, so you'd feel less guilty."

"That you did." He nodded in agreement.

He let his head fall back against the headboard as he placed his hand on the indent of her waist. His thumb stroking over the scar left from where the shikon had been torn from her body years ago.

Shivering from the chill in the air, Kagome gave him a flat stare and stated plainly, "I'm cold. And I'm tired."

He arched an eyebrow at her as she simply sat there and looked at him expectantly. "I assume that means you want me to do something about that?"

"That is the general idea." Nodding seriously, Kagome pointed at him. "This is the part where you tell me how much you love me and how you can't live without me. And that I'm always right and you're always wrong and from now on you'll always listen to me."

Rolling his eyes, he smirked at her. "How very opinionated my mate is. I do not know how I dare even dress myself or walk alone considering she is not there to make those decisions for me."

Her body covered in goosebumps, she grabbed onto his shoulders and gave him a glare as she began to raise up so he could slide free. "Yeah, well, since you aren't going to behave like a good mate, I guess I'll just have to take care of myself."

Giving her a look, he helped to move her off him as gently as possible. A grimace painting his lips when she hissed in pain before promptly diving to grab the blanket from the foot of the bed and pull it over them. Burrowing under his arm and into his side with a happy sigh as she stole some of his body heat.

With just her head sticking out of her warm cocoon, Kagome placed her hand over his heart and threw a leg over his own. Tilting her head back to look up at him, she poked the inu youkai in the side, making him grunt.

Grinning, completely unrepentant, she ordered, "Give me a kiss, you stubborn Taiyoukai! Your mate is in desperate need of one."

"Demanding," he muttered in amusement as he lowered his head with a grin.

Dutifully kissing his mate softly. Sesshoumaru running his claws through the damp hair by her temple as she yawned again and placed her cheek on his shoulder. Both of them content as they sat a few minutes in companionable silence before he broke it.

"I love you, you foolish woman. Only you would have such a generous heart with the infinite capacity to forgive your mate his transgressions and enfold the youkai nature of him close to you." Glancing down, his eyes pinned her with love and devotion shining from their amber irises. "You were right. I was wrong. I couldn't possibly live without you." Pausing a moment, he smirked and added dryly, "Though I do not think it is wise to say I will always listen to you when you so rarely offer me the same courtesy. By your own admission, I might add."

"Semantics." Waving her hand lazily, Kagome pulled his head down for a quick kiss. "I love you too, Sesshoumaru. No more putting a barrier between us. If something is bothering you or you are worried about something then talk to me. That's what couples do and the kind of relationship I aim to have with my mate. One with love, honesty, and communication."

"I can honestly say that when I give you my vow this time that it will be followed, Itoshi anata." Kissing her unmarked brow he cuddled her close. "If, for whatever reason, I begin to fall into old habits I am certain you will remind me I have erred."

"Damn right!" Kagome said enthusiastically with a happy smile.

Stroking her fingers back and forth near his clavicle, thoughts of her presentation ceremony resurfaced. The same anxieties and worries circling about in her mind so that it began to pull her from the sleepy contentment she had been in.

"What is bothering you, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru rested his cheek against his mate's head as he held her nude body to his own. "I can feel it along our bonds that something troubles you deeply."

"The presentation ceremony," she answered without hesitation. Sighing heavily as she drew abstract designs over his skin. "I don't think I'm going to feel any better about it until it's over."

"That is understandable." Kissing her temple, he squeezed her in reassurance. "Just remember that I will be at your side the entire evening. And do not think I will not hesitate to put an early end to the banquet if I feel as though it has become too much for you."

Grinning, she rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

Patting his chest a few times as she said, "My mate. So overly protective he is." Dropping a kiss on his chest, she snuggled into him. "Thank you for reassuring me. It was one of the main reasons I randomly decided to come see you this evening. Not only have I missed spending time with my Taiyoukai but being around you always calms me down and makes me feel better."

"Ah." She felt him nod against her head before he placed a kiss in her hair. His voice a pleasant low rumble in her ear when he said quietly, "I apologize again for causing you to leave so abruptly earlier. However, I am more than happy to give you the reassurance you desire so that it helps you find some serenity in regard to your ceremony in a few nights."

Groaning, Kagome shifted about so her back was against his side. Pulling his arm over her shoulder so she could play with his clawed fingers while staring off into the darkness of their room.

"It's so close, Sesshoumaru. I really hope I don't mess this up somehow." Pressing her finger pads into the tips of his claws one after the other, she grumbled, "I just know some of those damn nobles are going to be looking down on me or laughing behind my back because I'm human."

"Something they would not dare do whilst in the presence of myself or any of our guards or servants," he said fiercely while resting his chin on her shoulder to watch what she was doing to his hand. "I do not believe it will be the disaster you are prophesizing, kireina. No matter their personal opinion, the house of Taisho holds enough clout behind it to demand nothing but respect from even other Taiyoukai."

"I suppose….," Kagome trailed off doubtfully as she frowned. Flattening his hand so she could measure hers against it palm to palm.

Resting her head against his shoulder, she leaned her cheek to his as they observed her turning her wrist one way and then the other. The miko eying the difference in their skin tone and size with a calculating look.

"You know, I thought I was pale, but you're even whiter than I am." Smirking as she rubbed her face against his, Kagome tried to lighten the mood. Bolstering her flagging spirits as she held his comforting words close to her heart.

"Are you saying you do not find the shade of my skin appealing?" Sesshoumaru closed his hand to trip her fingers. Smirking when she grumbled and tried to pull free but was unable to. "Such a judgmental female you are. I suppose you will be criticizing my hair and markings next."

"Oh you know I think you're gorgeous!" Letting him lace his fingers with hers, Kagome relaxed into him. "The Great Lord Sesshoumaru, Ruler of the Western Lands, and his fragile ego. Who knew."

"Fragile ego indeed," he scoffed with mock indignation. Nipping her chin playfully in reproach before placing a kiss there. "It is a wonder I can manage to look in the mirror with the way you disparage me constantly, Kagome. Inconsiderate woman. Mitsue should have schooled you on the proper way to treat your mate. Especially at my old age."

Thankful that her Taiyoukai was trying to engage her in play to get her mind off the ceremony, Kagome jabbed him with an elbow. Snickering when she hit a rib and caused him to flinch with an 'oomph'.

"Don't worry, Sesshoumaru, darling, I promise to take care of you even when you lose all your teeth and forget where you're at." Waving their joined hands back and forth in front of her, Kagome turned to kiss his cheek consolingly. "But that better mean I get to inherit all your stuff when you die. I'm not changing your diapers and mushing up your food for nothing!"

"My, but the picture you paint of our future sounds divine." Laughing, he added, "Mercenary witch! Now I know why you pulled me from that well all those weeks ago. It was part of your master plan to take over my lands."

His chuckles had warmth twining about her heart. Toes curling into the silk of the sheets as she reveled in the fact that she was the only person in the world who could bring forth these types of reactions with the taciturn dog demon.

No one would believe her if she told them how Sesshoumaru actually had a sense of humor and enjoyed teasing his mate just to see her blush. They would all look at her as if she were the senile one and then promptly pack her off to deposit in some cave somewhere. Well rid of the crazy human mate who had found herself bound to their master.

"Damn, you're always figuring out all my nefarious plots." Sighing in mock resignation, she shrugged. "I guess there is nothing for it but to just wait and see how everything plays out. See if my evil machinations bear any fruit in the years to come."

Yawning, Kagome let their hands fall to her stomach. Clasping them tightly to her abdomen as she closed her eyes and wiggled a few times to get comfortable.

"In the meantime we should probably get some sleep." Kagome returned the kiss he pressed to her lips. An impish curve to her mouth as she looked up at him. "I want to make sure I get enough rest so that tomorrow night we can do this again!"

"Insatiable wanton woman," he growled with a grin of his own. Kissing her deeply before sliding down so he could spoon his body around hers. His tail moving to drape over her naked frame under the blanket. "Go to bed before I think of another use for that impudent mouth of yours."

"Promises, promises," she said around a yawn.

Letting her eyes close. Her breathing evening out as she listened to the sound of his lungs inhaling and exhaling. The steady brush of his chest against her back soothing her into slumber.

All of her fears, worries, and anxieties falling silent as Kagome let the peace of their bonds flow into her. Grasping them in a stranglehold to keep against her breast. Secure in the knowledge that she and her mate were bound closer now than ever before after tonight.

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	61. Lord Murakumo

AN: Okay last chapter before the actual banquet. I apologize for the delay in posting but writing every night for over two weeks straight finally caught up with me. This chapter may make you question the reason of why it was put in, but I promise you. Everything for a reason and it is integral to the overall plot. With that being said, enjoy!

Kagome let her fingers slide over the luxurious fabric of the over kimono sleeve while eying the finished product that was now on its stand in the corner of her bedroom. Saki had brought it in with Mai dutifully trailing behind her with the stand needed to support the weight of the outfit that would also keep it from acquiring any wrinkles in the fragile material.

She had gazed at her presentation ceremony garments and been awed once more at the craftsmanship which had went into the piece. Offering a beaming Saki a grateful hug that the little curvaceous sparrow youkai had returned wholeheartedly. Giving a grandmotherly pat to her mistress' cheek with a fond smile before the seamstress and her assistant had departed.

The sun was out in force today for once. A lack of fat gray rainclouds so that the Fall rays of the fiery star in the heavens could bathe the layers of black, silver, and ivory silk beautifully. Giving the junihitoe an otherworldly quality as it had appeared to glow. The silvery threads and bright eyes of the inu youkai circling it undulating and sparkling.

Again, Kagome was all but convinced that the snarling dog demons were actively tracking her. Their amber eyes seeming to follow the young human's movements critically as she paced around them. An expression of arrogance painting their version of a dog demon's smile. As though they were all assured that there could never be a fault found in their resting place or the superb excellence in their form and bearing.

It reminded her of her own Taiyoukai, in fact. The stray thought making her smirk as she let the sleeve fall back to its resting place. Sighing dreamily as she took in the sight of what she now affectionately thought of as her wedding dress.

She still didn't know what Sesshoumaru would be wearing. Not that he had been evasive about it. She just hadn't asked him. So caught up with the final preparations and diligent practicing of her lessons from Mitsue that it had slipped her mind.

Now it had finally come. It was the morning of her ceremony.

Even thinking about what she would be doing tonight had the ability to take her breath away. To have her nerves jangling in a mixture of excitement and alarm that resided in her stomach so that she hadn't been able to eat anything when she had breakfasted with Sesshoumaru.

Her inu youkai giving her a knowing look from his amber eyes as he had calmly refilled her tea three times as she had rambled on about this and that. A trait Kagome was known for whenever she was nervous or worried.

But, ever the patient youkai, he had simply nodded here or offered a word there. Knowing intrinsically that his mate didn't really expect or want an answer to anything she was saying. Only someone to listen and physically be there to give her comfort.

Kagome was thoroughly convinced she had Rin to thank for his patience this morning.

A wry smile painting the miko's lips as she shook her head at her own behavior. At least her relationship with Sesshoumaru was solid. The resolution to their small spat bringing them closer than they had been before.

She could now tell the difference of then and now. After their 'discussion' in regard to their mating bond.

It felt clearer. Without a veil. As though whatever reservations Sesshoumaru had been holding onto between them had at last fallen away to leave them both in stark clarity to one another. Naked and vulnerable in a much more intimate way than when their bodies joined in the physical act of passion.

His love for her was a steady thrum in her heart. A pervasive warmth that continuously filled her soul. Banishing the worst of her doubts about herself under the caring regard of her mate. It was a big relief to know that no matter what happened tonight, if she accidentally created a public faux pas or other, that Sesshoumaru couldn't care less.

As he had averred many times, he loved Kagome for who she was. Not for the composed picture of poise and sophistication which would be put on display in front of the nobles later. Sesshoumaru liked that she wasn't polished and refined. That she was the exact opposite of everything he had grown up around or partaken of throughout the long years of his life.

Not because she was some fascinating oddity. A rare specimen to be studied under a microscope with a keen eye and cool dispassion.

No, her Taiyoukai loved her because of her unfettered enjoyment of life.

The courage she possessed to give of herself freely knowing that it left her open to heartache and pain. That she picked herself up when she fell and carried on even when it felt impossible at times.

At least, that is what he had told her last night as they had lain in each other's arms. Bodies spent and intertwined with his tail draped about her nudity as he had played with her hair as he loved to do. His voice a reassuring rumble in her ears in the darkness of their chamber as he had spoken of what it was that attracted not just his body, but his heart and soul to her as well.

Just remembering it had a ridiculously huge smile curving her rosy lips.

How she loved her dog demon. It was instances such as these that Kagome was thankful for the mating bond which allowed her to send the sentiments over time and space to Sesshoumaru. The immediate reciprocation of his own emotions wrapping about her like a warm fluffy blanket on a winter's morning.

Gathering her thoughts, Kagome focused on the present. Straightening her mussed hair in the mirror after donning her light blue fleece pullover. Twisting the heavy mass of wavy locks into a makeshift bun before lacing her chopsticks through it. Finger-combing her bangs, before shrugging.

There would be an army of servants in later that would be preparing her for tonight. Trying to tame her hair, bring out the beauty of her features and tying her into the outfit she would be parading about in.

But that would all come later!

Right now she was meeting up with Mitsue one final time just to make certain she wouldn't forget anything important that she should do or say later. Then she would be having lunch with Inu Yasha and the others. Having missed seeing the hanyou since she hadn't done so since before her mating with his brother.

She knew that he had chosen Kikyo, but Kagome wouldn't feel at ease until she could gaze into his golden eyes and see for herself that he bore her no ill will for partnering with his older half-brother.

The relationship between the inu youkai siblings had been tenuous at best for as long as she could remember. But she didn't believe that would be the case now. At least, she hoped not.

After all, the brothers had their own respective mates in their lives. Each sibling a very different way of living that carried them away from having to interact with one another more than possibly meeting up outside of Taisho palace.

The only reason they had ever come across Sesshoumaru back when Kagome had been the shard detector for their little group had been because they were after either the same person or the Taiyoukai was bent on trying to rest their father's sword from his brother.

Something that had not happened in a long time now that she thought about it.

Kagome couldn't remember the last time they had seen Sesshoumaru while out hunting Naraku or a shard and the inu youkai had attempted to take away Tessaiga. And after seeing for herself the staggering responsibility the Taiyoukai carried on his broad shoulders, she was amazed he had even found the time back then to track them down.

At least they were enjoying a tenuous peace with one another. For which she was eternally grateful for. It had been bad enough when Kouga and Inu Yasha had been here ranting and railing at Sesshoumaru or her for one thing or another. Typically having an issue with something that was about the miko personally.

Was it really only a few short weeks ago that Sesshoumaru had wound up at the bottom of the Well in the future? That he had all but threatened to kill her if she didn't let him go about his business without making him take time to heal?

It still made her wonder, though.

Just why hadn't his youkai healing been working at full power? Why had he been able to traverse the Well?

She knew the answer to the latter one, of course. That his own father had been the one to order the construction of the mystical time portal so that both of his sons could find their way to her and she to them. It still humbled her just thinking about it.

But had it been the lack of Sesshoumaru's healing which had allowed him through to her? The reason the Taiyoukai had gained access to the Bone-Eater's Well? Or was it possible he had always possessed the ability to travel to the future but had never known to try?

Head spinning with the 'what ifs' and 'why fors' of it all, Kagome went to her bag to grab the last two chocolate bars settled at the bottom. The low rations of everything letting her know she really should go back to the future soon so she could restock.

She harshly pushed away the fear that she would somehow not be able to get back to her mother and family. As her mate would say, a baseless worry. Why wouldn't she be able to?

Yes, she had ingested some youkai blood when she had been imprisoned at Aion's. Something she now knew had aided in her miko powers trying to eradicate her from the inside out when she had utilized them when helping Sesshoumaru defeat his uncle.

Yes, her priestess abilities were now under lock and key.

The same static separating her from them continuing to fluctuate. Every once in a while she could feel the subtle roil of them below the surface. The random stress of strain as they pushed into their prison as though trying to break free. But whatever Kikyo and Sesshoumaru had done, whatever ritual performed, while she was dying it had effectively blocked them. Not cut them away completely as one would a tumor with a sharp scalpel. More akin to a flexible covering over a steaming miasma that lived and writhed inside the walls that contained it.

At least it wasn't painful in any way.

Kagome didn't know how she would have been able to handle that. Being in a constant state of discomfort and still trying to operate normally.

Annoyed with herself as she let her mind stray again into things which she had no time to find the answers to, Kagome carried the candy in one hand while heading to the door. Smiling warmly in greeting as Akito turned from his post to stare down at her.

"Kito-kun! I'm so glad you are with me again." Stepping into the hall she closed the door before turning to her guard. Leaning forward to whisper behind a hand with a grin, "Do not tell Teisa, she was an excellent guardian after all, but I much prefer spending time with you."

There was the barest amused twitch to his firm lips. A light dancing of humor that warmed the frigid depths of his opalescent blue eyes.

"I will be sure not to say anything, Lady. And I thank you for the compliment." Bowing to her respectfully, he turned to gesture down the hall. "To where are we headed today? I am certain that, as with every other day since I retook my post, we will be traipsing the breadth and length of the castle twice over before we are through."

Laughing at his gentle teasing, Kagome patted the clawed hand holding his weapon. "You're so patient, Kito-kun. A fact which I am eternally grateful for! We're off to see Mitsue."

Falling into step beside his charge, the kitsune's eyes scanned everyone who crossed their path closely. Kagome taken notice at how tense he seemed. Seeing the extra ice to the gaze he fixed on anyone they ran into. The minute narrowing of his frigid eyes sending more than one youkai she had stopped to talk to scurrying on their way with haste.

As they headed towards the exit that would lead them out to the gardens she usually took to go to the hot spring, Kagome gently nudged his bicep with her shoulder. Her guard stopping immediately to look down at her in inquiry.

Placing her hand on her hip, she shook a finger at him. Making certain to stash the candy in a back pocket each as she pinned him with a mock glower. "Now, Kito-kun, do you mind explaining why you are doing your best to scare off anyone who I happen to stop and talk to?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed."

"Forgive me, Lady." He shifted about where he stood before giving a cursory glance to a couple of youkai soldiers hurrying on their way after pausing to bow at Kagome on they went by. "I am afraid with all the new faces in the palace it has made me more alert to those you come in contact with."

Arching an ebony eyebrow, Kagome tilted her head to the side in thought. "I suppose I can understand that. Are there really so many new people who have arrived?"

Nodding, his ivory bangs stark against the blue of his hair, Akito replied, "There are at least a few hundred once you consider each lord and lady bringing their own entourage of servants and guards. Even the Taiyoukai have brought a substantial retinue of their own soldiers as not so much a need for protection but as a show of strength."

"I see." Kagome pondered it a moment.

The number her guard had thrown out so negligently making butterflies take flight in her stomach. Palms growing clammy and her heart thundering. Even though she shouldn't need to meet anyone but the nobles themselves, it still boggled her mind that Taisho castle must be filled to the brim with strangers.

Patting his hand with a kind smile, Kagome turned to continue their trek. "I understand, Kito-kun. Youkai instincts and all that." Waving a hand, she blinked a few times when they walked out the door into the bright sunlight of the day. Pausing on the top of the steps as she allowed her eyes to adjust. "I'm fine with you being extra vigilant. It makes me feel much safer."

The way his pearl-blue eyes warmed at her praise made her hide a grin as she turned to look down the long walkway at the sound of footsteps approaching. She didn't want him to catch onto the fact she was humoring him, in a way. Kagome didn't truly believe that anyone would be foolish enough to try and harm a Taiyoukai's mate while visiting his residence. Not that it was out of the realm of possibility or anything. It just wouldn't make any practical sense for them to do so.

But if it was one thing she was becoming used to it was dealing with demons and their baser instincts. That they were held sway by them more forcefully than they let on or that humans knew. Sesshoumaru and her little argument the other night was proof of that.

A true smile curved her lips as she waved to the tall youkai approaching them.

"Hello, Lord Daija!" Kagome felt happiness spike through her at the sight of the firebird while calling out the greeting.

He waited for his lithe frame to join her and her guard. The stiffening of the arctic fox behind her letting Kagome know that these two still didn't get along well. Which, she couldn't understand why, but mentally shrugged it aside.

"Lady Kagome, a pleasure, as always." Coming to a stop beside her, he gave Akito a nod with a small grin that flashed a fang. "Akito."

"Lord Daija." Sketching the briefest of bows to the phoenix, Akito took a step closer to his mistress so that he was all but looming over her shoulder.

Forgoing the need to roll her eyes at the kitsune's over-protectiveness, she raptly watched how the sunlight made Lord Daija's metallic markings undulate. A myriad of colors flashing over them as the brightness of his eyes luminesced under the morning light.

"You are kind to say so, Lord Daija. Where are you off to?" Kagome smirked while giving his uniform a once over. Pausing briefly on the black eel-skin pommel of his sword laced at his side. "Off to escape to the training barracks so you can avoid the craziness of the main palace?"

Laughing warmly, he shook his head. "I am afraid that, as much as I would love to, I am actually on my way to see Lord Sesshoumaru. He has requested my presence which means there must be some errand or other I must attend to."

"Ah, then we shan't keep you." She ignored how her words had Akito relaxing behind her. The urge for her eyebrow to twitch at his irrational behavior held back with the supremist of efforts. Smiling brightly, she reached over to clasp the firebird's wrist in a quick squeeze. "I will look forward to seeing you tonight then. It will be a relief to find a familiar face during my presentation."

Clasping her fingers he bowed over them gallantly as he placed a courtly kiss on her knuckles. A smirk painting his chiseled lips as he met the disapproving glare of her guard before he released the blushing female's hand.

"I look forward to it, My Lady. Until tonight!" Pausing by Akito once he drew abreast of him, his smirk turned a little sharper. "Akito."

"Lord Daija," the kitsune repeated with the same small bow.

Once they were alone, aside from the random person scurrying past on the walkway, Kagome nodded towards the stairs.

"Off we go, Kito-kun." Shoving her hands in her jean's pockets, she inhaled deeply with a grin.

Enjoying the scent of the brisk morning with its trace of decay from the fallen leaves. Not that there were many, mind you. The gardeners, as with every other servant, had been extra careful not to allow anything to be out of place. That there should be no fault found with Taisho palace by any of those visiting.

The scrape of their footsteps over the earth was the only sound for a few moments as they cut across the bridge. Following the same path that led to the enormous building with steam trailing from its high placed windows.

Nodding with a small smile to the gardener they passed who was feeding the koi, Kagome gave a happy sigh.

"I love this time of year, Kito-kun. There's just something about it. It makes me want to get into warm pjs, grab a good book with something hot to drink and read in front of a fireplace." Glancing up at him, she asked, "Do you like this time of year as well?"

"I always favor colder weather, Lady. It is much easier to bear than the sweltering heat of the summer months." Taking the path that was to the right of the one which led to the hot spring, he kept up his sharp perusal of everyone they passed.

"That makes sense considering your heritage." Nodding, Kagome paused a few moments before asking casually, "So, is it because you are an ice youkai and Daija is of fire that you two seem to not get along well?"

His steps faltered a second in an uncharacteristic show of incoordination. Kagome arching a speculative eyebrow at the small telling sign that wasn't really a stumble as much as a slight shuffling of his feet.

Yet, for Akito to have done it, it might as well have been the same as if he had faceplanted on the gravel path they were now on.

"You have asked me that before, Lady. I am sure I do not know of what you speak." Lips clamping into a thin line, Akito kept his attention trained straight ahead as they continued through the extensive grounds of the palace.

It was a trail Kagome had become familiar with after having used it the past three days once Akito had taken over as her guard again. Teisa had always brought her through the castle proper. A journey that had taken almost half an hour at least.

The arctic kitsune, more familiar with Kagome and her lack of reticence to being out in nature, had shown her this much shorter way to get to the portion of the castle the tutor lived in.

She had taken the majority of her lessons in Sesshoumaru's personal study connected with their bedroom. Except towards the end when her anxiety over the upcoming banquet had made it difficult for her to remain basically in just a couple of rooms for hours on end.

Her inu youkai had allowed it, even if his beastly nature grumbled in disgruntlement about Kagome going to another male's rooms. Knowing how difficult it had been for him, she had thanked Sesshoumaru and showered him with as much love and attention as possible.

She knew his irritation had nothing to do with the possibility that she might cheat on him or that her teacher had designs on her in some way. It had everything to do with the possessive natures of certain demon breeds and their place in the hierarchy. Since she was mated to an alpha of a particular type of youkai that guarded those they cared for jealously, Kagome had made certain to pander to Sesshoumaru's idiosyncrasies.

Most assuredly, she was not the first female to do so for her man and would hardly be the last.

Giving Akito's averted features a knowing look, Kagome let it slide. Instead, pointing off into the distance as she stopped on the path to grab her guard's forearm. Bringing him to a halt as well as he followed to where she was indicating.

"Akito, I know I'm supposed to be hurrying over to Mitsue's, but do you think we might stop in at the stables? It's been forever since I have seen Ah Un and I want to check up on them." Giving her stoic guard her best pleading look, she waited for his answer.

A small smirk painted his lips, the tip of a fang barely visible, as he shook his head. "We have been over this, Lady. You do not need to plead or ask my permission to do anything in the castle. You are mated to Lord Sesshoumaru. It is you who dictates what we do, and we do not do every second of the day. If you desire to see Lord Sesshoumaru's mount then let us proceed."

"I'm not used to the whole 'I give orders and everyone obeys' thing yet." Gesturing with her hands helplessly as they sidetracked to the bustling stables, Kagome frowned. "I'm not exactly the royal type, if you know what I mean, Kito-kun. Honestly, telling other people what to do makes me damn uncomfortable. I would never want someone to do something they didn't agree with just because I opened my mouth and said otherwise. That's just not right."

"It is something you will have to become accustomed to, My Lady." Glancing down at her out of the corner of one eye, he added with a small grin, "Although, considering you have not followed protocol yet I highly doubt anyone will be able to make you do so."

Laughing in appreciation, she gave him a sheepish grin as she waved to one of the grooms she had met before. "I'm afraid you're right, Kito-kun. At this rate, I'll feel so bad every time I order someone for anything I may just end up freeing everyone."

Her words made him look down at her with skepticism painting his handsome features. "I sincerely doubt Lord Sesshoumaru would appreciate waking up one morn to find that there are no servants about and that his soldiers have managed to run off. Taiyoukai have a tendency to frown upon such things, Lady."

"I know, I know." Shrugging, Kagome paused at the large wooden doors that were wide open at the end of the long rectangular building. Patiently waiting for a variety of servants in uniforms whose designs she didn't recognize hurry to and from the area carrying some random piece of tack or feed or other. Folding her arms over her chest, she leaned against the building as she waited for the path to clear. "All I'm saying is that where I come from you don't really have servants. And any soldiers aren't owned by any one person, per say. It just isn't the same."

She watched curiously the comings and goings of all the different individuals. Not recognizing most of them or whose colors of what house they wore. The erratic dance of not crashing into one another as they hurried about resembling an anthill at the foot of a bridge.

"Hold a moment, My Lady," Akito said with a soft look instead of answering her.

Before her eyes she watched the arctic fox change as though a switch had been flipped.

Ice encased his features and his shoulders squared as he turned his back to her so he could face the entrance where all the activity could be seen. His demeanor altering to that of his true station at the palace. The personal bodyguard to his Taiyoukai's mate with the formidable power at his disposal to back it up.

Without hesitation he moved directly in front of a couple of youths who had been coming from the stables. Neither of them paying attention as they spoke to one another with arms laden down with a harness in black leather and a bucket filled with various brushes.

"Lady Kagome desires the stables. You will move aside or vacate at once!" Akito ordered in a loud frigid tone that caused everyone in the stable yard to freeze in the middle of whatever they were doing.

A few of them curiously looking about with confused frowns since they saw no noble lady present in flowing kimono. No feminine entourage or escort beyond the lone fox.

Blushing bright red, Kagome came to stand beside her scowling guard. His cold glance making the two young male youkai in front of him scatter out of the way. Nearly dropping what they held in their hurry to follow the order from a youkai that held as much power at his disposal as this one did.

"Akito!" Embarrassed and uncomfortable with how the now silent large group of youkai were eying her in disbelief, Kagome jabbed him sharply in the side with her elbow. Satisfied at his 'oomph' of pain and completely ignoring his irritated stare as she waved her hands while addressing the crowd. "I'm so sorry, everyone. You'll have to forgive Akito. He can be a little protective at times. Please, go about your business! I'm more than happy to wait until you are finished to go see Lord Sesshoumaru's dragon."

She stared in growing horror as, instead of her words causing the huge assembly to do as she asked, they instead began bowing lowly to her wherever they stood. Half of them dropping whatever was in their hands as they realized a Taiyoukai's Lady had been amongst them and they hadn't offered her the proper respect.

Especially the ones whom she didn't know. Those poor demons were all but going all the way to the floor to prostrate themselves in her direction as a chorus of apologies filled the air. The entire scene making her wish she'd never wanted to come here or said a damn word in the first place.

"Apologies, My Lady!"

"We had no idea you were here, My Lady!"

"Forgive our deplorable behavior, My Lady!"

Kagome was even more annoyed when she caught Akito's smirk at her current predicament. Knowing he was getting enjoyment from her discomfort after she had put him on the spot and hit him in the stomach.

"Kito-kun, don't you say a word," she growled lowly as the scarlet on her cheeks deepened. Sighing heavily, she grinned as nicely as she could. "Please, everyone, you don't need to apologize! I have no interest in interrupting whatever tasks you are performing. So, please, go about whatever you were doing. I'm not a bit upset, and everything is fine!"

"You are too kind, My Lady!"

"How gracious Lord Sesshoumaru's Lady is!"

"You are as considerate as you are beautiful, My Lady!"

Throwing her hands up in defeat, Kagome grabbed her guard's wrist and began pulling him into the darker confines of the stables. Ignoring his low snickering as the voices in the stable yard began to fade to be taken up by the line of youkai in livery lining each side of the walkway. Each one offering some word or other of apology or praise at her kindness, her beauty, and everything else outrageous in between that made her want to bang her head against the nearest wall.

For Kami's sakes!

Look what Akito's damn proclamation started. All she had wanted was to spend a few spare moments with Ah Un and relax. Let playing and talking with the dragon take away her stress for a little while as she became lost in coddling the big beast.

Now she was under the regard of what felt like a million jeweled curious eyes. Only a handful of the faces staring back at her ones she knew.

In fact, as she glanced into the stalls on her way by them she was surprised to see they were all filled now. Before there had been a handful of horses besides Ah Un, who had their own residence towards the very back so they didn't spook the prey animals.

Now she saw not only horses, but even a few variations of other creatures. There was a large deer with a huge rack that was chewing sedately as it watched her go by with eyes too intelligent by far. Another that looked like a huge Komodo dragon who was standing on its hindlegs so it could see what had caused the disruption. Long purple tongue flicking out and yellow eyes narrow.

It made her slow her pace so that she was no longer rushing towards the back of the stables. Distracted at seeing so many otherworldly creatures that she had never laid eyes on before, even during her extensive journeys through Japan with Inu Yasha.

When she spied what was in the next stall on the left-hand side, she let go of Akito in her excitement. All but barreling into the two youkai in green and purple silk as she squeezed between them to look over the tall stall door.

Scrambling to the side with low bows, the two youkai remained in that position. Unable to straighten until she acknowledged or dismissed them. Giving one another puzzled looks as the human in the odd clothing gave no order, but instead, stepped onto the bottom board of the gate so she could see inside.

Akito let the two servants remain as they were. Imparting an icy narrow of his pearl-blue eyes when it looked as though the one on the right was about the straighten. The younger youkai immediately clamping his lips closed to look down and to the side in submission.

"Akito! Look!" Kagome waved him to her over her shoulder. A large smile curving her mouth and blue-grey eyes shining. "Come look at what it is!"

Seeing what held her attention, his eyes mellowed in indulgence as he dutifully came to her side. His height enough where he didn't have to step up to see over the wooden gate. Staring at the animal that had so enraptured his mistress, he nodded sedately.

"Yes, I see him, My Lady."

Scoffing at his blasé tone, Kagome gestured to the animal who was eying them with wary curiosity as it ate its feed at the back of the stall.

"Akito quit acting like this isn't amazing!" Leaning over the rail in her exuberance, Kagome exclaimed breathlessly, "I can't believe I'm seeing a real life griffin!"

Eyes widened in wonder Kagome visually traced the sleek lines of the mythical beast. From its proud white head with its sharp golden eyes to its leonine body and tail. The beige feather wings resting along its spine in supple elegance down to its clawed feet and eagle feet with deadly talons. She didn't even feel grossed out when it pulled a dripping piece of meat from its trough and put its head back to swallow it whole in a very birdlike manner.

She'd never known such beasts were in Japan. Never heard of them outside of European countries, in fact. Kagome couldn't quite believe what she was looking at.

None of the paintings or artist renderings had ever done the animal justice. It was much more impressive and intimidating in person. The way it pawed the ground with its talons before releasing a small screech as its wings flared in her direction and its head lowered. As though warning the woman gawking at it that her interest was not appreciated.

Laughing at his movements, Kagome shook a finger in his direction. "My, aren't you a proud one. And beautiful! Aren't you just the most beautiful griffin in the world!"

Her words had it subsiding as it tilted its head. Arching its neck with a flap of its wings as it gave her an arrogant look down its beak. As though to say of course he was the most handsome of creatures compared to his brethren.

Chuckling in delight, Kagome glanced to the silent kitsune at her elbow. Only then noticing the two grooms who were still in the same bowing position.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Jumping down from her perch she went between the pair of youkai. Waving a hand with a self-conscious grin. "Please, don't pay any attention to me. Go about your business as usual."

Straightening gratefully, the one on her left who looked to be in his twenties with shortly cropped grey hair and orange eyes nodded towards the griffin. "If it pleases, My Lady, we were just about to finish grooming Lord Murakumo's mount."

The other groom speaking drew her attention to him. His coloration the same and features similar enough that she could tell they were related. Save this one appeared a few years the other's senior with hair that was shoulder length in a que at his nape.

"Lord Murakumo is most particular about the needs of Rakurai be taken care of diligently and hastily, My Lady." His clawed hand showed her the large brush in his palm. "Our master would be most displeased if we were neglectful of our duties."

"Sorry!" Stepping out of their way, she gave them a sheepish grin while brushing her bangs behind an ear. "I'm afraid I just became enamored of your master's mount. He's something out of a fairytale you might even say."

The secret grin about her lips when she said the last part seemed to puzzle them as they gave each other a confused frown. Neither one moving to do as they had said as they turned in unison to look at her.

Looking them both up and down, Kagome took note of the dark green uniform that held what looked like wisps or royal purple clouds traced over the shoulder and sleeve of their haori.

Canting her head to the side, she asked them curiously, "You said you are with Lord Murakumo?"

The older one nodded, "Indeed, My Lady." Stance displaying his pride, he said with a grin, "We serve the venerable Taiyoukai of the Southern Provinces."

Eyebrows arching in surprise, Kagome once more stood on her tiptoes to eye the griffin in his stall. Wondering what type of youkai would use such an animal to ride.

"That's wonderful!" Giving each of the preening males a grin, she asked them kindly, "And what are your names, if I might ask?"

Taken aback that any noble lady would be interested enough to know their names, they shared another look before the younger one stepped forward.

"I am Warabi and this is my older brother, Tsuta, My Lady." Each one sketched a quick bow in turn before the sudden shriek from the inside of the stall drew their attention.

Chuckling at the impatient sound from the griffin, Kagome stepped forward when Rakurai's proud white head appeared over the top of the gate. Large beak wickedly curved and sharp at the end. His sharp eagle eyes narrow as he turned his head side to side.

Akito reached a hand out in a bid to grab his mistress' upper arm when she reached her hands out towards the beast. Grasp about his spear tightening at the way she so trustingly went towards any animal that caught her interest.

"Hello handsome. Getting annoyed at being ignored, are you?" She asked with a sardonic grin as she flattened her hands and held them palm up. Letting the enormous beast sniff delicately at her fingers without a hint of fear.

Tsuta and Warabi were tense at her flanks. Trepidation on their features as they watched another Taiyoukai's mate approach the temperamental mount of their master. The griffin not being known to accept the attentions of strangers easily, if at all.

"My Lady, perhaps it would be best to approach such a creature with more caution," Akito said behind her.

Waving a hand over her shoulder without looking his way, Kagome said, "You worry too much, Akito. This handsome boy is a sweetheart, I bet."

"Begging your pardon, My Lady, but Lord Marukumo's beast is not known for his manners, even with the ladies." Tsuta stepped up to her side cautiously, his brother mirroring him.

"It is true, My Lady." Warabi chimed in while watching the human female and griffin closely. "Rakurai hardly allows anyone near him except for our master and ourselves without them incurring a savage bite or kick."

A voice scoffing loudly behind them had the small group turning in unison to face the newcomer. Kagome's features lightening in a genuine smile at seeing who it was.

"You lads obviously aren't familiar with My Lady, then!" Puffing his small chest out with pride, the pitchfork in his hand taller than himself as he held it like a glaive, Joren stated, "Why, there isn't a beast around for a hundred miles that Lady Kagome could not bring to hand."

Blushing at the groom's claims, Kagome admonished, "Joren! You exaggerate." Sparing the two youkai at her sides a self-conscious grin, she added, "Honestly, he only says that because Ah Un are big babies who love chocolate."

"Tis not so, My Lady!" Joren insisted fervently. "You tamed that hell-born dragon as though you were petting a kitten!"

Akito resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the youth's obvious worship of the miko. The sudden sight of seeing the large deadly beak of Lord Murakumo's mount sliding out towards the unaware woman had the arctic fox tensing. His spear coming up gaining her attention so that she turned to face him. Effectively standing in front of the griffin at her back.

"Akito, what's the matter?" Kagome started in surprise as she felt something touch her hair seconds before one of her chopsticks was pulled free. "Hey!"

Turning abruptly while placing a hand against her head as a section of her thick locks tumbled free to trail across her shoulder and over her breast. Spying the thin piece of painted wood in the griffin's mouth, she gave him a mock glare as she went to reach for it. The griffin purposely standing to his full height, so she was unable to do more than hop a few times and grasp nothing but air.

"Now you listen here, Mr. Man, I need that back!" Jumping up and down with a complete lack of ladylike decorum, Kagome stretched as far as she could to try and retrieve her hair accessory. She grumbled in annoyance when the second stick became loose before falling to the hay strewn ground. Her hair now a loose wavy curtain that covered her back. "Now see what you've done, you naughty boy!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Kagome ignored those around her as she eyed the unrepentant griffin. His wings flapping a few times as he pawed the ground with his talons.

"I am so sorry, My Lady!" Panic on his features, Tsuta tried to reach up and grab the chopstick. His efforts going unrewarded as his master's mount simply dodged him with quick birdlike movements of his head. "Here, you great beast! Give that back this instant. Lord Murakumo will not be pleased to hear how you have treated another Taiyoukai's mate."

Bending down to retrieve her other chopstick, Akito tried not to laugh at the chaos his charge had caused these poor youkai who served the rain demon. He should have known that something like this was bound to happen. Rarely had he been in her company and craziness or some other sort of random set of unusual circumstances followed in her wake.

Tsuta stood to the side, blushing while clasping his hands and bowing over and over. "Please, My Lady, do not be upset. Forgive Rakurai's poor manners."

It didn't help the situation when Joren stepped up behind them to brandish his pitchfork at the griffin. "The gall of this beast! Unhand My Lady's chopstick at once!"

By now Akito could see the creature currently garnering all the notice wasn't showing any signs of hostility or aggression towards his audience. If anything, he had the same look on his features that Ah would get whenever Joren tried to clean his stall.

Twirling the thin piece of wood deftly between his fingers, the arctic kitsune was content to walk to the opposite side of the center walkway to lean against one of the tall thick pillars of dark wood that helped to hold the building up. Giving him an unobstructed view of the commotion that was going on. The shouting and antics of the small group gaining the attention of the other grooms and stable lads so that more than one head was turned their way with interest.

Smirking as Joren nearly stabbed the one called Tsuta in the backside with his wild brandishing of his makeshift weapon, Akito let his spear settle against his chest. Leaning his cheek against it as he continued to spin and twirl the chopstick in his fingers.

"Please, Joren, do be careful with that pitchfork! You almost impaled poor Tsuta with that thing and I doubt Lord Murakumo would be pleased to hear his groom was laid low in such a way," Kagome said quickly as she saw what almost happened.

Thank Kami for youkai reflexes!

It was only because of those that the gray haired male had escaped an embarrassing injury. Wondering just how the hell everything had gone awry, Kagome gave Akito a dirty look.

"Akito are you having fun over there just watching and not helping?"

"Oh indeed, Lady," he said with a smirk and a nod. "Besides, you appear to have your hands full with all the 'help' you could possibly desire, at the moment."

Tossing her hands up, Kagome turned back to the trio of youkai that were now arguing with one another. Joren waving about his impromptu weapon while disparaging the moral character of Rakurai. Which, in turn, made the beast in question's grooms become angered while defending the griffin.

Placing a hand to her forehead, Kagome leveled a glare at the creature who was currently watching all the proceedings with open glee in his golden eyes. Irritated and disheveled, Kagome pushed up the sleeves of her fleece shirt.

Pushing past the three grooms without apology, Kagome grasped the top of the gate while placing her foot on the bottom board. Pulling herself up as so she could climb it. Straddling the top of the door and clasping it tightly between her jean clad thighs while trying to keep her balance. Once assured she wasn't about to go falling one way or the other, she raised her arms above her head to try and grab her chopstick.

"I've about had it with you, you naughty boy! Give me that damn chopstick!" Noting that she was only a scant inch or two short of her target, Kagome set her chin and pushed upwards so that she was no longer sitting. Stretching upwards as far as she could, she felt elation when her fingertips brushed the tip of the stolen piece of wood. "Come on, Rakurai, you mean old thing. Give me that right now!"

"My Lady, do be careful!" Joren cried as he rushed forward, intent on helping.

Unfortunately, the poor boy tripped over the handle of his pitchfork. Stumbling forward into the door. The gate shaking harshly a few times as Kagome gave a cry of triumph upon finally wrapping a hand around the chopstick.

Her victory was short-lived, however, when the noise and motion at the stall door had the griffin rearing in surprise. The strength of his motion pulling Kagome over with him so that she only had time to let out a small shriek of surprise before she found herself toppling sideways.

Landing in the thick hay with an 'oomph' as the air was pushed from her lungs, Kagome gathered her wits to roll quickly to the side when the griffin's front legs filled her vision. The creature barely missing her abdomen and skull as it landed.

Heart hammering in her breast, the chopstick clutched in her fist forgotten, Kagome rolled again to miss the creature's hind paws with their deadly leonine claws. His tail whipping her upside the head making her grimace in irritation as her hair fell into her face.

"Lady!" Akito was trying to vault over the gate. The griffin screaming while it flapped its wings aggressively as it reared at the guard. Turning to pin the two stunned grooms who belonged to the Southern Lord with an icy glare, he bit out savagely, "Control this beast before I impale it!"

"No, no, Akito!" Kagome cried as she gained her feet with zero grace. Her clothing and hair covered in hay and dust as she pushed it out of her eyes. Frantically side-stepping when Rakurai's hindquarters swung and barely missed plowing into her. Flattening herself against the back of the stall since the animal's entire focus was on the front, she swallowed thickly. "Everyone needs to calm down. You're only making him more upset!"

Akito's frigid pearl-blue eyes caught hers in an implacable stare. "My Lady, if this beast is not taken into hand immediately Lord Murakumo will have one less bastard animal to worry over!"

Shocked at the kitsune's uncharacteristic use of cursing, Kagome put her hands together in a pleading motion. "Please, Akito, don't do anything to Rakurai. He just got scared from Joren accidentally falling into his stall door. Just give him a moment to calm down."

When the griffin in question lunged forward with his mouth gaping open to emit a near deafening screech that had Kagome clapping hands over her ears, Akito jumped backwards. Disappearing from view as Rakurai leaned heavily into the gate of his stall. The wood groaning from trying to keep the creature from breaking through.

The sound set off other mounts in the stable. The cacophony of noise from the variety of creatures letting out their own displeasure and fright filling the room and echoing about the walls and rafters. A loud twin roar heard far down towards the back of the building one Kagome recognized as Ah Un becoming upset.

She saw through the slats of the stall door the flash of many bodies in different colored outfits rushing back and forth. Voices raised in alarm and anger as the multitude of grooms tried to get their respective charges under control.

Rakurai was continuing to screech and bellow. Pacing back and forth at the gate as he pawed the ground and reared. His mighty wings beating in a show of aggressive force when she saw Akito try to get around the beast.

When Kagome noticed the thin line of red that spread over her guard's upper arm from Rakurai managing to nick him with his sharp beak, Kagome decided she'd had enough.

"That's it!" She yelled. The sudden sound of her voice seeming to freeze everyone into silence. Including the griffin who had turned his head to eye her. Stomping her foot, she pointed a finger at the proud creature. "You! You are going to calm the hell down right now! No more posturing. No more bullying. No more screaming your head off and nipping people!"

Turning her ire to Akito and the others she could see through the gate, Kagome snarled, "And you four are going to shut the hell up and back off so Rakurai can stop being agitated by you!"

"My Lady-" Akito started to say but she cut him off with a sharp motion from the hand holding her chopstick.

"Not another word! Or so help me I won't be responsible for my actions!" Staring them down, Kagome nodded once when she saw the four youkai bow their heads and back up. Akito the only one who stared at her with a mutinous line to his mouth before receding as well.

Turning to the griffin who was now watching her contemplatively, Kagome marched up to his side. Pointing at him with a glower as he turned to regard her closely.

"Now, you are going to be a good boy. You're going to behave yourself and make your master proud instead of throwing a hissy fit just because you got scared." At the insulted look that came over Rakurai's features, she reiterated harshly, "Yes, scared! Don't give me that 'I never have been frightened a day in my life' expression."

Looking down his beak at her, he snorted once before turning his head away to ignore her. Purposely swinging his rear at her while swishing his tail. Trying to get her across the head as he had before.

Having none of it, Kagome smacked him on his muscled rear without hesitation. The way the griffin whirled on her with shock flaring into his eyes giving her supreme satisfaction. Crossing her arms over her chest she gave him an arrogant look of her own.

"That's right. You got a spanking. I hope you're happy! Trying to run people over and hitting them with your tail." She pointed towards the gate, "And just look what you did to poor Kito-kun's arm! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

She was inwardly surprised when the griffin dropped his head. As though he was indeed ashamed of his behavior and at being dressed down in front of everyone. A grumbling growl left his throat as he stomped his hind leg. His tail swishing as he refused to meet the displeased blue-grey eyes of the human reprimanding him.

Heart softening at the dejected picture, Kagome sighed before stepping forward to cradle his cheeks. Bringing his face up so she could look into his eagle eyes.

"Now don't be sad." Ruffling the feathers over his brow with one hand, she let her palm slide down to rub the top of his beak back and forth. "I'm not really mad at you, you silly creature. You scared me too, you know? You almost trampled me in here. Now what would Sesshoumaru say if Akito had to tell him his new mate just got murdered in a stall by a pair of eagle feet? Talk about an embarrassing way to die."

"I must say you would not have been the first to fall prey to Rakurai's talons." An unfamiliar deep male voice said from behind her.

Tensing, Kagome offered up a silent prayer that she wasn't going to turn around and see that the voice belonged to anyone of importance. She'd just look over her shoulder and it would be another groom from another visiting lord.

Yep. It was going to happen. She could feel it. Luck was on her side this time.

Pasting a bright smile on her dirt smudged face, she looked over her shoulder and froze. A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach letting her know that once again her prayers would be going unanswered.

Taking in the tall figure of what had to be the Lord of the Southern Lands, Kagome began to hope a sinkhole would magically appear and swallow her. Hell, it could even take Rakurai with her since it was his damn fault she was in her current predicament.

The pair of narrow yellow eyes swept her body once. Taking in her dirty clothing, unbound hair, dust and hay covering her from top to toe, and settled without expression on her face. Arching a blonde eyebrow that was so light it almost appeared white. His long rope of whitish-blond hair pulled away from his sharp pale features into a braid that held pieces of silver interwoven here and there.

But it was the markings on his face that let Kagome know she was talking to another Taiyoukai. Only those who were that powerful sported more than one colored mark to them.

On his forehead was a dark gray zig-zag that looked like a lightning bolt. Each of his roiling otherworldly orbs had a blood red scrollwork marking that went from the outer tip of his slanted eyes and etched up his temples and partially down his cheeks. Instead of looking ridiculous, he somehow managed to make it look as handsome as every other youkai she had ever come across.

His body was clothed in a silver silk with white bolts of lightning at the shoulder and end of the sleeve. The color scheme causing his features to be framed starkly in his aristocratic features.

Gulping in nervousness, Kagome absently kept rubbing Rakurai's beak as she gave an awkward laugh.

"I don't suppose I'm having a nightmare right now. That I'm currently in bed dreaming this happened and surely I am not actually coming face to face with another Taiyoukai while looking like I've been rolling around in the stable yard." Blue-grey eyes hopeful, she glanced behind the Southern Lord's tall figure. Sighing heavily as her shoulders slouched in dejection upon seeing all the assembled youkai bowing lowly. Even Akito had his head respectfully lowered. "Damn it."

Amusement sparked to life in the roiling depths of Murakumo's irises. The way they undulated like Daija's fascinating her so that she stared openly for a few moments. When his lips tilted in a smirk she blushed bright red before glancing back to look at Rakurai.

Well, it was official. If she didn't have bad luck then she'd have no damn luck at all. What were the odds that she would meet another Taiyoukai during this fiasco?

Given her luck, she should have known it would be a hundred percent going to happen.

Since there was nothing for it now, Kagome felt an inappropriate bubble of laughter trying to break free of her throat. Attempting to stifle it just made her chuckles turn into full blown laughter as she leaned her head against Rakurai's feathered neck and wrapped her arms about the beast.

Well fuck. Could this situation get any better?

"I must say, I had not expected to….meet you before your presentation this evening, My Lady." Murakumo's voice drew her attention.

Kagome turned her head enough to meet his gaze without releasing the griffin. If she was going to possibly be yelled at or ridiculed at least she would have something to comfort her, damn it.

Giving him a self-deprecating smile, Kagome shrugged. "Well, I can honestly say, I hadn't expected to meet you yet either, My Lord."

Smirking so that a large fang flashed, Murakumo simply said, "Indeed."

"My Lord," Tsuta stepped forward boldly, bowing low to his master when the rain youkai turned to him. "Please forgive the situation. I am afraid we are to blame for the disruption this afternoon. We should have had better control of Rakurai."

Nodding, his brother mirrored his movements. "It is true, My Lord. Lady Kagome's mussed appearance is only a result of Rakurai's thievery of an item of hers. The Lady was simply attempting to retrieve it but the situation…." He glanced about at the small group, lips thinning when they landed on Joren as he added delicately, "deteriorated."

Waving a clawed hand in dismissal, Murakumo brought his attention back to her. Tilting his head in thought as he nodded towards his mount who was currently chirping softly while nuzzling into her side.

"It is true? Did Rakurai take something from you, My Lady?" Arching a pale eyebrow, he waited patiently to hear her reply.

Turning to face him fully, she absently rubbed Rakurai's feathery cheek when he nuzzled her neck. Trying not to giggle as the feel of his beak brushing through her hair caused her to scrunch her shoulder up.

Damn this animal! Where was this behavior moments before? When his 'daddy' wasn't around the griffin caused all sorts of mischief. But then, most intelligent animals did. The smarter they were the more they could figure out and manipulate their surroundings and the people within them.

"Oh I wouldn't say he stole anything." Laughing awkwardly when he nipped at her ear, Kagome blushed bright red as she subtly elbowed the overly affectionate creature. The smile never leaving her face even when she saw that Murakumo had noticed what she did with a narrow look. "I'm sure Rakurai was just being playful. After all, the only reason he became upset was because our groom accidentally tripped and fell into the gate."

"Yes, I heard the uproar all the way to my quarters. I would recognize Rakurai's shrieking anywhere," Murakumo stated blandly with a flat stare that did nothing to quell the urge to hide her dirty frame behind his mount. "It was what brought me down to the stables. Wondering what had so upset the typically quiet creature."

She barely resisted scoffing at that statement of his griffin's character. Kagome holding the powerful youkai's stare with sheer force of will when what she really wanted to do was either turn invisible or run away.

By the wavering light in the youkai's expression Kagome almost thought he might be teasing her. But since she couldn't be certain she erred on the side of caution. Gritting her teeth as Rakurai nipped her throat gently, making her jump. The hand in his neck digging into his feathers in warning.

"I'm sure Rakurai is just the picture of serenity usually, My Lord." When the animal in question nipped her shoulder through her clothing, closing around her sore mate mark from when Sesshoumaru had bitten her the other night, she couldn't prevent her yelp or the way she grabbed at the wound. Facing the griffin who was now invading her personal space, she wrapped her hand tightly around his muzzle after shoving her chopstick into her front pant's pocket. Pulling his face down sharply to growl out, "That's enough you naughty boy! That one hurt!"

The scent of rain filled her nostrils. A sharp underlying zing to it as it infiltrated her nose. A warmth from along her back making her tense as Rakurai chirped a greeting. His eagle eyes lighting up as he extended his head over hers to the person who was now behind her.

"Forgive my mount's deplorable behavior, My Lady." Murakumo's voice had her turning to face him. His proximity such that when the griffin stepped forward to nuzzle his owner affectionately on the shoulder it had her almost falling into his tall frame. Electric gaze staring down at her, he fondly stroked Rakurai's forehead with long tapered claw-tipped fingers while saying, "Did he harm you terribly?"

"My Lord, if it pleases you I will be happy to escort Lady Kagome to the palace so she can be checked over." Akito's frigid tones called from behind them.

She wasn't able to see anything but the towering Taiyoukai in front of her. Bracing her feet apart and pushing back into the excited griffin to keep him from stepping forward again. The talons on his toes scraping the heel of her tennis shoes in his exuberance at getting attention from his master.

"It does not please me, Akito." Turning his face in profile, he said to her guard in an authoritative tone that brooked no argument, "Neither does the intrusion on a private discussion between nobles."

"Forgive me, My Lord. I meant no offense." Akito's tone bordered on insubordinate as he eyed the male youkai who was blocking his view of his charge.

Unsettled that the Taiyoukai was purposely standing in the way of him being able to see Kagome. Staying at the gate, he refused to leave even when he caught a threatening narrow out of the corner of Murakumo's roiling eye.

Irritated at how he had spoken to her guard, even if he had technically interrupted a conversation between the supposed 'higher class', Kagome's lips thinned as she scowled up at the Taiyoukai. His features bland except for the arching of one pale eyebrow at her show of temper.

Rubbing her sore mate mark through her shirt, she pointed her finger at the towering male.

"Excuse me, but don't talk to Akito that way! He's my personal guard and is simply looking out for my safety. Something your damn griffin put in jeopardy earlier when he was doing his best impression of whack-a-mole with me when I was on the ground in this stall. So don't come in here and try to order my people around just because you think you can!" Panting, color high on her cheeks and breast heaving with the force of her emotions, Kagome gave another angry growl when Rakurai's shoulder pushed into her forcefully. Spinning on the griffin so abruptly it caused the animal to back up and eye her warily. "And you! If you had been a good boy instead of a jerk none of this would have happened!"

At her limit with males and their damn egos and highhanded ways today, Kagome rounded on the silent Taiyoukai again. "I'm sorry that you were bothered and had to come down here to check on your mount, My Lord. But I will not have you treating Kito-kun or anyone else at Taisho palace with anything but respect!"

Tilting his head to the side, the silver ornamentation in his hair glinting in the sun, Murakumo eyed her thoughtfully.

The silence in the stable was eerie in the very lack of sound from so many creatures in an enclosed space. You could have heard a pin drop into the rushes with how everyone in the vicinity had frozen in shock. Trepidation painting Tsuta and Warabi's expressions as they shared a look that Akito caught. His pearl-blue orbs fixed on the broad back of the rain demon with suspicion.

It was clear from the look on all the demons' faces in the stable that they had never heard anyone who would dare talk to a Taiyoukai the way Lord Sesshoumaru's human mate had just done. None that had ever lived to boast about it after, at any rate.

No one took notice of Joren scampering out the open doors, pitchfork in hand as he ran off with a concerned look painting his youthful features.

"Such passion." Smirking, he chuckled lowly. "I begin to see why the inu youkai from the House of Taisho favor their human mates over having a youkai one."

Unable to take back the words she had just yelled at a visiting noble, inwardly mortified at her own behavior, Kagome remained silent. She totally believed in what she had said to the arrogant male. But it definitely had not been the correct way to speak to a Taiyoukai who had come to see her presentation.

When she had heard the way he had talked to Akito she just hadn't been able to help herself!

When Rakurai made to bump into the small female again, a dark glare from his master brought him to heel. His eagle head lowering in submission as he remained at the back of the stall.

Fixing his roiling irises back on Kagome's mutinous ones, amusement flashed over his face as he gave her a courtly bow. "Forgive my beast's and my terrible manners, Lady Kagome. It would appear Rakurai and I are more alike than I would have thought."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the inhabitants of the stables. The grooms associated with Taisho palace having come closer while grabbing whatever was at hand for a possible weapon. Knowing they would die almost instantly trying to engage another demon with such immense power but not about to let their new Lady come to any harm either.

Grimacing, Kagome exhaled long and slow. Waving a hand between them as he straightened. "I'm sorry, My Lord. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. Please accept my apology for my outburst."

She didn't bow, however. As Mitsue had told her before, she was now the Lady to a revered house. A daughter of the moon just as every Taisho mate had been before her. So whether it was correct etiquette or not, Kagome remained standing straight while massaging her shoulder.

Damn but that griffin had a sharp beak!

"No apology necessary, My Lady." Watching her closely, he gestured to what she was doing. "I am truly sorry if Rakurai caused you harm. Do you need to see a healer?"

Shaking her head, Kagome gave him a wan grin. "No, it's fine. He just got me on a sore spot is all."

A knowing look entered the other demon's eyes. His voice almost kind when he said, "My own Lady Mate has told me that there is a tincture one can take to help with the pain associated with the mate mark, My Lady. I can always ask if she would send some to you if you so desire."

Cheeks flushing at his words and the knowledge behind them, Kagome gave Murakumo an embarrassed smirk. "Well it's official. I'm in hell and no one had the courtesy to even let me know I had arrived."

Yep, this situation actually could get worse. Because this new form of humiliation made everything else before it paltry in comparison. Not that she believed the Taiyoukai was trying to embarrass her. If anything, his offer had been genuine and his tone solicitous.

Chuckling at her words, he gave her a small grin. "Forgive me again, My Lady. I do not deal much with humans and forget how shy they can be about such matters. You see, in demon culture it is not an issue that isn't spoken of freely. Especially amongst female youkai." Shrugging his shoulders he smirked down at her. "I believe, as my Lady Mate would often remind me, it is considered to be one of the more irritating disadvantages to being bonded to any youkai who possesses considerable power."

"Because your baser natures are so close to the surface." Kagome nodded as her initial self-consciousness began to fade. Curiosity over how freely youkai spoke of what she had assumed was a private matter between mates tumbling about in her mind. Tapping her finger against her chin in thought, she asked, "So then it isn't just Taiyoukai that get a little….ah…overly involved at times when with their mates?"

Giving the blushing miko with her curious blue-grey eyes an amused grin, Murakumo shook his head. "No, My Lady. It is a common enough….problem…for anyone mated to a youkai that has enough power at their disposal. It is, for all intents and purposes, completely normal demon behavior."

Feeling surreal that she was having some kind of weird youkai sex ed with a veritable stranger, Kagome was also intrigued by what the Southern Lord had said. A sense of comradery with the other faceless women she hadn't even met making her nod in sympathetic understanding.

"That's very interesting. I didn't know that." Studying him a moment, she came to a decision. "Then yes, My Lord. If your Lady Mate would not mind I would be forever grateful if she could send some of the tincture to me. Or possibly the recipe? It is safe for human consumption, right?"

It was encouraging that the Taiyoukai hadn't either zapped her into a pillar of ash or at least looked down upon her for what she was. If this was his way of extending an olive branch then she would gladly take it. Figuring she needed as many potential allies for this evening as possible.

Frowning in thought, the mark on his brow wrinkling, he said, "That, I am not certain. I shall ask her when I return to our quarters. If it is potentially dangerous I shall have her send the recipe, as you said, My Lady."

"Thank you so much, Lord Murakumo. That is very kind of you." Grateful for his thoughtfulness now that her awkwardness had vanished, Kagome impulsively patted his clawed fingers. Noticing the same deep shade of red as on his facial markings showed upon his pale wrists that had trailing scrollwork going up his forearm.

His reaction when her skin met his puzzled her.

The smile on her face turning confused at the way his roiling electric irises flared brightly. The white of them nearly blending into the rest of his eyes with his cat-like black pupils dilating.

When his fingers caught hers when she went to withdraw her hand, it hit Kagome immediately. What it was the Taiyoukai was now frowning over as he studied her smaller hand in his large clawed one. His eerie eyes looking over her scarred palm before turning it to eye the patchwork of raised flesh on its back.

She had completely forgotten that Sesshoumaru had told her the aura synchronization that flowed through her was an open conduit to any youkai she came in physical contact with. Since it never made her feel anything unless it was her own Taiyoukai placing his hands on her, Kagome hadn't given it much thought.

Now though, with the way he traced a the tip of a claw from his other hand along one of the ugly pink lines, she was forcefully reminded.

Damn her impulsiveness to accost everyone in her sight, as Sesshoumaru would have said.

As if thoughts of him had conjured the inu youkai, Kagome nearly sagged in relief when she heard his icy tones sound behind the rain demon.

"I assume, Lord Murakumo, that when asked you will have a plausible reason for putting your hands on my mate." Amber irises ringed in red with an outline of robin's egg blue in his constricted pupils, he narrowed icy eyes on the tall male.

Starting as though surprised, Murakumo moved so he could see the newcomer. His pupils still dilated and his hand continuing the grasp on Kagome's fingers. As though he wasn't fully aware of what he was doing as he faced the displeasure of the Taisho heir. His expression holding traces of disorientation and contentment.

Zeroing in on his mate's hand held within the other male youkai's, Sesshoumaru calmly lifted the latch to enter the stall. Quelling the agitated beast that had shrieked with a flap of its wings at his intrusion with a stare that could freeze boiling water. The inu youkai allowing his power to bleed out so that it could be felt by those close by. Including the griffin who was now off in the farthest corner. Head bowed and gaze towards the side in full submission of a bigger predator than itself.

Satisfied that that particular problem was taken care of, Sesshoumaru strolled over to the pair nonchalantly. No outward sign of the beast raging inside him present except his eyes. His beastly nature snapping its jaws and howling in anger as it paced the confines of his control. Wishing to do nothing more than to sink its teeth into the arm attached to the hand holding Kagome. To shake and rend until Murakumo was missing a limb.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome smiled up at him warmly. "Hello, my love. How are you?"

Happy to see her mate since she had yet to get the Southern Lord to release her. The small tugging on her fingers going ignored by the other Taiyoukai as he kept a hold on her.

The dangerous undertone emanating from her dog demon had her cringing as she fought to keep her mouth curved upward. Hoping to diffuse the situation before anything else could happen that would give more fuel to the gossip which would now be floating about the castle.

Placing her palm on his chest where the part in his haori was located, Kagome raised up on her tiptoes to place an affectionate kiss on his striped cheek. The motion a little weird considering someone else was holding her hand, but whatever. At this point, abnormal was the new normal for her.

Her best fashion statement of the season, in fact! She wore oddity so well, apparently, that Fate made sure she was garbed in it all the time.

How lovely…..

Accepting her kiss without taking his eyes off the muddled irises of the rain youkai, Sesshoumaru slid his arm around his mate's waist. His clawed hand settling possessively on her hipbone as he drew her firmly into his side.

Arching a silver eyebrow at the other Taiyoukai, he said coolly, "Perhaps I am not speaking clearly and that is why you have not released my mate's hand yet, Murakumo."

The clear threat nuanced in his cultured voice had the other demon give his head a quick shake. As though clearing the fog from his mind as he at last let go of Kagome's hand. Looking down to study his fingertips closely as he rubbed them against one another with a frown. Puzzled by the sensations which had traveled throughout his entire body when he had been in contact with the woman.

Meeting the reddish-amber orbs trained upon him with the dark promise of a slow death in their depths, Murakumo retreated a step to bow deeply to the couple.

Contrition written across his handsome features as he said, "Apologies, Lord Sesshoumaru. It was unseemly to handle your mate in any way. Forgive me, the both of you. I am afraid I was taken aback and unprepared for my reaction when Lady Kagome's skin touched mine."

"Yes, I have heard before that my Lady Mate's touch can be considered intoxicating." Fixing the other male with a smirk that was almost a snarl, Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side so his large canine could flash blatantly in the sunlight filtering into the stall. "However, I do not think your own Lady Wife would appreciate hearing that you were holding hands with another noble's mate in the stables."

Giving her mate an irritated look, Kagome elbowed him sharply in the ribs while frowning up at him. "Sesshoumaru! Quit saying it like Lord Murakumo and I were over in the corner necking or having a roll in the hay. I swear, you youkai sometimes…."

Scowling down at her, he slid his arm free to deftly pick a long piece of straw from her wild mane of ebony hair. Holding it up in front of her nose as he said darkly, "I suppose the fact that if someone looked at you it would add ammunition to that rumor has escaped your notice?"

Ignoring Murakumo, Kagome stepped in front of her dog demon to cross her arms over her chest and tap her foot in clear show of feminine temper.

Lips frowning as she said testily, "Don't be absurd!" Gesturing at herself, she said sarcastically, "I seriously doubt anyone would believe Lord Murakumo was overcome by my alluring beauty when I'm covered head to toe in dirt and hay and probably smell like a griffin on top of that. Honestly!"

Picking a few more pieces from her hair gently, he said in a harsh voice at odds with his tender ministrations, "Woman, I have come to the conclusion that where you are concerned anyone could possibly believe anything. Especially after they get to know you for a few minutes. Disaster seems to follow you more devotedly than the kitsune in my castle."

"Rude!" She snapped. Poking him in the chest as she said, "What would people say if they heard how you talk to your mate? Shame on you, Sesshoumaru!"

Rolling his eyes, the irises now their normal amber and his cat-like pupils coal black as they narrowed a look down at her as he continued removing hay. "Foolish woman, if they knew you as I do they would think nothing of it."

Gasping, Kagome jabbed him again. Harder this time.

"You arrogant Taiyoukai, don't act as though I create chaos everywhere I go. If I was that bad the entire place would have burned down by now."

"Give it time," he said placidly as humor flashed through his eyes. Mellowing them to a molten amber as he untangled a tenacious piece of straw from her temple. "The day is young yet, after all."

Sudden male laughter reminded Kagome that they had an audience. A rather important one since it was the rain Taiyoukai currently voicing his merriment at their antics.

Giving her mate a hot glare, she turned in profile so she could see Murakumo who was standing a few feet away. Running caressing claws through the feathers on Rakurai's brow as the griffin chirped quietly in happiness. His large head hanging over the youkai's broad shoulder docilely.

"Great. Now look." Gesturing to the demon who was watching them with a smirk as he chuckled, Kagome gave her mate an annoyed narrowing of blue-grey eyes. "You've got Lord Murakumo laughing at us, thanks to you and your outlandish accusations. I hope you're satisfied you stubborn dog demon."

Arching a silver eyebrow at her, he said scathingly, "Foolish woman, it is not I who he is currently finding amusing. I am fairly certain it is a mate of mine who looks like she has spent three days cleaning the dirtiest of stalls without bathing."

"Are you saying I stink, you rude man?!" Kagome stomped her foot before giving Murakumo a look. "Can you believe him? How rude is that?!" Turning back to her unimpressed mate, she bit out, "Saying your mate smells. Rude, I say!"

"Give way, My Lord," Murakumo called with a smirk. Adding helpfully as he continued to pet his mount, "Trust me. I am speaking from experience when I say that anything further you might add will continue to be twisted into some slight or other aimed at your Lady."

"I will not stand by and let this foolish woman of mine malign my character without it going unchallenged," Sesshoumaru's voice had an edge of indignation to it.

Shaking his head, Murakumo said prosaically, "Ah to be young and newly mated. Still too new to the relationship to understand that a happy mate equals to a peaceful household. You will learn, My Lord. Kami knows I did, though it took a few centuries for my Lady Mate to beat it into my thick skull."

"Listen to Lord Murakumo, Sesshoumaru. He sounds like the wisest of demons right now." Kagome gave the rain youkai a winning smile. "Such a considerate and charming mate you must be to your Lady, My Lord. What a lucky youkai she is!"

"Thank you, Lady Kagome." Nodding his head with an amused grin, Murakumo watched how the irritated Taiyoukai at her back kept up the diligent work of removing straw from his mate.

"Do not think to drag Lord Murakumo to your side with platitudes, woman." When she spun to face him he barely missed slicing into her neck by accident with how fast her movement had been. His face clouding with true anger as he said, "Be careful, Kagome! I nearly cut you by accident with my claws when you did that."

Clearly seeing the way the thought of possibly causing her harm had put her dog demon on edge. Making him even more snarly and growly than usual, Kagome wrapped her arms about his tall frame. Uncaring if any of the dirt or hay transferred to him as she gave him a warm smile.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you were still taking the straw from my hair." Kissing his chest where his heart lay underneath, Kagome swayed from side to side as she said cajolingly, "You know I'd never purposely get hurt. Especially by you."

At first he stood stiffly in her embrace. Displeasure painting his handsome features as he stared down into her upturned face. After a couple of seconds the muscles in his body began to relax as he relented. His arm snaking around the miko's delicate waist as he let her move them from side to side.

Placing his forehead on hers, Sesshoumaru nuzzled Kagome affectionately. "Foolish woman, I would be most displeased if you came to any harm whatsoever."

"I know, I know." Giving him a quick kiss she stroked his cheek softly.

Rakurai's face suddenly appearing between them had Sesshoumaru rearing back with a scowl. His arm sliding away as Kagome released him with a laugh. Her hands coming up to rub the griffin's cheeks as he took his beak to nibble her hair.

Giving her irritated mate an apologetic grin, she said while cuddling the creature's huge head, "I guess someone got jealous."

Curling his lip in a snarl, Sesshoumaru said caustically, "Is there not one youkai or beast you do not make some sort of conquest of, woman? It appears I must share my mate's affections with the entirety of Japan and be grateful for the crumbs I am given."

Shaking her head at his petulance masked in ire, Kagome patted Rakurai's beak while giving her Taiyoukai an exasperated look.

"Don't be so dramatic, Sesshoumaru." When he scoffed, she arched an eyebrow and said with an imperious look, "You don't think I pay enough attention to you, oh Great Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Provinces? I beg your pardon, but I'm pretty sure it's your naked body wrapped around mine at night, but I guess I'm mistaken."

Her comment surprised a laugh out of Murakumo. Akito coughing into his hand to hide his own amusement while he watched his master and mistress. Smirking when he saw what couldn't be a light blush of red come over Sesshoumaru's high cheekbones. Surely, it was but a trick of the morning light.

"My but we seem to have lost our modesty all of a sudden," he said sardonically as he purred at his mate to test her new bravery, "I do not know, Kagome. I am ancient, as you have reminded me often, and my mind tends to be forgetful. Perhaps you should demonstrate and jog my memory."

Flushing bright red, Kagome gave him an outraged scowl. "Sesshoumaru! Shhhh. For crying out loud, you arrogant Taiyoukai. People can hear you, you know."

"A fact that did not seem to bother you moments before, itoshi anata." A wicked grin curving his mouth he added just to bait her, "Yes, I do believe I need refreshing on exactly what you are referring to because I do not rightly recall if we have ever been nude together or not, kireina."

"You're impossible!" She said in a scandalized tone before dissolving into laughter. Giving the other Taiyoukai watching them a helpless look with a shrug. "I'm sorry you're stuck here listening to us, Lord Murakumo. You'll have to forgive us since we're newly mated after all."

Waving a clawed hand, he gave her an indulgent grin as he watched her hug on his mount. "No need to apologize, My Lady. I remember being the same way with my own Lady when we were first mate-bonded. It is pleasant to see that you two care for one another. A rarity in the youkai high court considering most unions are prearranged."

"Was yours an arranged mating, Lord Murakumo?" Kagome asked with interest.

Balking at the idea of someone deciding your future like that for you. The thought of having to sleep with a stranger just hours after meeting them.

Thanks, but no thanks.

While she knew the practice was still done in human cultures even in her time, it wasn't something she had been raised around or considered normal. So it was difficult for her to accept reality it.

Shaking his head, Murakumo relied, "Taiyoukai are typically more fortunate in that regard. In some instances one is arranged, but mostly we carry the power to enforce our own will in the matter. It allows us to possess a leeway that most other nobles you will meet tonight are denied. Not all of them end in what you would call a love match, My Lady."

"That's so sad," Kagome said with a grimace. Her heart going out to all the couples stuck together who didn't get to experience the type of remarkable union she had with her own inu youkai. Catching her mate's mellow amber eyes, she felt her heart expand with love. The emotion shining brilliantly from her irises into his. "I'm very glad we ended up together, Sesshoumaru. We might need to thank Aion if we ever see him again."

A snarl of disdain curled his lip at the mention of his uncle. "Do not even jest about such a thing, Kagome. It will be a cause for celebration once Yoshin's confirmation reaches me that Aion is dead."

Murakumo listened attentively with keen electric eyes. A fact the dog demon was very aware of and one of the primary reasons he had said what he had. As a blatant reiteration to the other Taiyoukai that he was nothing like the disgraceful youkai he was related to.

As far as Sesshoumaru was concerned he felt cheated that he hadn't been the one to end his uncle's life. After what he had done to Kagome, the facts of which she still hadn't told him and he hadn't pushed her to tell, bothered him immensely.

His mate's small hands wrapping about his own brought him from his murderous fantasies of all the different ways he would disembowel the other youkai if he had been given the chance. Features softening as she gave him a tender smile from her dirt smudged face.

"Well Aion can no longer bother us if what you say is true and he was killed." Arching an ebony eyebrow, Kagome gave him an expectant look. "Now, I was supposed to be meeting with Mitsue but that has come and gone at this point. Next on the agenda today is to have lunch with everyone, including your brother."

Grimacing, he said, "If this is your way of asking me to attend then I must regretfully decline." Lips turning into a smirk that he knew would irk her, he added, "And when I say regretfully I mean happily, Itoshi anata."

Rolling her eyes, she let go of him to place her hands on her hips. "Such a rude Taiyoukai I have as my mate. Wherever do I find the patience to put up with him, I wonder."

"I believe the fact that your mate makes you exceedingly happy with his mouth may have something to do with it," he stated straight-faced though his eyes gave away his devilish humor at her expense when she flushed a bright red.

Smacking him on the bicep, Kagome ground out between clenched teeth, "That's enough out of you, you arrogant Taiyoukai. I'll not have our personal matters spoken of like we're discussing the weather."

"I was referring to the words of love that pour from my lips." Arching an eyebrow at her mildly, he asked with feigned innocence, "Just what are you thinking that has you turning so scarlet?"

Groaning, Kagome released his hand to toss hers in the air.

"I give up." Turning to Murakumo she executed a perfect bow that Mitsue would be proud of. "My Lord, it has been a pleasure. I will be glad to see you later and cannot wait to be introduced to your Lady Mate."

Returning the gesture gracefully, the rain youkai's features were amused when he said, "We shall look forward to it, My Lady."

Turning to give her smirking mate an arch look, she stuck her chin in the air and went to walk past him. "You, sir, I am ignoring since you can't seem to keep a civil tongue inside that head of yours."

Her grand exit was ruined when, as she drew abreast of him, his arm snaked out to bring her up against him. Her hands coming up to land on his chest as he gave her a roguish smile that made her toes curl inside her shoes.

"So temperamental, my mate is. If my tongue so displeases you, kireina, I am certain we can find another use for it." Kissing her quickly, he nipped her nose before releasing her. "Off you go, woman, before you wreak more havoc than you already have."

Breathless from that simple caress and his words, Kagome retook her pose as she gave him a frigid look any noble youkai would be envious of.

Her voice dripping with cool censor as she said, "You, sir, are no gentleman. I shall bid you good day until this evening for my ceremony."

Chuckling at her antics, Sesshoumaru made as though to grab her, Kagome's steps hastening as she laughed and went out the gate. Giving him a smirk as she stood next to Akito to call at her mate, "Be nice, Sesshoumaru. If I hear you've been mean to Lord Murakumo you'll have to answer to me."

"Away with you, irritating female." Glowering at her through the slats of wood, his lips twitched in the hint of a smile. "I have business to attend and you have much to do before tonight's banquet."

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too, you grumpy old dog demon." Waving her hand negligently behind her shoulder as she turned away, Kagome looked up at her guard with a grin. "So, Kito-kun, think your family is available for lunch this afternoon?"

************ BBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRR ********************

Sesshoumaru's eyes followed her until she was no longer in sight.

Once Kagome turned the corner and disappeared with her guard, his expression smoothed into bland lines when he faced the other Taiyoukai. He wasn't certain if the knowing look shining from the rain demon's roiling light yellow gaze made him uncomfortable or not.

"I apologize if the antics of my Lady Mate disturbed you this morning, Lord Murakumo. Lady Kagome can be overzealous in some things to the point where it disrupts those around her."

Murakumo smirked with a chuckle as he waved away the apology with a clawed hand. Ambling over to the dog demon after giving his mount one final pat along his feathered neck.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Lord Sesshoumaru. I confess, I did not know what to make of the new Lady of the Western Lands when I came upon the scene here. But, after meeting her I am surprised to say I think I actually quite like your human mate." Nodding towards the door, he kept talking as Sesshoumaru fell into step beside him as Tsuta opened the gate. He and his brother bowing respectfully to the two Taiyoukai as they passed before rushing in to finish their chores with Rakurai. Tilting his head in thought, the rain youkai said wryly, "Though I will admit to be a bit nonplussed when she decided to give me a tongue lashing in front of an entire stable full of servants. The severity of which I believe I had not been on the receiving end of since my mother was alive."

Sesshoumaru smirked openly as he ambled sedately with the Southern Lord in the gardens. Neither one of them in a hurry to part company yet.

"I assure you, it was not nearly as damaging as some of the things Lady Kagome has said to me since I have known her. Let alone since our mating bond a few weeks ago." The dog demon had never really had a chance to engage the other Taiyoukai in any type of real conversation before.

Sesshoumaru was mildly surprised to find that he could see himself actually liking the rain demon. The fact that Kagome had managed to charm said youkai was also a boon. It was well known throughout the high youkai court that Lord Murakumo could be as mercurial as the element he controlled with such deadly precision. That he could be a stickler for protocol and old fashioned in his views when it came to certain things like servants and hierarchy.

If Kagome had managed to break through the Taiyoukai's shell and bring him out of it enough to show warmth of any sort, then Murakumo must have decided that he favored Sesshoumaru's new human mate indeed.

How he loved that woman.

She had inadvertently opened up the pathway of communication he had recently been pondering on how to initiate with Murakumo. Just by being herself Kagome had managed to get right past the, at times, snobbish ruler of the South and get him on her side before the ceremony even took place.

Murakumo's chuckle was warm as he gave Sesshoumaru a smirk that flashed a large canine. "That may be something we have in common then, Lord Sesshoumaru. If I had a gold piece each time my mate told me I was wrong, and she was right then I would be the richest demon in the entire world. Not just Japan."

Sesshoumaru shared a look of comradery with the other Taiyoukai. Both males fully aware that they ruled everything within their kingdoms except the women they were mated to.

"I would like to offer my thanks for your kindness towards my mate. Being human and new to our ways, she is extremely nervous about this evening despite the fact I have reiterated on more than on occasion that what others think is immaterial to me. However, since their opinions matter to her I would see her presentation be a success." Pausing on their walk near the row of cherry trees that lined the path, he fixed the rain demon with a steady amber stare. "I wish there had been a way to postpone the ceremony since she has hardly had the time to adjust to her new life, let alone come to terms with her recent abduction and the fallout afterwards. It pleases me that she sees you as a potential ally, Lord Murakumo. Your support would go far for her in the high youkai court."

Understanding what the dog demon was asking him, Murakumo let his electric eyes rove over their surroundings as he replied, "You know, Lord Sesshoumaru, before meeting your Lady Mate I had firmly set it within my mind that I was going to come to Taisho palace, suffer through a tedious evening around pampered nobles and quickly leave as soon as possible without causing offense." Turning his head to meet the stoic inu youkai's cautious amber gaze, a hint of a grin tilted his chiseled lips. "Imagine my surprise when within hours of my arrival I heard the shrieking of my mount calling out in anger from the stables. A sound that drew my attention when it did not abate. Which meant Tsuta and Warabi were not able to calm the beast and that something must truly be wrong for Rakurai to carry on so."

Sesshoumaru could clearly picture what the other Lord was saying. Grimacing since he had heard his own mount roar a little before Joren had come bursting into his study. Out of breath and dragging his pitchfork. Not even standing on ceremony as he all but collapsed on the Taiyoukai's desk to pant out that Kagome was currently yelling at Lord Murakumo inside the stables and the rain youkai had her cornered in a stall.

That was all the dog demon had needed to hear before quitting the room immediately. Hastily making his way through the castle by use of walking when he would have far preferred to use the flash of light that helped him speed up. Unfortunately, there were so many people rushing to and fro that it was impossible to use the ability without causing some type of accident or other.

"Yes, I heard the animals as well and I was located across the grounds," Sesshoumaru said dryly as he waited for the other male to continue.

"I do not know what I was expecting to find. But it most assuredly was not a small human woman covered in dirt and straw taking turns berating everyone within sight. Including my griffin who was smart enough to become docile when your Lady Mate turned her ire on him." Grinning, Murakumo shrugged broad shoulders. "It was an even more surreal feeling to realize she was my hostess and the reason for my being here in the first place."

"I can only imagine," Sesshoumaru muttered as he rolled his eyes. "As I said, the woman has a terrible habit of falling into one mishap after another. It is a full time occupation just keeping her alive through each day with the way she attracts misfortune."

"That, I do not envy you, Lord Sesshoumaru." Roiling eyes turning pitying, he clapped the stressed male on the shoulder. "At least my mate has the strength of her youkai heritage at her disposal. As much as I adore that woman, I cannot imagine the stress of having such a fragile mate to protect. I daresay it would drive me into an early grave and turn my hair as pale as yours."

Arching a silver eyebrow at Murakumo since the rain youkai's own hair was nearly white, Sesshoumaru replied blandly, "Yes, I can see by your youthful appearance that you have not one care in the world, My Lord."

Smiling, Lord Murakumo once more let his eyes trace over their surroundings as he spoke to Sesshoumaru.

"I will admit to becoming impressed with how adroitly your mate handled herself at the stables. Not even hesitating to put me in my place when I told her guard his interruption during our conversation was unwanted." Giving the dog demon a look out of the corner of one eye he smirked with amusement. "Apparently speaking to a servant in any tone that is not deemed respectful incites Lady Kagome's wrath. She advised me most eloquently what she thought of my high-handed manners."

"I do apologize if my mate spoke to you out of turn, My Lord." Giving a shrug, Sesshoumaru smirked. "I find it is a futile effort trying to curb that woman's tongue whenever she becomes upset."

Dismissing the apology with a negligent wave, Murakumo gave him an understanding look from his electric eyes. "Allowances must be made considering she is human. From what I know of them they tend to lack the more refined attributes groomed into us when you are born into a noble house."

Stiffening, the dog demon gave the rain youkai an icy stare.

Voice frigid with an underlying threat when he said, "I would remind you that you are referring to the Lady of the Western Lands, Lord Murakumo. Passionate Lady Kagome may be, and a tad over zealous in expressing her views on subjects, but she is my mate. I would thank you to keep your criticisms regarding her to yourself."

Murakumo threw his head back and laughed uproariously. His shoulders shaking and the light glinting off his large fangs and silver clasps in his braid as he expressed his mirth. Sesshoumaru's muscles tautened another notch as he bristled at the other Taiyoukai's reaction.

Taking note of the inu youkai's affronted expression, Murakumo clapped him on the shoulder again as his laughter faded.

"Stand down, My Lord. I am not impugning your Lady's honor." Placing his hands behind his back as he walked on, Sesshoumaru falling into step a moment later. The Southern Taiyoukai confided with a self-deprecating smile, "I was much the same way when Lady Fumiko and I were first mated. Overly protective and extremely sensitive if I felt as though she was being slighted by anyone."

Shooting the softly grinning demon a questioning glance, he asked with interest, "Your Lady Mate comes from a noble youkai house whose lineage is viewed as impeccable, I thought. What fault could someone possibly find with her?"

"You mean besides the fact that I was meant to share a union with her older sister and chose her instead?" Smirking, Murakumo stopped to study a cluster of pink nadeshiko. "Believe me, My Lord, I know what it is to face the censor of our brethren because of a choice made for a woman."

Sesshoumaru had not known any of this. But then, it wasn't as though the two Taiyoukai were bosom friends. They were only now barely acquaintances. The dog demon found in oddly fitting that it would be the subject of their 'marital' status which gave them common ground.

If the Southern Lord treated Kagome well and championed her presentation then that would make all other lower lords and ladies fall into line. The rain demon was a few hundred years Sesshoumaru's senior and had taken over the mantle of the Southern Lands when he was young. Just as the inu youkai had himself when his father died.

Hearing that Murakumo had disobeyed the strict guidelines of their race's nobility to instead follow his heart and obtain the woman he truly wanted brought much insight into his character.

It was true that elemental youkai were unpredictable at the best of times. Those in their category who held more power much more so.

Yet, Sesshoumaru could appreciate how difficult it must have been for a young demon newly appointed as Taiyoukai of the vast Southern half of Japan to do such a thing. His position would have been strengthened exponentially if he had united his house with another strong one. Bonding with the eldest daughter to secure a multitude of trade agreements, treaties, the rights to certain lands and their bounties, etc.

Grudgingly, the dog demon had to admit he was coming to respect and admire this youkai who could call upon lightning with just a snap of his fingers.

"Then it appears we have more in common than I first believed, Lord Murakumo." Watching the rain demon take a claw and gently trace the petal of one of the pink flowers, Sesshoumaru said, "I can but hope this means you regard your brief encounter with Lady Kagome in a favorable light?"

Straightening, Murakumo turned to face Sesshoumaru. Studying the stoic inu youkai's face with contemplative roiling irises as he tilted his head to the side.

"You love her deeply, do you not, My Lord?" A subtle tilt of his lips and amusement dancing in his eyes swept over the rain youkai's handsome features at the way the dog demon scowled at him. "It is not a crime to harbor affection for one's mate. I am not ashamed to admit that Lady Fumiko holds my heart within her clawed hands. Truthfully, it makes me see you as a kindred spirit when it comes to the subject of the ladies we are bonded to."

Sighing heavily, Sesshoumaru ran impatient fingers through his bangs as he bit out with a grimace, "It is as you say. I do love that noisy crazy woman and would move heaven and hell for her if she asked it."

"Something I highly doubt the Lady herself would request," Murakumo quipped good-naturedly. "To answer your question, yes. I find myself charmed by your new mate in spite of myself. And I do believe Lady Fumiko will share this view once she meets her this evening."

Inwardly relieved at gaining the support of the Lord and Lady of the Southern Lands for Kagome's presentation, Sesshoumaru let a small grin paint his chiseled lips as his muscles relaxed.

"My thanks, Lord Murakumo. To you and your Lady Mate. Your approval will go far in making Lady Kagome's entry into society a smooth one." They began walking once more, the path forking to the left and straight.

Pausing to regard one another as they prepared to go their separate ways, the Southern Taiyoukai smiled at the dog demon.

"Lady Kagome's presentation this evening should be a success, My Lord. Please assure your Lady Mate that the Southern Lands are in full support of your choice in bond-mate. And once this is finished, you and I shall share a bottle of sake and discuss new avenues of opportunity our two lands can offer one another." Placing his hands behind his back, the rain youkai grinned. "It is obvious to anyone with eyes and a few moments to spare that there is no love lost between you and your uncle. After seeing for myself how much your Lady means to you I am most certain any qualms regarding your familial connection to Aion are now laid to rest."

Hardly trusting in what he was hearing, Sesshoumaru offered a genuine smile of his own. Amber eyes lightening as he copied the other youkai's behavior by clapping him on one broad shoulder. The motion an unfamiliar one, but also filled with a new sense of comradery he had never possessed with another being before. As though he had found someone that really understood the gravity of who he had chosen, the adversities facing them as couple, and could commiserate.

"Lord Murakumo, I shall make certain the best bottles are saved for that meeting. Until this evening, My Lord."

"Until tonight." Turning to walk away, he called over his shoulder, "By the way, Rakurai nipped Lady Kagome on her shoulder earlier. I am requesting that Lady Fumiko send a tincture to her so that it might alleviate the pain of her mate mark." Glancing at him out of the corner of one eye with a smirk, he added, "It should assuage her discomfort and your guilt if nothing else."

Shocked that Kagome had apparently talked to the other Taiyoukai about something she would regard as very personal, and that he could read the dog demon so well, Sesshoumaru could do naught but nod.

"My thanks, Lord Murakumo. It is much appreciated."

In answer the other youkai waved his hand as he disappeared around a cluster of bush clover. His tall frame ambling through the vast vegetation of the Taisho gardens as he made his way back to his quarters.

Standing there to stare at the empty place the rain youkai had previously occupied, Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly before moving on. Trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Kagome had somehow accomplished what he had been attempting to figure out how to initiate for weeks. The upcoming 'friendly' discussion tomorrow weighing heavily on the Taiyoukai as he quickly began making an internal list of all documentation he would need.

Shurin would be kept busy for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning making certain all was prepared for the meeting taking place between the two Taiyoukai. Which meant the rain demon and his entourage would probably be staying longer than the original two days the other nobles were.

Preparations would need to be seen to for that. Not that it put more stress on his staff than was already present with Kagome's ceremony looming. But Sesshoumaru refused to make a detrimental impression to a neighboring lord he was determined to make an ally. And if Kagome could make a friend of Murakumo's mate, all the better!

His human mate would need another female she could trust and confide in once Inu Yasha and his group departed. Something that was sure to transpire shortly after the banquet was held. Not because any of them would be attending.

Inu Yasha was allowed, but since he would be fully human tonight, it would hardly benefit him to come to the ceremony with his own priestess on his arm. Trying to keep his loud mouthed sibling from flying off the handle and getting into a verbal argument with some random lord or lady was a headache Sesshoumaru didn't need.

It was going to be harrowing enough just fielding Lord Kouga and whoever else might disrupt the presentation.

Mind racing with all that needed to be accomplished, Sesshoumaru made his way back to his study. Counting the hours until tonight when he would proudly stand beside Kagome and encouraged about the future of the Taisho Lands.

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	62. Presentation

Kagome sat as still as possible on a small round stool with her eyes closed. Forcing herself to relax so she didn't accidentally flinch and ruin the superb job her youkai makeup artist was performing on her features.

The delicate brush flitting over her lids was soothing in a way. The miko resisting the urge to sigh happily as she felt the demon in front of her gently clasp her chin and turn her face towards the candlelight. Copious illumination having been added to their bedroom so the gaggle of females helping her prepare for her presentation could clearly see.

Not that youkai couldn't see just fine in low lighting. It was more for their mistress and her friend. The two human woman talking animatedly as Kagome prepared for her presentation.

She had invited Sango to join her during lunch. Anxiety had been her constant companion throughout the day. So much so that even bathing in the hot spring, allowing herself the luxury of soaking in the warm liquid, hadn't been able to dispel the knotting of her muscles.

It made her glad she had possessed the foresight to invite the taijiya to her rooms. Bantering back and forth with the other woman had helped immensely. Sango's ability to make her laugh with her dry humor giving Kagome a much needed outlet for her stress.

She was also relieved that Inu Yasha had not been upset at her choice.

Even though they hadn't had much time to speak privately, the hanyou had spared her a few moments to reassure the miko that he was happy for her. Telling her with a sad nostaligic smile that she looked happier and healthier than he had seen her in a long time.

It had made her heart clench. The sadness shadowing his golden eyes as they had gazed down at her. Flashes of their past together coursing through her mind as she embraced him tight one last time.

Not that she would never see Inu Yasha again. It was just that she knew that part of her life was finished. The book itself closed as another one was being written for her and Sesshoumaru.

Blinking back tears, Kagome had given a laugh when he had glowered and made her promise to let him know if his bastard brother didn't treat her right. Letting her know as eloquently as only the half-demon could that he would kick Sesshoumaru's ass if he heard that Kagome was unhappy.

Just remembering the scenario made her smile.

The youkai doing her makeup pausing in what they were doing to say with a frown, "Please, My Lady, do try to keep still."

"Sorry," she muttered while dutifully remaining motionless until the demon was finished.

"Alright, My Lady," the female youkai said, pride thick in her voice. "You may move now. You are finished."

Excited to see what her friend thought of her new look, Kagome turned to Sango. The other woman sitting at the low table munching on some dango as she hung out with Kagome.

Gasping, the small skewer with the green and pink balls on it halting halfway to her mouth, Sango said softly, "Oh Kagome. You look gorgeous!"

"I do?!" Smiling radiantly, she clambered to her feet gracelessly. Hurrying over to the mirror on the wall to gaze at herself in wonder.

She didn't even recognize the woman staring back at her in the polished glass. The female with the blue-grey eyes outlined in black, her lids dusted in mauve that strongly resembled the markings on her mate's own were a sophisticated version of what she was used to. Her lips were a shining scarlet and her lashes coated in mascara. One of the few amenities she had added herself. The only thing she had outright refused had been the whitening paste the youkai had wished to rub into her skin.

She knew it was considered all the rage, but she drew the line at having the consistency of grease paint clogging her pores throughout night. Delighted with the exemplary job the youkai had done on her appearance, Kagome turned to the patiently waiting female standing off to the side.

"Thank you so much, Ushio. I love what you've done."

Bowing, delicate demon with the short brown hair that matched her eyes gave her a small grin that accentuated the small dark blue swirl that resided at the corner of her mouth. "It is an honor, My Lady, to prepare you for tonight's festivities. Now we must simply do your hair and garb you."

Clapping her clawed hands, Ushio turned to her two assistants. "Kasumi, Nowaki, please bring me the necessary utensils I shall need." Turning back to eye her mistress' hair as her aides rushed to do her bidding, she tilted her head in consideration. "Do you have a preference for what type of style you would like, My Lady?"

"Something simple. Nothing too ornate, if at all possible." Gnawing on her lower lip, she added with a tentative grin, "Perhaps if we can even find a way to leave it down loose that would be lovely."

"As you say, My Lady." Nodding, she gestured to the stool. "Please, take a seat, My Lady, and we shall begin. Saki and Mai will be here before you know it to get you dressed so we must be quick."

Stealing the skewer from Sango on her way by to take the last green piece of dango from it, she smiled around the slim piece of wood. Handing it back to her friend before taking her seat once more, chewing thoughtfully on the sweet orb of rice.

At lunch she hadn't been able to eat much and now found she was starving. There would be a huge selection of food at the banquet, but it would be hours before dinner would be served. The meet-and-greet would take place first and judging by the amount of people attending that would take quite a while to get through.

Settling on her perch, Kagome relaxed under the repetitive motions of the brush working through her long ebony locks. Eyes going half-lidded as a peaceful feeling overtook her senses. Giving her a much needed reprieve from the continuous apprehension that hadn't left her for days.

She lost herself in the pleasure of someone else grooming her hair. Sipping delicately at the mug of tepid tea Sango handed her as the taijiya came to sit in front of her.

"You're going to be the most beautiful woman at this banquet tonight, Kagome." Brown eyes shining as her lips curved in a genuine smile, Sango added, "None of those demon women will be expecting Sesshoumaru's human mate to dazzle like you will."

"Thanks, Sango. I'll be glad if I can just get through tonight without tripping on my own hem or accidentally saying the wrong thing." Recollections of how she had spoken to Murakumo earlier flashed through her mind, making her groan. "I seriously don't think I'll be as lucky as I was earlier when I yelled at Lord Murakumo. The fact he took it so well was surprising and I doubt it will happen a second time with someone else."

Chuckling, Sango took the tea from her and stood. "You'll do fine! Trust in yourself and the lessons Mitsue has been drilling into your head for over a week."

"I hope you're right." Sighing, Kagome mentally went through what the tutor had taught her. Listing everything the masked youkai had repeated to her over and over again in the last few days. "I'd hate for all his hard work to go to waste."

"It won't," the taijiya said in a firm voice and kind smile as she walked out of Kagome's view to retake her seat.

"Hold still, My Lady. I am going to weave your hair through your crown to help hold it in place." Ushio took the intricate circlet from Kasumi to place it upon her mistress' head. Adjusting it a few times before turning to her assistant. "Hair pins and comb, Nowaki."

Her assistants bustled about retrieving everything requested. The youkai doing her hair placing a few of the thin pieces of bent dark metal in her mouth as she used the ivory comb to deftly separate the thick ebony strands.

Kagome sat with anticipation coursing through her veins. Her hands curling into the soft flannel of her red and black pajama bottoms as she let the other woman style her hair around her crown.

A few moments and many hairpins later, and Ushio stepped back to eye her work. Nodding in satisfaction with a proud smile at the picture Kagome made.

"It is finished, My Lady. Please check to see it is to your liking. If it is not I shall redo it to your specifications before departing." Clasping her hands together at her middle, Ushio waited patiently as her mistress went to check her reflection in the mirror.

Turning her head side to side, Kagome studied the way Ushio had taken swaths of hair at her temples and woven them over the side of the circlet. The thin lines of silver disappearing into the darkness of her hair so that the only part of it that was visible were the twin dog demons and the moon they upheld.

"It's perfect, Ushio." Turning, she gave the gently smiling makeup artist a beaming smile. "Your craftsmanship is amazing! I can't thank you enough for everything."

Bowing with a small grin, Ushio stated, "It is my pleasure, My Lady. Now, we must be away since I can hear Saki and Mai approaching." Turning to her assistants, she clapped her hands and said, "Nowaki, Kasumi, please gather our things. We must be off so that Lady Kagome can finish preparing for tonight."

"Yes, Ushio-san," the duo of youkai said in unison as they hurried about. Grabbing everything scattered about the room and placing it in the correct chest or case it had come in.

Kagome was impressed with how quick and efficient they were. Their movements so fast that by the time there came a knock on the door the three women were already standing beside it.

"Saki and Mai are here for you, Lady," Akito's voice called through the door.

"Let them in please, Kito-kun!" The miko called as she waved to the departing trio of hair and makeup stylists. "Thanks again, Ushio, Kasumi and Nowaki!"

Giving Kagome a final bow each, they left through the door Akito was holding open. The forms of Saki and Mai immediately taking their place. The little curvy sparrow youkai sweeping her eyes over Kagome's features with a large grin.

"My Lady, you look ravishing! Ushio has truly outdone herself this time."

Blushing at the praise, she gave the kind elderly youkai a shy grin. "Thank you, Saki." Gesturing to the junihitoe on its stand, she arched an eyebrow. "Ready to put me into this masterpiece?"

"Assuredly, My Lady." Features smoothing as she became all business, Saki turned to her assistant. "Mai, my dear, do be so kind as to help Lady Kagome to remove her clothes so it doesn't muss her hair and makeup."

"Yes, Saki-san!" The little demon said as she came towards Kagome. Her shy eyes skittering away after only holding her mistress' own for a second. "If it pleases, My Lady, I would be happy to assist you."

Heart aching as she looked at the earnest demon, Kagome's lips curved in a kind smile. "I would love any help you can give me, Mai. Thank you."

Scarlet overtook Mai's pale cheeks as she smiled brighter. Small clawed hands carefully moving the hair from around the neckline of Kagome's shirt as the miko pulled it over her head.

Within moments she was down to her underwear and bra. The brazier she was near keeping the chill of the evening Fall air away as she shifted from one bare foot to the other. Grateful that her hair had fully dried after her time spent in the hot spring earlier.

The next few minutes were a blur of chattering females, silk being slid over skin and ties being laced into place. Once she was fully adorned in her junihitoe, the weight of it already pulling a bit at her shoulders, Kagome put her arms out to her sides and faced the three women with an unsure grin.

"So, what do you think?"

"You look a vision, My Lady," Saki said with maternal pride shining in her eyes and on her lips. A stray tear being brushed away impatiently as she faced her assistant. "Does our Lady not look beautiful, Mai, dear?"

"My Lady is a true princess," Mai said with another shy smile as she fiddled with her hands in nervousness.

"You're going to completely make every youkai in the place jealous." Sango sighed dreamily as she scanned the expensive outfit. "One of these days I'm going to put one of those one and pretend to be royalty for a night."

Laughing, Kagome let relief wash over her. Taking to heart the sentiments and words spoken by the youkai and taijiya. Sliding her feet into the black ballet flat type slippers Saki had placed before her, she was glad to find that even though she looked down Ushio had done a superb job on securing the crown to her head. It didn't even budge a centimeter. The copious hairpins and woven hair keeping it tightly kept where it was meant to rest for the next few hours.

Smoothing her hands down the front of her outfit, Kagome said, "I may be new to this whole I'm now mated to a rich Taiyoukai thing, but I promise you Sango. The day you go to get married I'll be making sure you get the ceremony you deserve."

The two women hugged each other tight. The taijiya's eyes wet as she stepped back.

"Only if you attend my wedding," Sango said with a sniffle and a smile as she wiped at her eyes to dry them. "Now, I believe from here on out your just wait for Sesshoumaru to come and collect you. Which should be any minute now, actually."

Anxiety and excitement returned in a tidal wave. Kagome feeling flushed as she waved to the departing group.

"Thank you so much, everyone. The success of tonight will be as a result of all your hard work. I promise to make you proud!" Hugging each one in turn, including little Mai who returned the gesture hesitantly, Kagome stepped back to the center of the room.

"Do not fret, My Lady. Tonight is for you. Enjoy yourself and hold your head high." Saki and Mai bowed to her before leaving the same way they had come in.

Sango giving her a wink and jaunty wave as she followed the youkai outside. When Akito closed the door so that she was completely alone, the silence was almost too much for Kagome to bear.

Gnawing at her lower lip, she paced about the confines of her bedroom. Checking her reflection every so often to make certain she hadn't accidentally damaged any of Ushio's hard work with her frenetic movements.

When the study door opened Kagome spun to face it from where she had been standing by the foot of the bed. Blue-grey eyes widening as she took in her first sight of Sesshoumaru in the formal attire he would be wearing this evening.

His white ensemble had been replaced by a black version of what he typically wore. The triple sakura on his shoulder and sleeve the same crimson that stood out brightly against the ebony silk. The color of his clothing made his pale skin and silver hair stand out starkly. The amber luminescence of the eyes sweeping her slowly even more noticeable, as were the markings on his brow and cheeks.

Sesshoumaru's long mane had been pulled up into a high ponytail where a small gold clasp with a crescent moon at its center helped hold it in place.

Struck speechless by the handsome figure he cut in his new clothing, Kagome could only stare at him as he ambled towards her. Halting in front of her to look down into her stunned features with a smirk.

"I take it from the way my mate is looking at me it means she approves." Taking his hand he nudged her chin, so her mouth closed. His eyes dancing with laughter as he stepped back to give her another once over. When he reached her eyes, another smirk tilted the corner of his mouth. "Is this the same woman who I met in the stables just today? I am not certain I recognize her without the hay, dust, and scent of griffin coating her from head to toe."

His words breaking the spell she had been under, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest with a scoff.

"That's the first thing you say to me after seeing what I look like? Your idea of a nice compliment in appreciation of all the hours your mate spent on getting herself ready?" Arching an ebony eyebrow, she gave him an icy stare down her nose. "You, sir, are rude."

Chuckling, he slid his arm around her tense body. Drawing her into his tall frame and placing his forehead against her own. Nuzzling her affectionately as she remained stiff in his embrace.

"Itoshi anata, you are the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen in all my long years." Staring deep into her eyes he cuddled her close as she began to relent enough to place her palms on the lapels of his haori. "I cannot decide whether I want to sit and stare at your beauty or say to hell with your ceremony so I can divest you of your junihitoe and lay you back on the bed to worship your nude body instead."

Blushing at his purred words, Kagome's lips curved in pleasure. Warmth filling her heart when the bonds they shared transmitted the truth of his statements to her.

Nuzzling him back, she placed a quick kiss on his lips. Leaning back within the circle of his arm with a breathless laugh when he tried to deepen the caress.

"Oh no you don't! It took me hours to get all dolled up for tonight and I'll not have all of Saki's and Ushio's hard work be undone." Clearing her throat, she tried to keep a smirk from her lips at the way he frowned down at her. Resembling a child who had been denied a sweet with the way he scowled. Smoothing the lapels of his outfit, she said mischievously, "I didn't think it was possible. But you're even more handsome than normal when you wear black. I'll have to watch those youkai ladies this evening to make sure they don't try to run off with you when I'm not looking."

Sighing in long suffering, his shoulders slumped. The Taiyoukai purposely an over exaggerated picture of rejection.

"I suppose if you are determined to attend the banquet we must forgo any love making until later." Giving her a sly look from his glowing amber eyes he smirked down at her. "Do not feel pressured to stay the entire evening if you become tired and wish to go back to our bedroom, kireina."

Laughing, Kagome stepped away from her mate. Patting him on the chest with sympathy.

"There, there, you impatient Taiyoukai. I'm sure you'll survive waiting to get me naked without possibly expiring in the corner." Sweeping an appreciative gaze over him again, she added softly, "You really are the most handsome man I have ever seen in my entire life. Like some mythical creature dreamt up in some wild fantasy by someone."

Capturing her scarred hand he brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss over her knuckles. Pressing her palm to his cheek afterwards. Sharp features softening as he leaned into where they were joined.

"I shall be considered the luckiest of demons in the room with you on my arm, kireina." Placing a kiss in the center of her palm, Sesshoumaru let her go. Playfulness flashing in his eyes as he smoothed his face into placid lines. "Would it please my mate to know I have brought her a gift to commemorate her ceremony?"

Feeling like a kid on Christmas, Kagome eagerly stepped forward. "You did? What is it?"

Chuckling at her exuberance he left her to disappear back into the study. Returning a moment later with a small square box wrapped in a piece of white silk and tied with a red piece of chord. Watching her reaction closely, he held it out to her.

Grinning with a puzzled frown on her brow, Kagome carefully untied the makeshift ribbon. Turning the box about in her hands as she unwrapped her gift. Her heart beginning to speed up when she saw what appeared to be an ornate jewelry box. The dark gleaming cherrywood emblazoned with her mate mark on the top.

Swallowing thickly, she slowly lifted the lid after releasing the tiny golden latch. Losing all ability to breathe or think when she saw what was placed upon the red velvet inside.

Pulse thundering in her ears, Kagome's blue-grey eyes traced the finery of the silver ring nestled so innocently on its cushion. Enraptured by the swirling sides that resembled those on her shoulder. A dark blue crescent moon sapphire prominently in the center a little larger than her pinky nail. The quality of the gem flashing brilliantly with the barest of movements even in the soft light of the candles spread about the room.

Choked with emotion, she felt tears brim in her eyes as she withdrew the gorgeous ring with infinite care. Turning to set the tiny container on their bed before facing him once more. Letting the piece of jewelry lay in her palm between them as she lifted her watery eyes to give him a stare filled with wonder.

Taking the piece of jewelry in his fingers, Sesshoumaru gently turned her hand over. Eyes searing in their intensity as he gazed into her own when he slid the ring over her finger.

"I know that our mating was not planned or expected for you. That you were unable to indulge in the feminine excitement of a proper courtship. The planning of your mate-bond ceremony." Holding her fingers in a soft grip, he brought them up to kiss the back of them reverently. "Yet, barring the extenuating circumstances of our union, I wish you to know that you are the woman who holds my heart. For now and forever." Placing another caress over her fingers without breaking eye contact, Sesshoumaru added in a soft fervent whisper, "Though our bonding was hurried and spontaneous, please know, I will gladly spend the rest of our lives making up for what you have lost or missed out on, kireina."

Valiantly trying not to turn into a weeping mess, Kagome blinked several times as a tremulous smile tilted her lips.

"I don't know what to say." Clearing her throat in an attempt to dislodge the lump there, she sniffled. "This is the most beautiful amazing surprise I have ever received in my entire life. I love it!"

All but throwing herself into her mate's body, she hugged him tightly around the neck. Her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss as a stray tear trailed over her cheek. When their lips broke apart she leaned her forehead against his. Trying to find the eloquence to explain how much what he had done meant to her.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. You have made me the happiest woman in the world. I love you so much, you arrogant Taiyoukai." Sniffling, she gave a choppy laugh. "This ring means the world to me."

"It is not a youkai custom to give your mate a ring. But I am not mated to one and found it rather fitting that at least one of your human rituals be observed when two people join together permanently." Brushing the moisture from her cheek, he smiled fondly at her. The amber of his eyes burnished and glowing with the strength of his love for the woman in his arm. "I love you, you foolish woman. And am glad that your new present pleases you."

"Pleases me?" Kagome said incredulously with a hoarse laugh. "I'm speechless. I love you too, stubborn old dog demon that you are. Thank you, Sesshoumaru. Giving me the equivalent to a wedding ring makes me ecstatically happy." Gifting him another quick passionate kiss, she laughed unsteadily. Leaning back so she could bring her hand between them to admire the way the ring flashed. "Wherever did you find such a piece?"

"I did not find it, Kagome." An indulgent smile painted his lips as he watched his mate moved her hand about in open feminine appreciation. "I had it commissioned."

His words got her attention. Kagome leaving the inspection of her hand to meet stare up at him in shock.

"When did you manage to do that?"

Shrugging, he said nonchalantly, "Within a day or so of you waking after your captivity with Aion."

The proof of his regard for her was held in that sentence.

That Sesshoumaru had fully embraced his feelings for her and had already been determined to express them to the woman he had chosen to bond with. Kagome was touched beyond words at her mate's consideration. The sweetness and caring displayed behind his thoughtful gesture.

She shook her head in astonishment.

Love for her handsome mate spreading through her and funneling towards him along their bonds. A blinding golden light that enveloped the platinum tether. Intwining amongst the silver threads that were nearly sentient in a caressive wealth of emotion.

"Sesshoumaru, you continue to surprise me." Smirking, she slid her arms around his waist to cuddle into him. "Who knew the Great Lord of the Western Lands was a romantic at heart."

"Only where you are concerned, itoshi anata." Kissing her forehead with a grin, he arched a silver eyebrow at her. "Now, are you ready to depart our chambers and make your grand entrance into youkai high court society?"

"No," she replied immediately with a humorless grin. Releasing him with a regretful sigh before going to check her appearance in the mirror. Making sure her makeup was still firmly in place. "But the sooner I get through this the quicker I can come back to our room and show a certain mate of mine just how much I love him."

Chuckling, Sesshoumaru offered her his arm as she met him at the door. Kagome lacing her own through it without hesitation. Her new ring flashing and dancing in the muted light.

"Ready?" Smirking down at her he placed a quick kiss on her brow.

"As I'll ever be. Let's go make Mitsue and the house of Taisho proud." Squaring her shoulders, Kagome gathered her extensive lessons around her like a cloak. Adopting the cool look of superiority the masked youkai had taught her. Chin at a defiant angle and blue-grey eyes colder than normal.

Fervently praying that the next few hours went off without a hitch.

"I am always proud of you, kireina. It should please you to know that you look as untouchably beautiful as any other youkai lady attending this evening." Sesshoumaru nodded his approval of her demeanor as Akito opened the door.

"Perfect," Kagome said with a wan grin.

Well, it was now or never. Kami help her get through tonight as quickly as possible.

************* BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRR *************

Kagome kept her back straight and her hands relaxed on her thighs with great effort. Pushing away the pain of her legs and spine being held in the same position for over two hours now. Trying to ignore the stiffness of her neck from keeping the same snobbish angle of her head when all she wanted to do was slouch on her pillow and straighten her knees.

The dais she and Sesshoumaru were placed upon made it so she naturally had to look down on each youkai presented to her. The long rectangular room that was filled to the brim with people garbed in formal attire of the age hot even with the windows open intermittently along one side.

She had been thankful that she had come into the room first before anyone else was to arrive. The meeting area the same one she had come to when Kouga had first arrived what seemed like years ago. Except this time there were a variety of wall hangings taking up the space about the room. Each one depicting either one of the Taisho crests or a transformed inu youkai in one pose or another.

Wall sconces and tall candle holders had been brought about the perimeter to offer ample lighting. The undulating flames casting attractive shadows over the assembled youkai nobility. Their aristocratic features beautiful and cold. Like ice sculptures brought to life with precious gems set within their faces for eyes.

Akito and Kiro were dressed in their ceremonial blues. Their spears clasped in their hands and backs straight as they flanked Sesshoumaru and her behind where the couple sat. The rest of the kitsune clan was milling about the area with a multitude of other guards and servants. Their odd coloring standing out starkly against the plethora of youkai who wore different variations of whatever house they belonged to.

She couldn't even begin to keep track of everyone who crossed the dais in front of her, let alone recall the names and stations of those milling about. There were a few who bore the same outfit as Lord Murakumo's grooms. Their coloring resembling Lord Daija's in brilliant displays of red, gold, and bright yellow. Eyes undulating with inner fire and markings upon their faces glittering eerily.

Each Lord or Lady had their own small retinue of guards that ambled around the hall. Not in direct correlation with those they served, but in their periphery. Jeweled orbs roving those assembled with muted suspicion. Though they wore no weaponry of any kind since it was forbidden to do so, Kagome highly doubted the powerful guards would need a sword or spear to deal out punishment if need be.

The real security for the event was provided by Sesshoumaru and his own soldiers. Those within the walls without helmets as they lined in the interior of the building along the walls at random intervals. Swords laced at their sides and tall spears in the clawed hands about the sturdy wooden poles.

The doors at the end of the long room remained open with the short width of the hallway separating it from the next chamber. The length of it spanning the entire side of the castle with the same décor scattered about its walls in tasteful placement.

Kagome hadn't known that the rooms facing one another were actually used for something like this.

Giving the extra space needed to house so many people at once without it feeling as though you could not see the woman raised upon the small stage.

The continuous pressure of being on display was beginning to wear on her nerves.

She didn't know how much more regal nodding and aloof posturing she could stand before she said to hell with it. Not that Kagome wouldn't see the night through. She would never put shame upon her Taiyoukai like that in front of his brethren.

But a girl could dream, damn it!

Lord Daija was standing off to the side at the bottom of the dais. Reciting the name and title of every person who came before her. His melodious voice a balm to her nerves as it filtered through her ears.

So far she hadn't recognized anyone that had come forward. And the long line of those waiting to see her made a headache throb at her temples.

For crying out loud, whoever thought of this entire ceremony should be dragged out into the street and shot!

Clenching her jaw to keep herself from moaning in discomfort when she nodded to the newest unknown couple of youkai staring up at her with interest, Kagome offered the appropriate response to their felicitations.

Counting the minutes until at dinner would be served and this part of the banquet was finished. Once it was time to eat, servants would flood the area bearing low tables and plush cushions. Lining them up in perfect rows so that they could be prepared with the utensils needed to partake of the meal. All of the nobles then would be seated and hopefully focused on either drinking their sake or eating whatever rare delicacies Taisho palace had concocted. Giving her a much needed reprieve to being on constant display to a gaggle of people who probably looked down upon her disdain anyway.

It was something that couldn't come fast enough for the woman on the low stage whose outward appearance presented nothing but serenity.

"Lord Murakumo, Taiyoukai to the Southern Lands, and Lady Fumiko, My Lady." Daija's strong voice broke into the inner pep talk she was giving herself.

Focusing on the Taiyoukai and the Lady at his side, Kagome couldn't keep a smile from curving her mouth. Blue-grey eyes turning warm and open as they met the Southern Lord's.

"Lady Kagome, a pleasure to see you again." Smirking at the blush that painted her cheeks at his words, he placed a clawed hand over the feminine one laced within the crook of his arm. "May I present my Lady Mate, Fumiko. She has been most anxious to meet you after hearing such…interesting tales about you earlier."

Breaking protocol, Kagome chuckled. Her shoulders and spine softening so that she was no longer the rigid unapproachable mate to the Taiyoukai of the West. A fact her dog demon couldn't give a damn about. He much preferred her the way she normally was, not this perfect icy creature who had sat next to him all evening.

Looking to the woman on the rain demon's arm, Kagome felt surprise spiral through her. She didn't know what she had imagined his mate to look like, but it wasn't this.

Lady Fumiko was a short woman who barely reached her mate's broad shoulders. Mischief heavy in the twinkling amethyst of her eyes and curve of her full lips. Her nose small and pert. Her rounded face was open and inviting. A refreshing change from all the other guarded youkai who had come before her. The other nobles' angular features unapproachable and judgmental as they looked to the outward world with mild discontent. As though to say nothing they saw pleased them or had a hope to.

Her brown hair was long and curly. Held up in an intricate woven thick mass that had silver metal clasps worked through the strands, just as her mate's own French braid did. The delicate lobes of her pointed ears held teardrop earrings of silver and gold. A choker about her slender throat that held a pattern of leaves linked together in the same colors as the only other jewelry she wore. Her skin pale and unblemished save for the black stripes on her forehead that looked like the stem, leaves, and petals of an iris.

She was garbed in a beautiful kimono of bright yellow with fat white clouds over the sides. The voluptuous curves of her body accentuated in the fine material as it hugged her short frame. Her short stature drew attention to the bounty of her large bosom. The rounded curves of her bottom and thighs.

The Lady of the Southern Lands was surprisingly lacking the polished perfection of the male she was mated to. And seeing them standing side by side made the differences that much more glaring. Not that Lady Fumiko was overweight. Just voluptuous in the way of old Renaissance paintings done by the masters of old.

After seeing so many statuesque models decked out in enough jewelry and expensive cloth to feed a whole country, it was refreshing to see another female who looked so, dare she say, normal.

The whole woman's demeanor screamed openness and a playful personality. Her voice excited when she said, "My Lady I am so happy to finally meet you! When Murakumo returned to our quarters and told my why Rakurai was so upset I knew that you were a woman after my own heart."

A bit taken aback by Fumiko's energetic greeting, Kagome gave her a small grin. "I'm afraid I didn't make the best first impression this morning."

Her laughter genuine and unchecked, Lady Fumiko waved the clawed hand that wasn't around her mate. "Oh, do not worry over it, My Lady. Rakurai can be the most tiresome of beasts whenever he considers himself insulted." Slyly looking at her mate out of the corner of one eye, she added mischievously, "Much like his master, I do believe."

Rolling electric eyes at her comment, Murakumo scowled down at the woman beside him. The female completely unconcerned to be on the receiving end of his displeasure if her smirk and lack of fear were anything to go by.

"Control yourself, woman. You are supposed to be saying a quick hello to Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshoumaru before moving along so others can do the same."

Shrugging, she said airily, "I do not concern myself with what is expected, My Lord. Think how boring our life would be if that were the case."

Fixing his mate with a deadpan stare, he said flatly, "Yes how terrible all that peace and quiet would be."

"That is enough out of you, My Lord." Gracing him with an indignant glower, she turned to face Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Her expression becoming inviting as she bowed to each of them using perfect form. "My Lord, My Lady. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the high youkai court, Lady Kagome. I hope we get the chance to talk again soon."

"Yes, I would like that very much, Lady Fumiko." Kagome actually meant it. Already seeing a kindred spirit in the unconventional woman who had found herself mated to a Taiyoukai as well.

Murakumo copied her with an elegant bow to them both. "Lady Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru." Leading his mate away a moment later. The sound of his laughter as he lowered his head to listen to whatever Fumiko was saying sounding through the air.

Gazing after them a few seconds, Kagome turned her head to meet Sesshoumaru's amused eyes.

Her lips turning in a small grin as she leaned towards him to whisper lowly, "How much longer until dinner is served?"

Smirking, his lips barely moved when he said, "About another hour, itoshi anata." Amber eyes becoming warm with banked desire, he purred hopefully, "Would you prefer to adjourn for the evening and head back to our bedroom? I am happy to offer you my assistance in playing lady's maid so you can remove your ceremonial robes and become more comfortable."

Blushing at his suggestive comment and burning gaze, Kagome straightened. Fixing her eyes ahead as she whispered harshly while fighting a smile, "Behave, you arrogant Taiyoukai."

"If I must," he answered just as softly. His face smoothing into placid lines as the next duo of youkai came forward.

Another long hour ticked by with a litany of nobles passing before her eyes. When Lord Tachikaze and his mate were in front of her, Kagome gave the cool couple a calculating once over. Resentment rising up in her breast for what their son, General Kaizon, had helped plan in regard to her mate's attempted assassination.

The tall male in the royal purple silk with black scales tracing over the shoulder and end of his haori bowed stiffly. The female at his side following suit. Garbed in the same color scheme and pattern as her mate in a kimono that highlighted the attractiveness of her svelte frame.

Lord Tachikaze's bright red eyes were jarring in his pale face. The strength of his Taiyoukai heritage emblazoned on his forehead and cheeks as the silhouette of a dragon with wings spread on his brow in garnet. Two long talon shapes of black curving on each cheekbone. His long wavy hair that was loose down his back. The color the same as his heir's with as much body to it. Lips set in a flat thin line, his cat-like pupils constricted harshly at the blatant censor pouring from the human looking down on him.

"My Lady." Crimson orbs swept her seated figure with barely veiled disdain before turning to Sesshoumaru. Handsome features smoothing into carefully blank lines as he bowed again. "My Lord."

"Lord Tachikaze." Sesshoumaru gave but a brief nod of his head. Amber orbs cold with a hint of a snarl curled into his lip as he eyed the dragons. "Lady Kaen."

The tall statuesque mate to the Eastern Lands only genuflected. Not saying a word from her artfully painted crimson lips. Her dark purple hair in a sophisticated chignon with various jeweled hair sticks poking out of it. Slanted eyes a pale green stared coolly ahead without meeting either of theirs on the dais. The black marking on her forehead of a flame stark in the ashen pallor of her skin. Sparkling purple gems hung in a row from each ear beside her throat. A long golden necklace traveling down her chest into the vee of her ornate kimono, so it was impossible to see what was on the end of the delicate chain. Her arm was laced through her mate's as all the other couples had been, save her deadly claws were digging into the forearm of the male she held onto. The only sign of any outward emotion to those around them.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," the Taiyoukai of the East pinned the other male in a hard narrowing of vermillion eyes, "I would like to request an audience with you to discuss my son."

Broad shoulders stiffening, Sesshoumaru returned the frigid narrow-eyed gaze. Ice dripping from his voice when he said, "That can be arranged, Lord Tachikaze. But will wait to be done after Lady Kagome's presentation."

The warning was clear for anyone to hear within the vicinity of the small group. Kagome's eyes drawn to the way Lady Kaen's claws dug further into the delicate silk covering her mate's arm. The woman continuing to stare ahead without further acknowledging anyone.

"Thank you for attending my ceremony tonight, My Lord, My Lady." Kagome purposely cut in. Drawing the attention of the dragon youkai. The intensity in those blazing eyes of his difficult to be under. Giving him a haughty look Mitsue would be proud of, she added, "Your presence here is fortuitous considering the events that transpired precipitating my bonding with Lord Sesshoumaru." Blue-grey orbs hardening, her lips curved in a sharp challenging smile as she purred, "I do so hope I get a chance to tell you of the time I ran into your son while traveling here. It makes for a very….interesting conversation, My Lord."

The ryu youkai's eyes became fiery. Fury turning the thin line of his pupils into the barest sliver of ebony as his nostrils flared. The curl of his lip presenting a large canine that flashed in the light.

Before she could do anything, Kagome's vision was suddenly filled with the back of Akito. The tall form of the arctic kitsune garbed in blue and white preventing her from seeing the face of the two youkai at the foot of the dais.

"I would strongly recommend reconsidering whatever reaction you are currently entertaining, My Lord." The ice fox's voice was dangerously silky. The tall tip of his spear accumulating a glistening sheen as ice slowly began to form around the piece of metal.

Frowning, Kagome resisted the urge to either shove her guard out of the way or lean to the side so she could see what was happening. From the sudden muted hush taking over the room it was obvious the fox's movements had gained the attention of everyone present. The few people the miko could see around Akito watching the interplay at the end of the room with varying expressions of interest, amusement, or derision.

A moment of tense silence hung around the figures at the small stage. A shimmer of crimson chasing through his amber eyes as Sesshoumaru's hand curled into a fist on his knee the only signs of his growing anger. Kiro had taken a step forward so that he was at his master's shoulder. The assassin's stony features zeroed in on the dragons his brother was addressing. Cobalt eyes devoid of emotion as they looked down upon the couple.

"Forgive me, My Lady. My Lord," Tachikaze finally said in a voice that was muffled from speaking through a clenched jaw. "I meant no offense to either of you by my actions or my words."

Akito hesitated a moment more before retreating to his previous position. The ice remaining about his weapon and pearl-blue eyes harsh in his pale face. His brother mirrored his actions. The kitsune siblings eying the Taiyoukai and his mate with suspicious gazes that trained upon the dragon demons balefully.

Now that Kagome could see the dragon youkai again, she saw the anger burning hotly in his crimson orbs. Studying his stiff frame a moment before moving on to his mate. The female's lack of reaction to everything eerie considering how volatile the ryu she was bonded to was. What did nab the miko's full attention, however, was the subtle tightening about Lady Kaen's mouth. The clawed fingers that were gripping into Tachikaze's arm so deeply it was surprising she hadn't drawn blood.

That, and the whisper of sadness that chased through her pale green eyes. If Kagome hadn't been watching her so closely she would have missed it. Yet, because she had seen it, she felt her heart going out to the female youkai.

After all, Ryosuke was her son. No matter what he had embroiled himself into, or what was concocted by whoever to try and assassinate Sesshoumaru, it must be difficult for any mother to be worried about their child. To know that if the allegations were true it could lead to death or possible all out war in trying to free the General if the inu youkai demanded recompense.

Compassion blossomed in Kagome's chest causing her anger to ebb. Blue-grey eyes turning kind as her expression softened. No matter what was decided in the future for General Kaizon, she couldn't stand by and let the poor woman suffer as she was.

"There is no reason to apologize, My Lord," Kagome said firmly. Diffusing the situation effectively as Sesshoumaru waited to see if she had taken offense or not. If she had, there was no doubt her mind he would have called the ryu youkai out on it and that would have led to all sorts of violence, she was certain. Waving a hand gracefully as Mitsue had taught her, she caught Lady Kaen's eyes. Talking directly to her when she said, "I am sure that you are both worried about your child. I would find it difficult myself to attend a party while being anxious to see my son. I am certain my mate will make time to have that discussion with you as soon as possible."

Relief settled in Lady Kaen's green eyes. The corners of her mouth losing some of their pinched quality as she gave Kagome a slight nod in thanks.

"Then that is all we can ask for the time being." Lord Tachikaze's voice drew her attention back to him. His vermillion orbs still roiling with upset, but not the burning rage of before at least. Offering them each a bow, his mate doing the same, he said flatly, "My Lord. My Lady."

Kagome watched them walk away without a backward glance. Both the youkai's spines straight and heads held high. Their bearing that of true royalty as they glided through the crowd towards the opening that took them to the outer chamber. Once they were out of sight, she turned her head to glance at Sesshoumaru. Taking in the stoic lines of his face. The obstinate set to his jaw and the blush of red reflecting in his amber irises. As though his true nature was close to the surface and had not receded yet.

Sighing, she grinned softly while reaching over to clasp his fisted hand resting upon his knee. Her action drawing his attention as he pinned her with a quizzical stare. Silver eyebrow arching and lips a harsh line as he gazed at her.

Squeezing him, Kagome said with quietly, "Don't let Tachikaze upset you, my love. I know his actions were abrasive but try to imagine it from his and Lady Kaen's point of view. They are worried their son may be put to death for what he has done. That would affect any parent."

Tilting his head to the side, the light glinting off the metal in his hair, Sesshoumaru turned his hand to cradle her own. Brushing his thumb over the scars along the back of it over and over in light caresses.

"Your compassionate nature is undeserved on such youkai, kireina." Eyes turning tender, he shook his head with a tiny smile. "I am afraid that forgiving heart of yours would make for a terrible commander when it comes to battle."

Giving him a haughty stare, she said arrogantly, "I'll have you know I'd be one of the best generals there ever was. My prowess and agility would have ballads sung for me in every castle if people but knew of how skilled I was at combat."

Chuckling at her attempt to drag him from his somber mood, the Taiyoukai lifted her hand to his lips to place a kiss over the patchwork of raised flesh there. "I am interested to hear just what skirmishes you could be referring to. Considering the fact that I have traveled all over Japan and never heard your name mentioned once during all that time."

Waving her free hand dismissively, Kagome scoffed. "That's because you haven't talked to the right people. I can't help it that your demeanor scares everyone away. Maybe if you didn't scowl so much…"

He nipped her fingers in retribution causing her to laugh. Smiling fully as he released her to place his hand facedown on his thigh once more. The appendage no longer tense. His body relaxed as he sat beside his mate.

"My mate. How she sings my praises for all to hear." Smirking he gave her a hot look from beneath his lashes. "Of course, I find I love the sound of her voice whenever it is raised in passion of any sort. So perhaps I will not be too slighted by her observations of me."

Cheeks flushing at what he had said where anyone could hear, Kagome turned forward again. Ignoring his devilish grin as she schooled her features back into place.

"Like I said, you behave you arrogant Taiyoukai," she muttered low enough for him to hear. Fighting a smile when he laughed again at her admonishment.

Another round of youkai came forward to be introduce. Kagome doing her best to remember everyone she saw but finding it pretty much hopeless. After all, there was but one of her and hundreds of them.

Back and shoulders aching terribly. Her neck stiff from remaining at its current angle for so long and her legs completely numb at this point. She was really disappointed this era of Japan didn't believe in thrones. Now she understood why European rulers favored the damn things so much. It sure as hell beat sitting on the floor for hours on end pretending your muscles weren't getting ready to fail from being in the same position forever.

Kagome was almost ready to give into temptation and stand up to stretch when a familiar face suddenly filled her vision. Stomach clenching and chest tight, she swallowed thickly while meeting the guarded gaze of the youkai standing in front of her. Finding it impossible to keep the haughty angle to her head or gaze.

Before Daija could introduce the newcomer that bowed formally to her, she said in a husky whisper, "Hello, Kouga."

Nodding once, his arms laced over his chest and green eyes unreadable, he said stiffly, "Lady Kagome."

Sadness assailed her. Features clouding with unhappiness as she fought to keep her composure at being faced with the wolf's obvious hurt and disapproval.

"I am so glad you could make it," she said with a brittle smile that didn't reach her shadowed blue-grey eyes.

"Yeah, well," he swept her serenely seated form in the junihitoe with eyes that were far colder than she had been on the receiving end of before. "I wouldn't miss your presentation ceremony, My Lady."

The mocking way he said her title made her cringe. His lips a flat line as he moved on to her mate. Sketching the Taiyoukai the briefest of bows as his expression turned bitter.

"Lord Sesshoumaru."

Amber eyes narrowing coldly on the Northern Ruler, he said, "Lord Kouga."

Kagome went to open her mouth to say something else. What, she didn't know. Anything that could possibly mend the friendship she had held with the handsome wolf prince for three years.

But he didn't give her chance.

"You look lovely this evening, Lady Kagome. I hope your presentation into the high youkai court goes well tonight." He bowed once more to them both before striding away. His body tense and clawed hands in fists at his sides as he blended into the teaming crowd.

Watching him disappear, Kagome sighed heavily. Slouching, she tried to push away how hurt she felt at the ookami's behavior.

It was only natural he would be upset with the way things had turned out. That didn't mean it wasn't painful to see how it had affected her friend for her to be with someone else. She honestly hadn't thought he wanted her for himself that much. Figuring it more had to do with her ability to see and purify shikon shards than anything he found attractive in the woman attached to the capability.

Kagome had thought that in time the wolf prince would finally turn his amorous eyes towards Ayame or some other lovely female ookami youkai. A female worthy of the position as Lady of the Northern Lands who would adore her mate with as much veracity as Kouga would her. The miko had always thought, after meeting Ayame, that the wolf princess would be the perfect match for Kouga. A balance in nature to his own that would compliment some of his rougher edges.

However, it would seem that the wolf demon had firmly settled upon Kagome and now that she was truly out of reach, Kouga was finding it a bitter pill to swallow. That he would never have her after courting her for so many years.

At least, that is what Kagome assumed anyway.

"My Lady," Daija gave her a concerned look of kindness from his roiling eyes as she glanced down at him blankly. "Lord Kouga was the final youkai to offer solicitations."

"Thank you, Lord Daija," Sesshoumaru answered for her as she kept staring down at the phoenix silently. "Please advise the servants to begin setting up for the dinner course."

Bowing low, he cast one final sympathetic look at the dejected human on the dais. "It will be as you say, My Lord. My Lady, you look beautiful tonight."

Once they were alone, Sesshoumaru turned his head to eye her with a frown. Tracing the troubled picture she made while sitting there in all her finery.

Reaching over he gently ran his knuckles down the side of her face. The miko starting in surprise at the feel of his skin as it brought her out of her inner turmoil.

"Do not let it bother you, kireina. Lord Kouga will get over it in time and I am certain you will reform the friendship between you." Gazing deeply into her eyes, he willed her to believe him.

Smiling sadly, she clasped his hand in her own. Hugging his palm to her face as she nodded. Grateful the inu youkai was trying to give her comfort she sorely needed right now despite the audience of hundreds of demons watching their every move critically.

Not that Sesshoumaru had made any bones of his disdain for the high youkai court. Curbing his behavior or his wishes where his mate was concerned wasn't something he was willing to do.

Kagome was now very thankful for who her Taiyoukai was. His blatant disregard for the other nobles attending her ceremony. His touch and voice was helping to balance her out. Their twin bonds wrapping about her as though they were embracing the miko on the inside. Soothing her hurt and pain over Kouga's behavior. The sentience of their mating bond thrumming with a plaintive whining purr that sounded part canine. Its presence so real she could almost swear she felt actual fur rubbing against her skin.

"I'm sure you're right, Sesshoumaru. I'm sure you're right." Releasing him, Kagome drew her training tight about her like a cloak. Enshrouding Mitsue's lessons about her body like armor as she gave the room a haughty stare. "So, do we eat immediately, or do I get a break at some point before we continue?"

Standing without any signs of the stiffness she held in her own muscles and joints, he gave her a small grin as he held his hand out to her. "Come along, itoshi anata. I am certain these nobles will not care if the Lady of the evening disappears for a few minutes."

Taking his clawed hand gratefully, Kagome bit her lip to hold back a pained groan as she regained her feet. Keeping a tight grasp on his fingers as he helped her step down from the dais on unsteady legs that trembled. The numbness from her knees to her toes making it difficult to ascertain where she was placing her feet so that Kagome feared she would stumble down the few steps.

Once she was at ground level, Kagome gave a sigh of relief and a grimace of pain. Sesshoumaru's amber eyes were watchful as he urged his mate to place her arm about his elbow. So it appeared as though they were only ambling along instead of her leaning heavily against him.

"Kiro, Akito, you may either remain here or mill about to see your family if you wish," Sesshoumaru said to the brothers who made to join them. Firmly letting them know he desired to give Kagome a few moments of privacy, even if it was their personal guards. "You can retake your posts after we return."

"Of course, My Lord." Kiro bowed to them both before departing into the crowd. Heading in the direction he had spotted Kei and Najoro off in the corner.

Akito eyed his mistress closely. Pearl-blue eyes showing his displeasure at her discomfort. The clawed hand about the pole of his spear tightening into a white knuckled grip.

Glancing over to the Taiyoukai he served, he stepped forward to ask low enough so only Sesshoumaru would hear, "My Lord, are you certain you would not like me to escort Lady Kagome to some private quarters for a moment? Give her a chance to collect her thoughts and relax until dinner is served?"

"That will not be necessary, Akito." Glancing at the guard from beneath his lashes, he added as he began to lead Kagome away, "Do not worry, Akito. I will not allow anything to happen to your charge. However, your concern over her welfare is commendable, and I thank you for it. It lets me know I have placed my trust correctly when I made the decision to place you as her personal guard."

Pride shining in his opalescent blue eyes, the arctic fox nodded once. Stepping back to take up his place behind where Kagome would be seated later when the meal would be served.

"I shall await your return then, My Lord."

Nodding once, Sesshoumaru began leading Kagome through the youkai assembled about the room. Keeping his steps slow and measured to allow his mate time to acclimate to the simple task of walking when he could clearly tell she was suffering from going through the introductory phase.

Determined to give her a few moments of respite from the entire ordeal, Sesshoumaru painted his features in icy aloofness. Clearing them a path without saying a word as he took her towards the exit that would lead outside.

The crowd parted for them without question. Lords and ladies bowing respectfully as Kagome and Sesshoumaru passed on their way towards the open doors that led out to veranda that wrapped around every story of the palace.

Clenching her jaw as the pain of a thousand pins and needles assaulted her legs, Kagome let Sesshoumaru bear most of her weight as she concentrated on not stumbling. The aching in her body irritating and hard to endure while wearing something that was so heavy and confining.

Once they reached the outdoors, she was glad to see there wasn't really anyone else out there on the long balcony. Most of the youkai nobles were content to mill about indoors sipping refreshments or partaking of the hors d'oeuvres offered by the staff winding through them.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru continued on towards the more secluded path on the right that would lead to a dead end at the corner of the building. The miko nodding to the armored guards that were stationed at every doorway with a small grin. Their horned helmets and glaives sharp and deadly in the soft light offered by the red paper lanterns hung at artful intervals from the eaves. The delicate hand painted triple sakura and crescent moons on them beautiful in their simplicity.

She sighed in relief as they slowly strolled down until they were at the corner of the building where the walkway ended. Their forms engulfed in shadows since the final door to the outside was a ways behind them further down the wall. Offering them a semblance of privacy as Kagome eagerly snuggled into Sesshoumaru's side when he wrapped his arm about her waist. Standing near the railing so they could gaze out into the peaceful Fall night that was cloudless with a sea of glittering stars hanging overhead in a dazzling display. It looked as though someone has scattered diamonds over black velvet and Kagome let the serenity of the moment soothe her raw nerves and aching body.

Placing her head against Sesshoumaru's shoulder, she fought a yawn as they stood in the night. Gazing out into the gardens that had been tastefully decorated and lit with lanterns in the trees and tall torches lining the paths. A fairy world of visual delights that enticed a few of the youkai who were attending her ceremony to walk arm-in-arm together through the whimsical scene.

She grinned as she spied Murakumo with his Lady on his arm sedately walking along one of the paths. The Taiyoukai pausing by a copse of pink nadeshiko to pluck one of the small flowers and place it with care in his mate's curly mane. The love they shared with one another blatant in the way Fumiko wrapped her arms about his neck and gave him a big passionate kiss. Uncaring if they had an audience.

Kagome chuckled at the way the rain youkai's expression showed censor as his mate released him. The set of his shoulders and tilt of his head as he spoke displaying admonishment to the woman standing before him with a huge smile curving her mouth. Whatever he said was unheard from this distance but the way the small curvy woman he was mated to waved a clawed hand before walking off in the middle of his tirade was hilarious. Especially when her reserved mate caught up with her in long ground eating strides to promptly wrap his arm about her waist before whisking her out of sight into a grove of cherry trees.

Kagome chuckling at the sight of the two mates who were a good match for one another despite how opposite they were in looks and temperament.

"It's good to see someone in love like those two." Snaking her arm around his back, she turned her head to look up Sesshoumaru. Tracing his handsome features with loving eyes and a small grin. "Reminds me of another Taiyoukai who is just as enamored with his own mate."

Smirking, he tightened his hold to bring her to his front. Cradling her to his chest as he stared down at her with amber eyes banked in desire.

"I cannot imagine who you are referring to, Kagome." Reaching up he moved a few strands of her hair behind an ear. "Perhaps you could enlighten me to this mystery demon you speak of."

Giving him a reproachful pout, Kagome slid her hands over the planes of the inu youkai's muscled frame to wrap her arms around his neck. Admiring how his eyes glowed in the darkness in fiery luminescence.

"You know perfectly well you're crazy about me, you forgetful old man." Swaying against him, Kagome enjoyed the feel of brushing her body against his. Relaxing and enjoying the small reprieve from the rigors of her presentation. "Now kiss me before you forget how to do that too."

Rolling his eyes, he obligingly lowered his head. Giving her a brief kiss over her lips before leaning back. Smirking at the way she tried to follow him with her eyes closed. A disappointed frown marring her brow as she lifted her lids.

"What? You requested a kiss and like a dutiful mate, I provided one." Pretending innocence at her irritation, Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I am sorry if my caresses do not meet up to your high standards in regard to displays of affection."

Scoffing, Kagome grabbed his striped cheeks and forcefully pulled him down to kiss him with a complete lack of reservation. Her tongue delving deeply into his mouth when his lips parted in a surprised grunt. Sweeping through the moist cavern while being mindful of his fangs before she separated from him. Both of them panting a little with color in their cheeks. The miko leaning back against the railing of the walkway as she eyed her dog demon's expression.

Giving him a smug smirk from her kiss swollen lips, she stood away from the bannister to adjust her over kimono sleeves.

Head tilted at an autocratic angle as she said with superiority, "Now that is how you properly kiss your mate. According to her demanding expectations of what she believes her Taiyoukai should do."

A surprised 'eep' escaped her as she suddenly found herself in the corner of the building in swirl of silk and midnight hair. Her back against the wall with her mate looming over her. Her hands splaying over his chest. The amber of his eyes ablaze. His tall body pushing into hers as he cradled her cheek. Nuzzling into her affectionately.

"I am not certain I caught the lesson you just gave. Perhaps you should repeat it so I can commit it to memory, itoshi anata." His voice was a suggestive purr against her lips.

A quiver of desire spiraled through her body as her eyes slid closed. Her fingers curling into the silk over his pectoral muscles. Nipples tightening and an ache settling between her thighs at the wicked promise nuanced in his words. Bringing to mind recollections of the two of them writhing together between the silk of their sheets.

"Sesshoumaru, the guards are right over there, and youkai are still around," Kagome protested weakly. Her breath catching when he trailed a line of butterfly kisses over her cheek to her ear. The Taiyoukai drawing her lobe into his mouth to suck on it gently in the way he knew drove her crazy. Fingers clawing into him, she clenched her jaw to keep the moan stuck in her throat. Grinding out, "Behave yourself, you arrogant Taiyoukai."

"Ah, but it is so difficult to do so when your delectable body and alluring mouth drive me to distraction, kireina. I am afraid I am not responsible for my actions where you are concerned." Sesshoumaru's tongue darted out to draw a line down her throat. Nipping her pulse between careful fangs that made the woman in his arm shiver in response. Inhaling the fragrance of her skin deeply into his lungs. "Your scent is mouthwatering, itoshi anata. It makes it hard to resist the urge to feast upon you."

The erotic connotations to his sensual declarations had need blazing through her system. Lower abdomen clenching as her heartbeat and breathing accelerated. A flush overtaking her body that painted her skin a deep scarlet.

Her fingers dove through his silvery hair. Coming up short against the headdress and ponytail that held the lengthy mane in place.

"We really should be getting back to the ceremony," Kagome said in a faltering voice as she became breathless at his ministrations and voice. Arousal a steady thrum through her veins. "Dinner will be nearly ready to be served right now."

He nipped the underside of her jaw. Tracing her mouth with his tongue before taking her lower lip into his mouth to suck on it gently. The fingers in his hair twisting as she arched her body into his helplessly. Twisting against the hardness of his tall frame restlessly.

"I would much rather partake of other delights than whatever our chefs have prepared, kireina." Sesshoumaru covered her mouth with his own when she let out a low whimper.

Kissing her passionately as his palm moved to cover one of her breasts through the layers of her junihitoe. Searing her through the expensive cloth as though she were nude. His fingers lightly massaging and rubbing in a way that made her knees weak.

Kagome became lost in the sensations Sesshoumaru was bringing to life within her. Forgetting the fact that they could be easily seen by sharp youkai eyes even in the shadows of the corner they were in. Possibly smell the hint of arousal from the human woman whose presentation ceremony they were attending.

Another low whimper of need escaped her lips when he finally moved his mouth from hers. His arm sliding around her to run his hand up and down her spine in a bid to calm her. Breathing ragged as he leaned his forehead to her own. Kissing her cheek or the tip of her nose every so often as he waited for his mate to find her equilibrium.

Her thoughts scattered, Kagome trudged through the thick fog of sexuality engulfing her mind. Fighting the strength of her desire for her mate arduously as her lungs worked to regain an easier rhythm. Her body aching for a much different reason than before.

Swallowing audibly, she squinted open her eyes. Gazing into the bright amber of Sesshoumaru's eyes. Focusing on the brilliance of them as she slowly became aware of her surroundings again.

"Forgive me, kireina." He placed a chaste kiss on her brow before retaking his position of before with his marked forehead to hers. "I had not meant to take things this far." A self-deprecating smile curved his lips as he added wryly, "I find my control where you are concerned is insubstantial as mist."

"That's okay," she whispered as she began to relax. The heat in her cheeks receding when the cool night air blew over them. Nuzzling him with a grin, Kagome removed her hands from his hair. Resting her palms on his broad shoulders, smoothing the material there. "I can't keep my hands off you either. So we're as bad as each other."

Chuckling warmly, he stepped back. Looking over her appearance with a critical eye to make certain what they had been doing couldn't be detected by rumpled clothing or smudged makeup.

"Do I still look alright?" Kagome asked anxiously as she smoothed her hands down her front. Searching for any wrinkles in the low lighting. Fretful fingers patting at the hair around her crown to make sure it was securely in place.

"You look perfect, Kagome." Giving her a tender look, he kissed her cheek before running his fingers through his bangs to straighten them.

Sighing in relief, she giggled a little after noticing his mussed hair and crumpled haori front. Helping him to smooth the soft black material before straightening his ponytail back into place. Finger combing his long silvery locks and retightening the hairdo. Gently nudging his hairpiece back into place from where it had gone askew thanks to her.

Giving him a considering sweep of her eyes, she gave him a mischievous smile. "There! Now no one will guess that you were off mauling your mate in dark corners."

Arching an eyebrow at her description Sesshoumaru smirked. "I do not believe I was the only one doing the mauling, itoshi anata. In fact, my appearance is in much more disrepair than your own."

Blushing at the mention of her part in tousling him, Kagome patted him on the chest before looping her arm through his. "You could do with some dishevelment, My Lord. It's such a sexy look on you when you do."

Turning back to retrace their steps, the Taiyoukai slanted her a sardonic look. "Somehow I doubt my mate would appreciate it if everyone knew how I wore passion upon my features. I get the sense she jealously guards such things for herself alone."

Nodding firmly, Kagome patted his forearm and replied, "You are absolutely right. Just keep glaring at everyone or staring at them coldly. Helps to keep all the hussies away."

Laughing at her words, he dropped a kiss on her temple. Pausing by the doorway to stare down at her lovingly.

"That beautiful way with words you have is one of the reasons I love you, kireina. The pictures you paint are always so vivid."

Preening, Kagome gave him a winning smile as she said proudly, "Thanks! It is one of my many talents."

Shaking his head with a chuckle he began leading her forward again. "Of that, itoshi anata, I have no doubt."

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	63. The Banquet

Dinner was a lot more excruciating than it should have been. Kagome was hungry and the courses set before her smelled lovely and looked delicious. But it was difficult to enjoy the palace chefs' hard work when you were sitting on display in front of hundreds of eyes.

She managed to choke down a few bites of the artfully done sushi. The delicacy of flavors and craftsmanship of the presentation lost on the woman partaking of the fare.

The miso soup didn't do much better for her. A few sips and Kagome couldn't manage to get anymore down her tight throat. Her attempts at ignoring the way the youkai around her were studying every move she made making her feel self-conscious to the point where she could hardly handle her chopsticks without dropping them.

The fragrant smell of the grilled steak they placed in front of her for the meat course nearly made her gag. Not because of an offensive odor.

No, it was the underlying scent of raw meat that intermingled with it that made her stomach turn. The miko shuttering her expression so she didn't display just how disquieting it was to watch demons slipping pieces of dripping red meat between their lips with relish.

Sesshoumaru ate everything with a poise that she was envious of. His table manners impeccable as he deftly used his chopsticks to grab a strip of the uncooked muscle swimming in its own blood and herbs to eat it. The Taiyoukai moving on to eat a shukketsu hato and then a few pieces of the kanashimi peppers in another small bowl.

Kagome breathed through her mouth in an attempt to mitigate the desire to vomit. Her stomach flip-flopping so that she gratefully took up the small black mug with its triple sakura on its side to take a drink of water. Hoping the cool liquid would help calm her nerves and her wayward digestive system.

Upon noticing her lack of food consumption, Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side as he regarded her closely. Taking in her waxy pallor that made her look a little green. The fine tremor in the hand holding her cup was something only her mate noticed. The reflexive bobbing of her throat as she swallowed with a grimace. As though attempting not to become sick all over the place.

Nodding, he signaled to the servant standing off to the side. The demon waiting with clasped hands and a down-bent head to be given an order in regard to serving the master and mistress of the house. Noticing Sesshoumaru's signal, the young male youkai rushed forward.

"You may take away the meat course."

The words had barely left the Taiyoukai's mouth before the demon began to clear everything away with efficiency. Placing the dirty dishes upon the tray being held by a second female demon who had appeared at his side. Waiting until they were alone, or relatively so considering they were surrounded by their guards and hundreds of youkai nobles, Sesshoumaru turned to sweep amber eyes over his mate.

The woman looked as though she was going to be ill any second.

As she went to take another sip of her beverage, her hand trembling subtly, he whispered to her, "Are you feeling alright, Itoshi anata?"

Waiting until after she swallowed, Kagome gave him a fake bright smile. Skin ashen and eyes a little glazed as she set her mug down on the black ornate low tables set before them.

"I'm okay, Sesshoumaru. Why do you ask?" She frowned in puzzlement, mouth slightly parted as she continued to breathe without using her nose.

"It is only that I know you said you were hungry and yet you have hardly touched any of the food set in front of you." Tilting his head to the side, he narrowed his eyes on her sharply. "If what the chefs have prepared is not to your liking it is no trouble to ask them to provide something you find more palatable."

Panic chased through her expressive features before she gave him another brittle tilt of her lips while waving her hands.

"No, no! It's fine! I guess the excitement of tonight just got to me is all. So I'm not as hungry as I thought I was." She prayed he believed that lie but judging by the skeptical glance she was receiving she highly doubted it.

"I have never known your appetite to be curbed by excitement before, Kagome." He smirked down at her as she gave him an affronted look. Some of the color returning to her cheeks as she glared in his direction.

"Are you saying I eat too much? Rude Taiyoukai!" Crossing her arms over her chest, completely disregarding the company surrounding them, she told him with a growl, "Telling me I'm fat. You mean old dog demon, how would you like it if I told you you're chubby?"

Arching a silver eyebrow, he stated blandly as he picked up the freshly filled saucer of sake at his elbow, "I do not recall ever mentioning your weight or what I thought about it."

"Semantics. I can read between the lines just fine." Huffing, she gave him a defiant look before stealing the saucer from his clawed hand. A few drops of the alcohol spilling to leave wet spots on the table. "I guess I'll just drink away the pain of my mate's insensitive comments."

"Kagome-" he didn't get a chance to finish the sentence as she tilted her head back and drank the potent liquid in one swallow. The Taiyoukai trying to keep a smirk from his features as she froze with the saucer in her hand. Her eyes going wide as the fiery beverage swept down her throat and into her stomach. "Are you alright?"

Gasping, Kagome placed the saucer down with slow careful movements. Gulping in air as she tried to alleviate the feeling that her insides were on fire from her mouth to her tummy. The sake rolling around and seeming to have a great battle with the food she had consumed. Nausea making her complexion wax to a sickly pallor as she tried not to be sick.

"That wasn't as good an idea as I thought," she said huskily with an unsteady laugh. Her eyes watering a bit from the burn of the alcohol. Taking the cold water he offered her gratefully, she sipped at it a lot more slowly than she had the drink she'd taken from her mate. "Thanks."

Amusement painted his handsome features as he nodded to a waiting servant to refill the black saucer with the triple sakura at the bottom of its black bowl. Calmly sipping the clear liquid as he watched his mate try to find her composure after shooting what even demons knew to cautiously consume.

"I will say, I have never seen you turn that particular shade of green." Lip curling in a smirk, he asked with interest to needle her, "Are you certain you are not part lizard youkai and simply changing your appearance to adapt to your surroundings?"

Scowling at him, she coughed a little behind the sleeve of her junihitoe. Wiping delicately at the edges of her eyes so she didn't accidentally smudge her makeup.

"You could have at least warned me about the sake, Sesshoumaru!" Making a face, she added, "That stuff tastes terrible. How do you manage to consume that crap without melting your esophagus or puking everywhere?"

"Eloquent as always," he said with a snicker. Purposely taking another slow drink of the sake as he watched her before answering. "It is an acquired taste. Besides, it is not like you gave me a chance to forewarn you of its potency. You seemed very determined to teach me a lesson of some sort." Eyeing her with amusement, he added wryly, "Though I do believe you gave yourself one more so than I."

Kagome would have growled but her throat was already on fire and she didn't think she could handle doing it. After all, when someone's vocal chords had just been melted with pure acid it was hard enough just trying to swallow let alone speak. At least the nausea was settling down as time went by. Her senses becoming fuzzy around the edges as a warmth pervaded her body. Giving her cheeks a rosy flush as her eyes became glassy as the alcohol began to take effect.

"Well, I will say, once you get over the initial terribleness of that stuff it actually makes you feel kind of nice." She beamed up at her mate with a radiant curve of her lips.

Enjoying how her anxiety was fading right along with all the aches and pains in her body. Why, even her self-consciousness was becoming a distant memory!

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Recognizing what was happening to his mate as the alcohol entered her bloodstream, Sesshoumaru hid a smile behind the rim of his sake saucer. Training his eyes ahead to idly look over all the nobles set in perfect rows the length of the two rooms. The prominence of their station placing them up front and closer to the royal couple during the banquet.

Both the visiting Taiyoukai and their mates were at the very front. Tachikaze on Sesshoumaru's side and Murakumo on Kagome's. He couldn't keep the genuine grin off his face when he met the Southern Taiyoukai's amused roiling gaze. Murakumo's blond brows lifting as he nodded towards Kagome. Sesshoumaru simply shrugging as he shook his head.

It was an odd feeling.

This new sense of comradery that had basically sprung up overnight between himself and the other demon. A completely foreign anomaly that he had never figured upon or would have instigated himself.

But then, his mate did collect youkai as they crossed her path, so maybe her penchant for making friends with everyone she met was starting to wear off on him as well. Kami knew he hadn't been able to resist 'Mistress Sunshine' once she had set her mind to becoming a part of his life.

The woman was damnably stubborn once she got an idea in that pretty head of hers. A fact he was actually grateful for now that they were mated.

But for the fact of her obstinacy in taking care of him and accompanying him to his castle, Sesshoumaru would have completely missed out on the wonder that was his mate-bond with the miko. It made him give silent thanks to his father as well.

Thankful to the Taiyoukai who had listened to the ancient seer and made their meeting possible in the first place. If ever he met his parent again Sesshoumaru would spend countless moments expressing his gratitude towards the demon for what he had brought into his son's life.

Sesshoumaru chuckled when Murakumo's attention was grabbed by Lady Fumiko smacking him lightly on his shoulder. Her face set in disapproval at her mate's amusement at Kagome's expense as she gave her mate a glare. The handsome Taiyoukai beside her frowning down at the diminutive female while saying something the dog demon couldn't hear.

To which his lady simply arched a brow before waving her clawed hand as she replied. A staring contest setting up between the two as they both ignored their food to bait one another.

It helped that the other Lord had taken a mate as much an oddity as his own. The similarities between Sesshoumaru and the rain youkai beginning to stack up against their differences. It also assuaged the inu youkai's ego to see how one of the fiercest deadly Taiyoukai in Japan couldn't seem to get his own mate to behave in the way he wanted.

Smirking smugly, Sesshoumaru continued to watch the couple. Glad that he wasn't the only one whose mate didn't appreciate his frightening scowl or quaked in fright whenever he spoke harshly.

Ah, but it was nice to have a kindred spirit when it came to being ignored by the woman you were bonded to.

He laughed outright when he spotted how Murakumo took a clawed finger to dance it down his lady's side. The female squirming as she blinked. The triumphant smirk taking place on her mate's mouth causing her to say something to him with an indignant huff before she turned away to focus on her food. Ignoring him as punishment for cheating.

His sound of mirth gained Kagome's notice. The woman giving him a quizzical look before turning her head to follow his line of sight. Her own mouth curving in merriment as she took a hot mug of tea from a servant with a polite word of thanks.

"I must say Lord Murakumo's Lady is not what I expected." She studied the royal couple for a few moments. Cradling the heat of her mug in both hands, her new ring flashing brilliantly in the light from the sconces. "Do you know what kind of youkai she is?"

"I believe Lady Fumiko is a tanuki." Tilting his head in thought, he met his mate's interested blue-grey eyes. Noting how much more at ease she seemed since she had taken her place on the dais hours prior. "I will confess, she is not what I would have thought that particular Taiyoukai would have chosen for a mate either."

"Really?" Glancing back to the couple they were discussing, Kagome said, "I mean, I guess you would know him better than I would since I just met him today. But even then I got the impression he can be a bit of stickler for protocol and hierarchy."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru placed his sake saucer to the side before gently moving a stray piece of her ebony hair behind her ear. "It is a well known fact that the Southern Lord can be considered tough to deal with. That he prides himself on maintaining a level of control and sophistication that demonstrates all the coveted attributes in youkai noble society."

"That's what I thought too," Kagome readily agreed. Facing her mate again as the servants milled about the room. Removing the meat course to reset for the next one. "The obvious way he is crazy about his mate makes me like him, though. It's so romantic that he chose a woman who is normal instead of one of the perfect beauties that you demons seem to produce so easily."

Arching a silver eyebrow at her observation, he tilted his head while giving her a considering look. "A set of pretty features is not the only thing which attracts people to one another, Kagome. You find that as you are a creature who lives for hundreds, even thousands, of years that you seek something more substantial than appearance to keep by your side."

"That makes sense." Kagome nodded. Sighing in happiness as she adjusted her legs, so she was no longer perched atop them. Lacing them together in a much more comfortable position. Her inhibitions replaced with the heady alcohol in her system. "And a romantic sentiment as well."

Smiling indulgently at his mate's actions, Sesshoumaru was inwardly glad she had finally tossed away her rigid training. Hoping she would finally begin to enjoy herself at her own ceremony.

His mate was free spirited by nature and didn't tend to do well when forced to adhere to a specified set of rules in life. If the sake had managed to help her unwind from the tight knots twisting her body, then he was all for it!

He didn't care what anyone watching her thought of her behavior. These lords and ladies who pandered to one another in a sickening fashion. Hoping to gain a higher position in the youkai court as they scrambled and simpered to one another. Plotting and scheming with beatific smiles on their lips as their minds actively worked at unseating over overtaking whoever they were talking to.

One of the benefits of being a Taiyoukai was the lack of such nonsense. Giving them the liberty to live their lives as they saw fit and the privilege of mate-bonding with whomever they desired.

When you wielded as much raw power as they did, you no longer needed to cater to the whims of the nobility. Disregarding their censure or their approval to do whatever you wished.

His amber eyes panned over to the dragons. Studying the stiff set of Tachikaze and his Lady's bodies as they sedately ate what was put before them. Their features aloof and cold as they sat through the lengthy ordeal of the banquet.

Their focus remained on either the dishes before them or each other. The Eastern Taiyoukai's crimson eyes softening minutely whenever he would glance at the woman beside him. His sharp features mellowing when his mate offered him a bite of food from her chopsticks. The way the couple interacted with one another speaking of a long relationship built solidly on a foundation of respect and affection.

It made Sesshoumaru wonder if they had known of what their only child had been up to. If they had an inkling of Aion's machinations on their lands. He was beginning to think they had been left in the dark about the entire situation.

General Kaizon was heir and future Taiyoukai to the entire Eastern part of Japan. If he had erroneously become embroiled in a coup to overthrow a fellow lord and was caught, then the treasonous act was typically followed by a swift death.

Something Sesshoumaru knew the two ryu were painfully aware of. Kagome's words from earlier echoed in his head. The dog demon analyzing them as he watched the tender way the Eastern Taiyoukai ran his knuckles over his mate's cheek. His clawed thumb moving beneath her eye as though wiping away a tear.

The derelict emotion of compassion filtered into Sesshoumaru's heart as he watched them. Unfamiliar and difficult to push away once it had taken place inside his breast.

How would he react if his own son one day was foolish enough to do something that reckless and dangerous?

Would he love the pup any less? Be able to stand by and do nothing if the youkai his child had slighted decided to punish him by demanding his head as recompense?

Frowning, Sesshoumaru shifted about restlessly where he sat. Uncomfortable with his train of thought that made him see the dragon couple as anything other than a potential threat he might need to dispose of.

Damn his mate and her tender heart!

She had corrupted his steely control so that he was becoming soft to the woes of other demons. Completely picking away at his resolve to see the matter with the dragons through without a shred of sentiment or emotion cluttering his decision.

He couldn't very well try to place himself in their shoes. To see and feel what they were going through with empathetic eyes. Doing so would cloud his judgement and leave himself and those he governed open for potential attack or worse.

Sympathy would have to be regulated solely to his open-hearted mate. Kagome's depth of forgiveness and compassion an endless well she drew from for all those she came into contact with. Better to let the miko at his side feel such things so he could return back to his normal mannerisms of ruling with cold efficiency.

The problem was, it was more difficult than it should have been to distance himself from the emotion. Damnably hard to disregard what Kagome's words and the dragons' actions had planted in his mind.

Forcing it away harshly, Sesshoumaru firmly turned away from the royal couple. Focusing on his mate at his side. Eyes warming and lips curling in amusement as he watched the way she was eating the pastries and small pieces of sweets in front of her with gusto.

"I take it you found your appetite again, kireina?" He asked in open mirth. Smirking at the way she popped a piece of pale green monaka between her lips with a blissful sigh.

"This food is amazing!" Eagerly she took her chopsticks and grabbed up another small round piece of the monaka. The pale pink dessert following the path of its brethren as Kagome chewed on it with a grin. Swallowing, she took a sip of her tea before turning to him. "I didn't know what to expect for dessert, but I am loving this monaka!"

"Yes, I can see that." Smirking in amusement, he grabbed up his own set of gold-plated chopsticks. Carefully considering the vast array of colorful sweets. The small black plates filled with monaka, the beautiful molds of the dango that had been set to represent flowers of the season, the pile of amanatto, uiro in precise rectangles, namagashi cut to look like nadeshiko flowers, and sakuramochi. "I must say, the chefs have given you endless options to choose from. Apparently, they have figured out their new mistress has a sweet tooth."

Giving him a mock glare, she took up a couple of amanatto into her fingers. Eating them before answering his dry observation.

"They know I'm someone who appreciates how adept they are at baking and cooking. Nothing wrong with that," she defended herself. Reaching over to grab a few more of the sugar coated beans. "Before I came along I bet nobody showed them how much they loved and were glad of their baking talents."

Staring at the copious amounts of desserts, he finally shrugged before choosing a piece of uiro. Holding it out to his mate with an arched eyebrow as he waited for her to finish eating what was in her mouth.

"As you say. I do not believe you have tried these yet." He watched the way she eyed the multilayered sweet a moment before reaching out to take a small nibble at its edge. Settling back afterwards to chew it thoughtfully as she tilted her head in consideration. "Well?"

"It's good." Kagome frowned as she looked over the other plates of food on the table. "But it definitely isn't my favorite."

Smirking wryly, he set the uiro aside before promptly picking up a small round ball of bright pink with a leaf artfully half wrapped over its shiny surface. Turning to Kagome, he copied his same motions as before.

"What about the sakuramochi? It is considered a delicacy for humans, I believe." He watched, fascinated, by the way his mate's rosy lips parted as she bit into the food. His blood heating as vivid flashes of what else they could be doing that involved her mouth flashed through his head.

Smiling brightly, she eagerly ate the rest of the piece of mochi. Swallowing with a low moan of pleasure that had his body reacting so that he had to shift about subtly.

"That's divine! I think it might be my new favorite one so far!" Tapping a finger to her chin as she surveyed the sweets, Kagome was completely ignorant to the fact that feeding her dessert was enticing her mate. Pursing her lips in consideration, her golden chopsticks hanging over the bowls and plates, she finally took up a piece of green dango in the shape of a small fish. Her smile warm when she held it out for him to eat. "Here! Try this one. I noticed you haven't really eaten any dessert and don't want to feel like a pig consuming all this by myself."

Leaning forward obligingly, he took the piece of sticky rice into his mouth. Chewing the overly saccharine food even though he didn't care for what humans considered palatable. If it pleased his mate and allowed him to have her full attention he would suffer through whatever she chose to feed him.

Nodding as she waited to see his reaction, he took a swallow of the sake. Clearing the flavor from his tongue with the strong liquor before saying, "Yes, it is definitely delicious, kireina."

Pleased and unable to see he was telling a falsehood, she turned back to eye everything with interest. Intent on picking out something else for him to try.

Hurrying with his own set of chopsticks to forestall having to eat something else, Sesshoumaru deftly cradled the pale green namagashi between the two sticks. Balancing the small rounded pastry so it wouldn't accidentally fall off to the floor.

"Have you ever tried namagashi?" He watched her nod with a grin. Distracted by the way she licked a few flecks of sugar from her bottom lip with her tongue.

"They have a shop not too far from the shrine that we would go get sweets and stuff from every so often or for special occasions." Giving the dessert an interested look, she added, "I am curious to see if it tastes different during this time era, though. Most everything does since there are no pesticides or growth hormones used. At least, I think that's why everything doesn't taste like I'm used to."

She carefully leaned forward to bite into the soft pastry. Giggling a little as she brought her hand up to quickly catch the remainder left behind when it fell off his chopsticks. Cradling it in her hand while looking over the table for a place to set it. Shrugging Kagome finally put it on the corner of her dessert plate that was already full of food. Dipping her fingers in the ornate water bowl and drying her fingers delicately on the fine piece of beige linen set there for that purpose.

Sesshoumaru was enamored with the sight of watching his mate eat. The way her mouth moved. Her pale throat flexing as she swallowed whatever she was consuming. How her eyes sparkling with enjoyment at whatever she was partaking of.

Whenever she would lick her lips he was totally focused on the simple action. Finding it more and more difficult not to replace her tongue with his own. To sip and savor the flavor of her mixed with the sugar she so loved.

Perhaps he had imbibed of too much sake as well. It seemed a logical assumption for someone who was enraptured by witnessing someone else eat a piece of dango.

Seeing her blatant ecstasy in her delight of another piece of sakuramochi made Sesshoumaru have completely irrational urges. Like ordering the food to their bedroom so he could lightly run the silken sweetness over her nipples before lapping it up from her body.

Shaking his head to dispel the opaque fog of lust from his muddled mind, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat as he turned his attention elsewhere. Meeting the knowing gaze from the smirking Taiyoukai of the South with a scowl that did nothing but make the other demon laugh outright.

Were his carnal thoughts that plain for everyone to take note of?

A surreptitious sweep of his amber eyes about the room proved that most the other noble youkai were not even watching them anymore. Their focus upon whoever they were with or what demons surrounded them as the lords and ladies let the alcohol flow freely in their blood.

Satisfied that his reactions had gone mostly unnoticed, he gave Murakumo a challenging narrowing of his luminescent eyes. Arching a silver eyebrow as he saw the mirth dancing in the other Taiyoukai's roiling irises.

A movement to the rain demon's side drew Sesshoumaru's attention. His frown turning into a smirk as he took in the way Lady Fumiko had copied Kagome's position on the dais. Her rounded cheeks flushed and amethyst eyes overly bright even from the distance separating them. She was happily munching away on a line of dango she had speared down the length of one chopstick. Her curly hair starting to break free of the bonds holding it so that a few long spirals were trailing down her back and by the side of her blushing face.

It was blatantly apparent the Lady had been consuming more than her fair share of the sake being poured. Her fangs flashing brightly along with the pieces of metal and jewelry she wore when she turned to her mate. Talking around the stick in her mouth as she gazed up at her Murakumo with a grin.

Murakumo's eyes mellowed as he replied to whatever she had said to him. Broad shoulders relaxed as he calmly sipped the tea from the mug in his clawed hands. Expression a mixture of exasperation and indulgence as he reached out with quick youkai reflexes to wrap a hand about her upper arm. Steadying his mate when she teetered towards him in her exuberance of answering whatever he said. The dango in her hand being used to articulate whatever point she was making as she waved it about.

At least Kagome wasn't the only mate in the area who had begun to lose some of the refined polish she had started with. It was good to see her actually having a good time instead of the bundle of nerves who had sat beside him the majority of the evening.

Sesshoumaru was content to drink his sake as she began chattering about this thing or that. Not really listening to the words so much as the sound of her voice. The lilting edge to how she spoke filtering into his ears pleasantly. Every so often he would nod or offer a phrase to show he was listening, but the reality was he doubted she needed his affirmation.

Amusement made him laugh lowly when he saw her wave at Fumiko across the room when the Southern Lady caught her eye. The tanuki smiling brightly as she returned the gesture with enthusiasm. As though the two women had been friends for years and couldn't wait to spend time together again.

"I see you have taken to Lady Fumiko." Gesturing with an inclination of his head towards the waiting servants, Sesshoumaru refilled his mate's tea as the dishes were cleared away. The dining tables being replaced with a much smaller square of dark ornate wood that had enough room for the black teapot on its trencher and the two matching mugs. "It would appear the feeling is mutual in her regard for you."

Laughing in delight at the way Fumiko pointed to her chopstick refilled with dango then giving Kagome a rapturous look as she bit into one, she said without looking at her mate, "I love her already! She's a refreshing change from the other woman I've met here this evening."

Watching the way Murakumo deftly dodged from being poked in the eye by accident when his mate waved her makeshift skewer, Sesshoumaru chuckled. "I can see many similarities between you and the Southern Lady." Slanting her a look from the corner of one eye, he smirked down at Kagome. "Perhaps you are a tanuki instead of a lizard youkai. It would explain the lack of decorum as you run amok through the castle."

"Rude," Kagome snipped. Her lips twitching as though she was fighting off a grin. "You and Lord Murakumo are lucky to have such free spirited mates. Your lives were probably nothing but boring meetings and random battles before we took pity on you and let you mate-bond with us."

"Allow us, did you?" He said sarcastically with a scoff. Setting his tea aside as he turned towards the woman who was giving him a look of superiority. "And just how would you explain that considering you were not exactly awake at the time?"

Waving a hand dismissively, Kagome's lips curved in mischievousness. "Oh that was my master plan to make you hurry up. It takes you forever to make a decision, so I figured why not get kidnapped and speed up the process. Otherwise I would have been an old woman before you proposed."

He was glad that she was able to joke about it already. Guilt always snaked through him anytime he thought of how he hadn't been able to court her properly. Rushing through what most youkai females took great delight in drawing out before they bonded with whichever male for the rest of their lives.

Not that all noble houses joined together in 'marital bliss', so to speak.

The rooms were filled with couples who could hardly stand the sight of one another. Stuck together for the betterment of the house or province they belonged to. Producing heirs expediently then seeking lovers who appealed more to their personal tastes rather than the mate they were stuck with.

Experiencing what he had with Kagome, Sesshoumaru very much figured better them than him. He had been raised in a loving household while his mother was alive, and it had given him the blueprint of what he had desired for himself. Whether he had known it or not.

For many years he had disdained love and affection as weaker emotions. Despising their existence within himself since it had given the youkai who trained him fuel to torment the pup who had been entrusted into his care. The sadistic dog demon reveling in his nephew's every cry of pain or grimace with a zeal that was disturbing.

However, thoughts of Aion had no place at Kagome's presentation ceremony.

Now that the dining portion of the evening had drawn to a close, the nobility of youkai society began mingling once more. A few of them remaining at the small tables in front of them to talk to others. Clusters of the aristocratic demons separating into groups as they conversed with one another. The strength and measure of the sake provided by their host aiding in the loosening of the iron chained control typically kept around the ridiculous strictures they held themselves to.

Sesshoumaru spotted the tall figures of Keisuke and Toryn coming to stand at the back of Tachikaze and Kaen when the dragons rose. The arctic foxes taking up the mantel of personal guard to the Eastern Lord and Lady.

They were the only demons who had approached the ryu youkai for the entire evening barring servants. The whispers of what their child had done raging through the youkai high court like a wildfire to dry timber.

It was yet another unfortunate side effect they were being made to deal with because of Ryosuke's poor choices. They would potentially be ostracized by everyone present. Even the might of being a Taiyoukai and ruler of a large portion of a country would not be able to buffer himself or his mate from a veiled snide remark.

The poisoned barbs in the well spoken cultured voices of the gathered nobility as they scented weakness amongst their own like blood in the water. Circling the damaged dragons like sharks. Waiting for the opportune moment to rush in for the kill if they believed doing so would gain them the favor of the Western Lord at the front of the room. Sesshoumaru and Murakumo's fledgling regard for one another having been reported upon by the copious servants that worked for whichever house. Giving a chance to advance themselves if they fell into favor with either Taiyoukai. Having garnered the information from the servants they had brought with them. A network of spies that was far more efficient in many ways than even Yoshin was.

"I feel bad for them." Kagome's comment drew his attention away from the royal couple who were smoothing the wrinkles from their outfits. Purposely not making eye contact with anyone as they did so. Giving Sesshoumaru a pleading look, she placed a hand on his wrist. "Can't we do something for them? Everyone is treating them like they have the plague."

"It is a by product of what their son has done, kireina." Glancing back to the dragons, he kept his features stoic. Knowing that his reaction to the Eastern Taiyoukai was being closely monitored. "By now the story has circulated about the suspicions of what General Kaizon has done. The shame he has brought to his illustrious house by his dishonorable actions is something that is unfortunate but a foregone conclusion."

"Well that's ridiculous!" Her features clouded in a scowl of anger as she gave him a narrow-eyed stare. "I mean what if they had no idea what their son was up to in the first place? They can't be blamed for what General Kaizon did just because they are related. Not to mention he is their son and they must love him dearly to put themselves through all this just to seek an audience with you."

"You forget that it would be considered a grave insult not to have attended your ceremony, Kagome." Shaking his head, he shrugged. "It is just the way of youkai nobility. You must learn to accept the way things are, kireina."

************* BBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRR***********

Kagome found it difficult to contain her outrage at what her mate was telling her. Angered on the dragon youkais' behalf at the way they were being treated. The longer the night had dragged on the more her heart had gone out to the royal couple. Seeing them being snubbed publicly like this was just more than she could bear.

Jaw setting at a defiant angle, Kagome stood up. Gaining her feet and brushing her hands down her junihitoe before stepping off the dais. Not even waiting for Sesshoumaru or Akito to join her as she made her way with purposeful strides towards Tachikaze and Kaen.

The feel of a thousand eyes watching the proceedings with a kind of sadistic glee burrowed into her as she walked towards the dragons.

She knew most of the youkai high court was waiting to see her come over here and say or do something that would be a public cut. A type of humiliation the ryu demons would be forced to endure just for the opportunity to talk with her mate about their son's future.

When Tachikaze's head rose sharply as if he sensed her approach his narrowed crimson eyes seared into hers. His features becoming carefully blank as his mate followed his line of sight with a frown. Lady Kaen's own face turning shuttered as they stood up straight and waited for her to reach them.

The arctic foxes at their back shared a look. Both of them unsure how to react depending on what Kagome said. Giving their older brother raised eyebrows of inquiry as Akito took position behind her. The ice youkai shaking his head subtly as they watched what was going on.

Kagome didn't even hesitate to come right up to the Eastern Lord. Her lips turning into an engaging friendly smile that she could see puzzled him by the flash of confusion in his fiery gaze.

"My Lord, I want to thank you for coming here tonight." Turning to the tall figure of his mate, Kagome impulsively reached out to grab the woman's wrist in a gentle squeeze. Blue-grey eyes earnest as she locked them with the slanted light green of the dragon. "I really do mean that. I'm so sorry that it couldn't be under pleasanter circumstances. You see, my mate has only ever said the most glowing of things about you or your son."

Which was a lie, but who cared!

She wanted them to feel better and by the way Lady Kaen withdrew long enough to clasp Kagome's fingers back in a strong hold, it must be working. The female dragon swallowing audibly as a glimmer of tears blossomed in her exotic eyes.

"My Lady, you are too kind." The female dragon's voice was lovely. Dulcet and musical enough to give Daija a run for his money. Tightening her grip on the miko, her perfect façade beginning to crack at the edges as her face started to crumple, she whispered, "You do not know how much it means to hear you say so, Lady Kagome."

Making a quick decision, Kagome gave her a blinding smile as she drew the other woman's arm through her own. Turning the distraught female away as she began walking towards the veranda.

Calling over her shoulder, "Do excuse us, gentlemen. But I have been just dying to ask Lady Kaen all evening where she got her beautiful gown and know it would bore you to tears!"

She knew she didn't imagine the gratefulness reflected in Tachikaze's crimson stare. The way he watched his mate falling apart in front of everyone painful for him judging by the tight clenching of his jaw. The stress lines bracketing his mouth and eyes.

"Please, Ladies, do take your time," Sesshoumaru said as he joined them in a relaxed saunter. Quickly reading the entire situation and helping to mitigate the poor female dragon's loss of control. "I am certain we can find something to occupy ourselves while you discuss such important matters."

"Not without me they don't!" Lady Fumiko's cheerful shout made Kagome pause in surprise. Everyone turning to face the small curvy figure of Murakumo's mate as she breezed right through the middle of all the tall males with a careless wave of her clawed hand. Her makeshift skewer of dango still present with quite a few of the molded pieces in a colorful beaded row. "Murakumo, darling, go play with Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Tachikaze." Pausing to give her mate a stern look, she placed her hands on her ample hips and arched a brown eyebrow. "Nicely."

Murakumo gave her an irritated stare as he drew alongside the other Taiyoukai. His roiling eyes narrowing and his lips turning down in a disapproving frown.

"Woman, quit ordering me about with your nonsense. And you might show a little bit more refinement than screaming through Lord Sesshoumaru's great hall like a fishwife."

Scoffing, she turned her back with a careless wave of her skewer. Calling out as she grabbed up Kaen's free arm, "I mean it, Murakumo. If I hear you've been mean to Lord Tachikaze or Lord Sesshoumaru you'll answer to me later!"

Turning back to the stunned pair of women, she said brightly, "Off we go, ladies!"

Kagome laughed as she made her way with Kaen and Fumiko out the door. Dismissing the guards in the area as she passed them with instructions that they were not to be disturbed. The battle ready soldiers bowing formally to all three Taiyoukai mates before sliding the shoji doors closed and taking sentry inside. Barring anyone else who might wish to join the women.

Guiding the sniffling dragon to the dark corner she had spent a few passion filled moments with Sesshoumaru hours prior, Kagome patted Kaen's forearm soothingly. Fumiko gently taking the cuff of the sleeve on her yellow kimono to wipe away the other woman's tears.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Kaen," Kagome said sympathetically. Her heart breaking for the proud female youkai who was trying her best to regain control of herself. Failing miserably as she stifled a sob. Wrapping her arm about the woman's waist, Kagome hugged her tight. "It's okay, My Lady. If you want to cry then go for it. I've sent everyone away and made certain we won't be disturbed."

"I-I am sorry, My Lady." Hiccupping, Kaen, sniffled loudly as she whimpered. Bringing her clawed hands to her face to wipe at the tears on her cheeks. "It is disgraceful to behave this way. Especially during your ceremony. It is completely unforgiveable!"

"Unforgivable my ass," Fumiko said with open derision. Amethyst eyes kind as she continued to remove the saline tracks on the tall woman's face. "I bet your mate told you that you had to remain a perfect picture of cold royalty. That there would be no sign of emotion one way or another no matter what you could hear from the other idiot nobles whispering maliciously. Am I right?"

Swallowing, Kaen nodded. Bowing her head in shame as she reached out to grip the railing in a tight enough grip that her claws dug furrows into the wood.

"I-I promised Tachikaze tha-that I would not further sha-shame our house by falling apart li-like a fool." Face crumpling as she let out a sob, she let go of the railing to cover her face with the palms of her hands. Her voice muffled as she said, "I cannot believe I broke my promise to him! But I tried! I tried so hard!"

"Of course you did," Kagome said soothingly. Rubbing the demon's back up and down as she hugged her again. "You can't be expected to be made of stone, Lady Kaen."

"That's right!" Fumiko chirped. Biting into a piece of dango before wrapping her own arm about the dragon from the other side. Using her makeshift skewer to press home her point, she bit out with a growl, "Those damn men don't seem to understand that that's your son's life they are talking about as if discussing the weather. Why, if it was me I would tell Tachikaze exactly where he could shove his ideas of shame and then help him put it there!"

A watery laugh left Kaen's throat. Kagome and Fumiko sharing a hopeful look with one another at being able to elicit the sound from the upset youkai.

Encouraged by the response, Kagome said in a confiding voice, "Well I can tell you right now. If it was me, I'd be putting Sesshoumaru's butt in his study for the next week. See how he feels after not being allowed to touch his mate for seven days. I bet you he'd calm down with his high-minded ideas real fast."

Another burst of laughter left the ryu demon's mouth. The dragon lowering her hands with a sniffle as a small grin curved her full lips.

"That's a great idea, Lady Kagome!" Tapping her chin with the tip of her chopstick, Fumiko said, "I might just have to use that next time Murakumo decides to make a nuisance of himself and start badgering me about the proper way to hold a spoon or way to talk."

When Lady Kaen joined in their banter, Kagome and Fumiko immediately fell silent. Giving the sniffling woman a look of encouragement as they continued to hold her.

"One time, years ago when Tachikaze and I were first mated. Long before he became a Taiyoukai and took over the Eastern Provinces. We got into an argument about something or other." Waving a hand, she gave a small laugh. "Probably something small and petty I can't remember now. You know how couples are when they are first living together and coming to learn how to share their space with a relative stranger?"

"Yep, I completely understand." Kagome nodded with a grin.

"Hell, half the time I feel like I'm still living with a stranger," Fumiko joked as she bit into her dango again.

Giggling, Lady Kaen continued. "Well we got into an argument about whatever it was and Tachikaze left in a great huff. Slamming the door on his way out. Stomping loudly down the corridor. Making sure I heard it." She rolled her eyes with a reminiscent grin. "So that evening when I made our dinner I purposely placed an abundance of moeru peppers in the stew."

Kagome gave Fumiko a puzzled frown when the tanuki began laughing. Completely lost as to how that was funny.

"What are moeru peppers?"

"Oh, I am sorry, My Lady. I forgot you would not know!" There was no censure in the comment, just honesty. Giving her a sheepish grin, Lady Kaen said, "They are small bright white peppers that are cultivated in the furthest reaches near the coast of the Eastern Provinces. The heat from them is so severe that only one or two is all a youkai can handle. I do believe they are considered poisonous to humanity, however. A vegetable that was created by and for demons many centuries before to be dried, crushed, and used sparingly as a spice."

Nodding in understanding, and now realizing why Fumiko couldn't seem to stop laughing, Kagome smirked. "I begin to see where this is going. Go on."

Clearing her throat, Kaen picked up where she left off. A smirk curling her lip and flashing a fang as she stated proudly, "You should have seen Tachikaze when he ate it. By the time the third spoonful hit his mouth, my mate was no longer interested in yelling at me. In fact, the peppers caused him to lose his voice since it inflamed his vocal chords!"

All three women were laughing at this point. Tears of merriment replacing the sorrow of before as Lady Kaen recalled the memory.

"Lady Kaen, I'm beginning to like you more and more!" Fumiko gave her a mischievous grin. Her ample bosom bobbing as she chuckled a few more times. "How long did it take before he could speak clearly again?"

"Four days," Lady Kaen said with a laugh. Smirking as she imparted, "That was the last time he ever raised his voice to me. Now he might speak in a harsh tone, but the level of his words never reaches beyond what you would consider saying something normally."

"Then he knew what you had done?" Kagome asked with an incredulous bark of laughter. "I can't believe he took it so well."

"Well, to be fair," Lady Kaen said with a sheepish grin, "our match was prearranged. So the first few months and years were very trying at times for the both of us. I recall losing my temper over the smallest infraction as well back then."

Kagome's eyebrows arched upwards in shock at hearing Lady Kaen's union with the Taiyoukai was an arranged one. She had seen the way the two dragons cared for one another with her own eyes during dinner and had figured their match had been one made with love.

Gnawing at her lower lip, Kagome asked curiously, "What was it like? Mate-bonding with someone you didn't know?"

Tilting her head in thought, Kaen hummed in thought. A clawed hand going to her chin as she considered the miko's question.

"It helped that Tachikaze was kind." At her companions' skeptical looks, she said firmly, "No, it is true! He really was the most patient kind male I had ever met. Never pushing me into anything I was not prepared for or expecting too much from me too soon."

Fumiko bit into a light pink ball of sweet rice, chewing thoughtfully and swallowing before saying, "I can't imagine that. Just thinking of having to go to bed with a veritable stranger makes my skin crawl."

Kagome nodded in agreement with a frown. "Yes, I feel the same way."

Laughing lowly, Lady Kaen gave each woman a patient look. "It is not as you think, My Ladies. Most of the youkai you are arranged to bond with do not typically force themselves upon you. True, I am certain there are a few who do not care for the feelings of the female who will bear their children." Waving a clawed hand her slanted light green eyes softening, she added, "But, with my Tachikaze I was lucky. He has always treated me with nothing but respect and then love."

"I'm glad," Kagome said with feeling. Giving her another squeeze around the waist before letting her arm slide free. "And I'm glad that you seem to be feeling better!"

"Yes, me too!" Fumiko readily agreed. Holding out her chopstick to offer Lady Kaen one of the last three pieces of shaped dango with an arched eyebrow and a grin. "Here, Lady Kaen. Sugar always makes everything better."

"Thank you, Lady Fumiko." Lady Kaen gave Fumiko a tentative grin, as she delicately took the skewer between her fingers. Sniffing at the dessert curiously before daintily nibbling off a piece of the dark green sweet. Eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline, she said in a surpised happy voice, "Why, it tastes wonderful!"

Giving the other female an askance look, Fumiko asked in clear disbelief, "You've never had it before?"

Shaking her head in the negative, Kaen took a bigger bite this time. Closing her eyes with a moan as she ate the sweet in the shape of a leaf.

Swallowing it down, the female dragon said with a smile, "I have never really had much call to try human fare before. After tasting this I shall demand our chefs learn the recipe so I might have it all the time!"

"If you like that you'll probably like amanatto," Kagome chimed in with a smile. Taking the makeshift skewer next after Lady Kaen finished her piece. Biting into the soft pink flower shape of sweet rice with relish. "The food here at the palace really is amazing."

"I can't imagine living without sugar," Fumiko said as she took back her chopstick that now had only the last white small ball of dessert left. Eating it with gusto, she sighed in satisfaction once it was gone. "It's definitely one of the biggest perks about being mated to a Taiyoukai. The way we can get a hold of sugar anytime we want it."

"If you think that's good I'll have to get you guys some chocolate." Smirking Kagome sighed dreamily. "Eating that stuff is almost as good as making love."

Her comment caused a shocked trill of laughter from Lady Kaen. Fumiko outright chuckling as they both eyed the small human woman with interest.

"Is that true?" Lady Kaen's voice was shyly inquisitive. A light blush blossoming on the older youkai's pale cheeks as she met Kagome's gaze.

"Most assuredly," Kagome said with a knowledgeable grin.

"I don't know if I'd survive having chocolate in the palace." Fumiko frowned in thought as she said, "Making love with Murakumo and eating something that is almost the same? I'd be in a coma of bliss in the corner like an opium addict."

Frowning in thought, Kagome wracked her brain. Trying to remember if she had one more bar of the sugary confection in her pack. She had given away her last two at lunch, but now she believed she might have one more left in a pocket inside the large yellow rucksack.

"I'll have to give you ladies some. I think I might have a bar in my room somewhere." Looking at the other women, she arched an ebony eyebrow. "You two are staying over a few days more than the rest of the youkai high court, right? So our mates can discuss things?"

"I know Murakumo said we would be," Fumiko confirmed with a nod. Letting go of Lady Kaen and stepping to the rail. Leaning her arms against it as she peered out into the night.

"I am not certain how long the conversation will take or when Lord Sesshoumaru will grant Tachikaze an audience." Lady Kaen's features fell at the reminder of her situation and that of her family. Gnawing on her lower lip with a fang, she gave Kagome an imploring look. "Do you think, perhaps, he would relent enough for us to see Ryosuke soon?"

Reaching over to take the other woman's hand, Kagome nodded. "I will make it my personal mission to badger my mate until he gives his permission, Lady Kaen. You have my word."

Lady Kaen released a long sigh of relief. Gratefulness painting her features as she returned Kagome's gesture.

"Thank you, My Lady. It would mean so much to be able to see my son. Make certain he is doing well despite everything."

"No need to thank me," Kagome said in a rush when it looked as though tears would begin to brim in the slanted light green eyes of the youkai. "Sesshoumaru loves telling me I'm accomplished at persuading demons to do my bidding." Giving each female a smug smirk, she added, "I believe it's time I focused the full force of my talent on him!"

"An excellent idea," Fumiko said in amusement.

"What do you suppose our mates are doing?" Lady Kaen asked after a few moments of companionable silence.

"Well one thing is for certain," Fumiko said with a grin as she turned to face Kagome and Kaen, "If Murakumo isn't behaving himself he will definitely be paying for it later. Why, I might just have to acquire some moeru peppers on our way home!"

The three women's laughter filled the night air. A strange group they made to whatever random noble might see them from their spot in the gardens. A few heads turning to see where the noise had come from.

Grinning, Lady Kaen said with a playful curve of her mouth, "Now, Lady Kagome, do tell me more about this chocolate and where I may obtain some."

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Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the empty spot where his mate and the two other females had been. The shoji doors sliding closed with guards taking up station inside the room making his mind devoid of thought for a few seconds as he tried to catch up with what just happened.

Murakumo growling in annoyance drew away his inane regard of the vacant area that used to hold his mate. Arching a silver eyebrow at the rain youkai's annoyed features.

"I swear, that woman…" Murakumo trailed off with a harsh sigh. Folding his arms across his chest. Lips curved downward and roiling eyes electric.

"I do believe your two mates have just absconded with mine," Tachikaze said in bemusement. Shaking his head as he stared in the same direction Sesshoumaru had.

"That is Fumiko's way," Murakumo said. His tone irate as he met the crimson orbs of the dragon that turned towards him. "You will have to forgive my mate, Lord Tachikaze. She has a deplorable lack of respect for courtly manners. Despite how often to try to remind her otherwise."

"I daresay that is a fruitless venture," Sesshoumaru cut in with a smirk and a shrug. "Kagome has not heeded a single thing I have said since the time I have known her. And that is going on longer than three years."

"Gentlemen," Tachikaze's voice brought the other two Taiyoukais' attention to him. Lips curling in a self-derisive smirk, he said, "Since our ladies have summarily dismissed us, shall we share a bottle of sake until their return?"

Inclining his head, Sesshoumaru seated himself on the plush white cushion Lady Kaen had occupied. Murakumo doing the same with the one a servant rushed forward to provide as the dragon youkai retook his own spot. Another servant hurrying to place two fresh bottles of liquor and three clean saucers on the table with a bow.

Pouring them each a liberal amount, Sesshoumaru glanced behind Murakumo to the set of tall lithe youkai in the Southern uniform standing at attention in a flanking position. Both of them unarmed but it did not detract from the predatory way they carried themselves.

Sweeping his eyes over the one on the left he saw the tale-tell crimson hair that lightened to a blinding yellow atop the tall youkai's head. The lengthy strands in a short bun atop the phoenix demon's skull. His roiling fiery eyes roving constantly over the other nobility gathered throughout the room. Broad shoulders stiff and markings flashing in iridescent splendor from where three thin diamonds stretched from the bottom and top of his eyes. Reaching down to mid-cheek and up to mid-brow.

His counterpart was of the same build that all the firebirds possessed. The lean strength and pale features a hallmark of their heritage just as the crimson length of the braid the second warrior possessed. This one, too, was letting his eerie irises roam about. Pausing here and there as he glanced throughout the room to one youkai noble or another. He had the same shimmering markings that every phoenix's features were painted with. His a matching set of silver that encompassed his eyelids and swept down over his prominent cheekbones in what resembled actual wings. The amount of space they took over his pale skin giving him an alien appearance that made one pause and take notice of.

"I see your Lady didn't take her guard with her either," Sesshoumaru commented idly as he sipped his drink. Glancing between the other two Taiyoukai as he said, "They must have wished to speak in private."

Features becoming carefully neutral, Tachikaze held the saucer in his clawed hand. Staring down into its depths while avoiding Murakumo's and Sesshoumaru's gaze. "I am certain it is something as simple as Lady Kagome said. A piece of feminine frippery they wish to ask one another."

Sesshoumaru knew that the dragon was well aware that his mate had been on the cusp of breaking down in front of the entire court. Something Tachikaze realized the other two Taiyoukai had noticed along with their mates.

Again, the foreign emotion of compassion filtered into him. Sesshoumaru grinding his teeth as he tried to push the annoying feeling away. The tenacious thing easily dodging his efforts, to settle inside his breast.

Admitting defeat, the dog demon sighed heavily. Taking pity on the other male who was studying the inside of his saucer as though it held the answers to the universe's greatest mysteries.

"I am certain you are correct. Kagome had mentioned to me in passing during dinner that she was wondering where Lady Kaen acquired her ensemble." Why he was lying to alleviate the dragon's discomfort, he had no damn clue.

Expression guarded, Tachikaze looked up to meet Sesshoumaru's steady amber gaze with narrow crimson ones of his own. Murakumo speaking drawing both of their attention as he finished his sake and refilled his saucer.

"If Fumiko has taken it into her head to badger your poor mate for information then I assure you that before I leave Taisho palace she will have already placed an order for an entire new wardrobe." Shrugging broad shoulders, he said with a long-suffering sigh, "The way she freely spends money it is a good thing she is mated to a Taiyoukai. I doubt a lesser demon could afford to keep her."

Tachikaze's lips twitched in the barest grin. His expression softening minutely and vermillion eyes becoming less frigid.

"Lady Kaen has at least three outfits she could don every single day of the year and still not wear everything she owns." Smirking, a large canine flashing in the sconce light, he chuckled. "I thought it was only my own mate who was obsessed with fashion."

"I believe it is a hazard most of the feminine gender succumb to," Sesshoumaru said wisely to the two older youkai. Frowning in thought, he added, "Though Kagome has not asked for anything in that regard."

"Give it time," Murakumo said with a sage grin as he took another gulp of his sake. Leaning forward he imparted with a conspiratorial air, "I used to say the same thing when Fumiko and I were first bonded. That all changes once your mate sees the royal coffers for the first time."

"Ah yes," Tachikaze nodded prosaically. "I remember the day I showed Lady Kaen the wealth the house of Kaizon had acquired during my ascent to Taiyoukai. A few months later the packages began arriving at the castle along with a slew of some craftsman or other."

"It is as he says, My Lord." Murakumo gave Sesshoumaru a sympathetic look from his roiling eyes. Watching the dog demon finish off his own sake while saying, "Just wait until you make the same mistake we did. We thought we were mated to a couple of demure shy women who were too modest to find material objects of any interest."

Tachikaze reached over to grab up the sake bottle. Pouring the clear liquid into Sesshoumaru's empty saucer with a look that conveyed how sorry he felt for the dog demon. The potent liquor causing the rigid dragon youkai to finally begin to relax.

"My best advice is to say you lost the key to the coffers." Gifting him that tidbit of wisdom, the ryu youkai settled back with his own full saucer. "It may give you a few extra months of peace if you are lucky."

Dismissing both Taiyoukais' words with a scoff, Sesshoumaru gave them an imperious glare.

"I will not need to hide the vast wealth of my house from Kagome. She is not the type of female who values coins over a softly spoke word from her mate."

Murakumo and Tachikaze shared a look before turning back towards the dog demon. Each Lord's features displaying varying degrees of pity and amusement.

"I am sure it will be as you say, My Lord." It was obvious from the glimmer in the stare the rain demon was giving him that he didn't believe a word Sesshoumaru had said.

The inu youkai forced himself not to snarl in annoyance as he realized both demons were simply humoring him. Looking at him as a younger male who had not gained the experience they had in dealing with their mates and ergo knew more about being mate-bonded than he did.

"I find hunting helps me to alleviate the stress of having random craftsmen roaming about my halls. Plying their trade on either a new set of décor for our bedroom or what floral arrangements should go where if someone decides to visit," Tachikaze offered helpfully.

"Rakurai is excellent for this purpose." Murakumo grinned as he talked about his winged mount. "Whenever Fumiko drives me to distraction I find a nice long flight in chilled air helps to improve my mood immensely."

"Thank you both for your pearls of wisdom," Sesshoumaru bit out caustically as he drained his saucer. Placing it down on the low table with more force than necessary as he laced his arms across his chest. "I will be certain to remember them the next time my mate's behavior drives me from my own castle."

Murakumo gave Tachikaze a glance filled with shared knowledge as the dragon's crimson eyes returned it.

"He will learn," the rain youkai said prophetically. The dragon demon nodding in agreement as he sipped his own beverage.

Annoyed at the conversation, Sesshoumaru reached out to refill all three of their saucers while changing the subject. Latching onto the first thing that popped into his head.

"So, do tell me, My Lords, how differs the weather in the Southern and Eastern Provinces from those found in the West?"

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	64. A Taiyoukai's Gift

The three women remained outside on the walkway that overlooked the palace gardens for quite a while. The atmosphere relaxed and filled with feminine laughter. By the time Kagome, Fumiko, and Kaen moved to rejoin their mates they were chattering away as though they had been close friends for ages.

Kagome chuckled at something the dragon said as she led the way to the closed shoji doors. Heart lighter and more at ease than any other time since she had come to Taisho Palace all those weeks ago.

It amazed her how much she liked the duo of youkai who were walking behind her, arm-in-arm. Kaen's regal head lowered with a tiny grin as Fumiko whispered something to her that made the Lady of the Eastern Provinces blush becomingly. A surprised laugh leaving her swan-like throat and bright green eyes dancing in merriment.

Pausing at the opening to the building, Kagome studied them for a few moments. A sense of peace settling over her senses. She felt that in the other mates to the fearsome Taiyoukai of Japan were kindred spirits, even with the blatant differences between them.

She never would have thought that her presentation ceremony, an event she had dreaded and lost sleep over for over a week, would turn out this way. Perhaps having the leeway of being mate-bonded to a Taiyoukai allowed Kaen and Fumiko to let down their guard more freely with her.

After all, what threat could the miko possibly be since the female youkai held vast power at their fingertips through their heritage and who they were bonded to?

It made her glad to think she had found true friends to help her as she learned to navigate her new role in life. Not that she was replacing Sango or any of the other demons at the palace she had become close to. But a woman needed a sisterhood and Kagome was more than willing to add to the growing circle that already had the taijiya, Atsuko, Teisa, and even Kikyo and Saki.

Coming from the time era she did, Kagome didn't follow the strict social hierarchy that proclaimed a revered Lady to a Taiyoukai did not mingle with the commoners. That partaking of a meal with a guard or inviting a lower leveled youkai to an outing was considered unnatural.

Making certain the barriers set in place so that those less fortunate never attempted to rise above their station. That way it was easier to control and manage the multitude of creatures they held sway over when they outnumbered the nobility thousands to one.

From a logical viewpoint, Kagome understood why things were as they were. That didn't mean she agreed with it, however. She was just fortunate that her mate didn't try and curb her rebellious mannerisms in regard to who she socialized with and how. Sesshoumaru was extremely broad-minded to her idiosyncrasies, and she was grateful for that.

It made her love the stoic dog demon all the more!

Before she could slide the door open a guard inside already did so. Bowing to her deeply once she was revealed to the room within.

"My Lady," he said with eyes averted respectfully. Straightening when she gave him a smile and patted his clawed hand as Fumiko and Kaen walked in.

"Thank you, Koya." Kagome's expression was kind when she clasped him gently. The tall guard's surprised dark blue eyes glancing into hers. A few strands of his black hair peeking through the ornate horned helmet he wore. "I appreciate that you made sure we had some privacy out there."

"Of course," Koya murmured with a light blush gracing his pale cheeks. Highlighting the black marking under his left eye of small flower.

With a final pat she moved forward. Chuckling when she spotted the small group of Taiyoukai sitting around Tachikaze's table drinking saké. The towering ring of powerful youkai who were the Lords' personal guards keeping everyone else who might have approached the demons at bay. A kaleidoscope of glaring glowing eyes that cut off any lord or lady who gathered their courage and attempted to interrupt the companionable gathering of powerful demons.

Judging by the comfortable atmosphere among the males and the easy way with which they were laughing, Kagome knew the potent alcohol must have been flowing freely indeed. Features painted in amusement, she shared a look with Kaen and Fumiko. Both women wearing the same mirthful exasperation as her own.

"Well, at least they are getting along." Fumiko laughed lightly as she shook her head. Twirling the chopstick in her fingers deftly. "Should we go over there, and interrupt do you think?"

"Of a certainty," Kaen answered with a smirk. The female dragon's body without the tight coil of muscles, her mood possessing a lack of despondency at last. The time spent outside with the other women helping her in that regard greatly. "I am glad to see Tachikaze at ease finally. Since we heard of what our son had been accused of we have not known a moment of peace."

The reminder of what had caused the dragon youkai sorrow in the first place had Kagome giving her a quick side-hug. "Do not worry, Lady Kaen. Everything will be well." Staring up into the regal ruler's face, she set her jaw firmly. "Trust me."

Tilting her head to the side, the ornate sticks flashing in the sconce lighting, tilted bright green eyes studied the miko for a moment. Kaen nodding after a few seconds. Whatever truth she saw within the human's gaze giving her comfort so that any trace of worry melted away.

"I do, My Lady." Glancing between her companions, she smiled wryly. "Shall we, Ladies?"

Fumiko didn't wait for them. Scurrying across the floor to weave in between the two kitsune brothers that stood beside the phoenixes guarding her mate. Toryn and Keisuke showing surprise at finding the rain youkai's Lady between them when a second ago she had been nowhere to be found. Both of them bowing respectfully while taking a step back to give her room. The tall firebirds sharing amused knowing smirks as they silently retreated enough to give their mistress room. Familiar with her antics by now and knowing what was coming.

Waving away the gesture from the kitsune brothers, Fumiko's expression turned mischievous as she raised her clawed hands after passing her empty chopstick to one of her personal guards. The phoenix taking it without question to twirl it in his fingers as he continued to watch the tanuki creeping up behind Lord Murakumo. Sneaking up on the Southern Taiyoukai who was currently droning on about some nonsense regarding shipping lane agreements with local daimyos in their provinces.

Placing a clawed finger to her lips when Sesshoumaru and Tachikaze flicked their eyes to her, she silently told them not to tell on her. The smirk curling the dog demon's lips being hidden behind the rim of his saké saucer.

Kagome and Kaen stood back. The miko stifling a laugh when she saw how the rain youkai was completely oblivious to what Fumiko had in store for him. When the tanuki let out a small cry and launched herself into her mate's back, both women began laughing. Lord Murakumo grunting loudly as he found himself suddenly almost doing a head-plant into the low table. Barely catching himself as his hands came up quickly to land on the edge of the dark piece of furniture. His mate's arms wrapped around his neck as she mock growled and pretended to gnaw on his neck.

"Muwahahaha! I got you now, Murakumo!" Fumiko's loud proclamation was accompanied by much fierce growling and sound effects of gnashing teeth. The commotion at the Taiyoukai table drawing everyone's attention in the long rooms.

Kagome and Kaen approached more sedately. The miko bending down to place an affectionate kiss on her mate's cheek as she knelt beside him on the pillow a servant hurried over to place on the floor. The dragon youkai showing more grace and poise in doing the same kneeling motion close beside her own mate. Tachikaze staring deeply into his mate's eyes without saying a word as he searched her expression intently.

After a few moments of the Eastern couple having a silent conversation just by looking at one another, Kagome saw the sharp angles of Tachikaze's features soften. Heart aching at the tender way he drew his knuckles over his mate's cheek before facing forward again with a guarded expression.

"Damn it, woman!" Murakumo snarled. Struggling to sit up straight as Fumiko continued her playful assault. Large canines flashing and electric eyes roiling, the Southern Taiyoukai bucked beneath her in an attempt to dislodge the tanuki. "Can you not behave for one single evening?"

With an indignant scoff Fumiko drew back enough to bite his ear with sharp fangs. Her mate hissing in pain as he brought a hand up to cradle the injured lobe with a scowl on his marked brow.

"Oh you big baby, you're fine!" Rolling amethyst orbs, Fumiko kept her arms wrapped around him as she leaned back enough to study his irritated profile. "I've given you worse bites than that when we're in bed together. So quit whining!"

Kagome tried to cover a laugh behind her hand. The guards surrounding them clearing their throats while looking away as they fought to keep their mirth hidden. The Southern Lady's outrageous comment making her mate's cheeks flush crimson. Lady Kaen's eyes danced in open amusement as Tachikaze and Sesshoumaru smirked as they continued drinking.

"I would thank you to lower your voice and keep our private lives to yourself, woman" Murakumo said with offended dignity. The blush on his cheeks adorable on such a deadly demon.

Unphased by her mate's show of temper, Fumiko brushed clawed fingers through his bangs and nuzzled into his neck and shoulder. "Now don't be mad, Murakumo." Tracing the marking on his furrowed forehead, she smoothed the area while staring deeply into her mate's censorious eyes. "Besides, what do I care if the nobility know you please your mate in bed. Fantastically, I might add."

Muttering a curse, he reached around with a twist of his body. Maneuvering the laughing female into his lap in a practiced motion that had Kagome thinking this sort of play between the royals was commonplace. The barest hint of smug male pride tilting his chiseled lips as he fought to keep his features set in annoyance.

Bringing their faces close together until their noses were almost touching, Murakumo growled at Fumiko through his teeth, "Irritating tanuki. I do not know why I put up with you."

Walking her fingers over his chest, she tapped his chin twice when she reached it. Giving him a happy smile as she lay docilely in his lap. Her body draped across his thighs and her arm around his broad shoulders encased in silk.

"Because you happen to be madly in love with me," Fumiko reminded him with a happy grin. Tracing the markings around his eyes and temple with a gentle fingertip.

"That does help," he agreed with a prosaic nod of his head and a smirk that held affection. When she lightly nipped the underside of his jaw the hand along her thigh tightened reflexively. His swirling irises igniting with banked desire as he gave her a severe look. "Behave yourself, woman."

"For now, Murakumo. For now," Fumiko said with a sigh of long-suffering. Turning to give Kagome a subtle wink that had the miko grinning.

Watching the interplay between the two youkai, Kagome sighed in contentment while she leaned her head against her mate's bicep. His arm coming to wrap loosely about her waist without hesitation after he set his saké aside.

Wrinkling her nose at the strong scent of the liquor, Kagome glanced up at Sesshoumaru. Frowning as she took in his bright amber eyes and the light flush riding his striped cheeks.

"Sesshoumaru, I do believe you're buzzed," she whispered in shock with a giggle. Smirking when all he did was nod sedately to her statement.

"Your powers of deduction have always been keener than most, kireina." He placed a fleeting kiss on her forehead, his claws lightly skimming her side over and over absentmindedly.

Lips curving, she looked to the pair of dragons. The lack of color on Tachikaze's face cluing her into the fact that he was probably the only truly sober male at the table. His intense crimson eyes met hers as he inclined his head slightly.

"Thank you, Lady Kagome." His voice was cold but the warmth to his vermillion irises let her know he meant what he said.

Understanding what he was referring to without need for an explanation, Kagome gave him a genuine grin. "Of course, Lord Tachikaze."

Kagome let her eyes roam about the room. Noticing that they were attracting plenty of speculative stares from the assembled youkai nobility. Though none of them dared to approach their group. Content to whisper behind their hands as they observed the powerful Taiyoukais and the women they were mate-bonded to. She was a bit sad that Kouga was nowhere to be seen, but also kind of expected it after the cold reception she had received from the wolf prince earlier.

She could honestly care less what they thought at this point. After hearing what Sesshoumaru had said about how the dragons would be ostracized and tormented, the miko was not about to let their haughty opinions control her.

Which was a shame considering she had spent so much time learning from Mitsue. It wasn't as though she had forgotten what the masked youkai had taught her. But between her shot of saké and the long night wearing on, Kagome had finally decided to give up all pretense of being something she wasn't.

Besides, the most powerful people in the entire room didn't have a problem with her so the rest of the snobbish nobility could go to hell as far as she was concerned!

Last week she had spent so many nights fighting to go to sleep while waiting for Sesshoumaru to return to their quarters. Her mind busy playing out one potential disaster after another for the night of her presentation. Body exhausted and brain short-circuiting from the endless diatribe of her inner voice's dire warnings and predictions.

Only to realize Sesshoumaru had meant it when he said it didn't matter whether she behaved like a proper member of the youkai high court of not.

Kagome realized that, though she had told her mate she believed him, a subconscious part of her hadn't. Now, seeing how he was chuckling lowly while watching Murakumo trying to tame the woman in his lap, she could honestly say he didn't give a shit what the nobility thought either.

Feeling lighter and more carefree than she had in what felt like an eternity, the miko snuggled into the dog demon's side. Reveling in his alluring scent as she absently combed her fingers through the tail about his shoulder. Rubbing her cheek into the velvety softness of it as she enjoyed the companionable atmosphere.

She felt the tightening of his arm around her as he answered something Tachikaze asked him. Listening to the rumble of his deep voice as it filtered into the ear pressed against him without deciphering the words. Content to be lazy and languid as the evening wore on.

The aura synchronization and mating bond thrummed pleasantly through her. A subtle constant vibration that was soothing. Lulling her into semi-consciousness as she yawned quietly behind one hand before letting it fall to lay slackly in her lap. Lids sliding closed, Kagome lightly dozed against her mate. The conversations around her a poetic symphony of attractive male voices with the lighter dulcet tones of the females in the group.

Kagome didn't know how long she remained as she was. Coming back to the present with a start as she blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the light. Sesshoumaru giving her a fond look from amber eyes as he placed another caress against her forehead.

"No falling asleep yet, kireina. There is still the rest of the presentation to get through." He smirked as she straightened from her spot against him.

The miko yawned sleepily as she glanced about them. Surprised to see they were now alone save for the kitsune brothers behind them and the random servants racing about clearing everything.

The entire hall was empty of any of the nobility or their security details. Including the other Taiyoukai and their mates who had been keeping them company.

Sniffling, she stretched her arms over her head with a grunt. Rotating her shoulders a little afterwards. Frowning up at her mate with a puzzled frown as he gained his feet gracefully despite the amount of alcohol swimming in his bloodstream.

"What else is there?" Taking the clawed hand he offered to help her rise, she smoothed her hands down the front of her rumpled junihitoe to rid it of the wrinkles marring the beautiful silk.

"It is almost the midnight hour." He reached over to gently move her swath of ebony hair over her shoulder. Brushing clawed fingers through it a few times as she continued fussing with her outfit. "We are expected out on the back field behind the hot spring before the hour hits."

"Why? What happens at midnight?" Kagome asked curiously. Stepping forward she brushed at his broad shoulders and lapels in what was now a commonplace habit for her.

Standing in place obligingly as she ran her palms over him, he told her, "The gift from the visiting Taiyoukai is presented to you, Kagome."

"What gift?" Completely lost, her hands stilled in their task as she gave him a confused look while tilting her head. "I thought once the dinner was over that was it. Mitsue never mentioned anything about a present of some sort afterwards."

Shaking his head, the sconce light bathing his features fetchingly, Sesshoumaru said with a small grin, "It is customary for those of prominence in the youkai high court to present the lady of the evening with an offering of some sort. When I was questioned on what would please you best, I advised them on what you will be attending shortly."

Giving him a speaking glance at the purposeful way he was avoiding answering he questions, Kagome shrugged while releasing him.

"Alright then, handsome. Lead the way so I can see what you're talking about." Lacing her arm through his, they quit the formal hall.

Kiro and Akito fell into step behind them. Kagome wondering just what was going to happen next as she let the cold Fall air dispel the last vestiges of fatigue from her mind. Inhaling the fragrant scent of the changing of the seasons as they made their way through the decorated garden and over the bridge. The arched walkway over the water dotted with ornate lanterns that reflected off the koi pond below in a sparkling beautiful array.

Admiring the superb job those who worked at Taisho palace had done on everything, Kagome was proud to say she was part of such a prestigious house. Enjoying the slow amble as they traversed by the towering building with steam coming from the windows lining the top under the eaves. A secret grin flirting her rosy lips as memories of Sesshoumaru and her making love in the cavernous structure flit through her mind.

Now that she was completely awake, desire for the Taiyoukai at her side flit over her senses. A part of her anxious to draw the night to a close so they could retire to their bedroom where they could engage in a few hours of physical pleasure. Finishing what Sesshoumaru had started out on the walkway earlier.

"Don't tempt me, itoshi anata," he growled down at her in a whisper. The bright flash of his irises eerily beautiful in the darkness of the night as the enormous clearing became visible in front of them.

Cheeks flushing, Kagome gave him a furtive look beneath her lashes as they walked up the small incline that led to the vast open field beyond. "I can't help it, you arrogant Taiyoukai. You're just too good looking for words."

Chuckling, he smirked down at her as they crested the hill. Pausing at the top Kagome let her eyes flit about the open expanse with another puzzled frown. All of the visiting nobility were situated in stately rows. Blankets and cushions covering the ground with the same small tables from the main hall set before them. Servants scurrying about to refill whatever beverage was desired.

Because of the lack of a moon there were lines of torches set up with military precision in a huge rectangle. Their flames wavering as a chilly gust of air swept through the area. The stars overhead breathtaking as they filled the sky to bursting with a glittering display that looked like someone had scattered diamonds on a blanket of black velvet.

Almost as one, the entire crowd stood up to face them. The picture of hundreds of glowing eyes in the shadows otherworldly and surreal. Kagome completely lost on what was going on as she gave Sesshoumaru a perplexed look from blue-grey eyes.

A small secret smirk played over his lips as she stepped forward. "This way, kireina."

A large aisle had been left through the middle of the gathering. Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and their guards walking down it slowly. The miko nodding at the bowing demons as she went. Uncertain what was happening or what they could possibly be doing outside the castle.

It took quite a few minutes but the small procession at last arrived at the end where Kagome now saw a small pavilion had been erected. The dark red canvas with her mate mark emblazoned over the roof's panels in bright white eye-catching even in the darkness. The fact that one of the panels was glaringly absent right where they would be located so the night sky was fully visible baffling to her.

A set of thrones had been placed atop a small dais like the one she had occupied in the main hall. Her slipper covered feet slightly damp from walking in the grass stepping onto the thick red fabric that had been placed on the ground. A wide stripe that covered the set of stairs she climbed. A stray shiver ghosting over her body as goosebumps bloomed to life on her skin when another breeze blew past.

Biting her lower lip, she calmly adjusted her junihitoe before taking a seat in the smaller version of the two wooden thrones. The back of which only hit her about mid-spine. The wavering torchlight from the tall wooden stakes standing as sentry on either side of the makeshift carpet allowing her to see the triple sakura emblem on hers and the crescent moon carved into the one Sesshoumaru occupied as soon as she sat.

Completely lost on what was going on, Kagome gave her mate a grateful look when he unwound his tail to drape it over her lap. The miko sighing happily as she maneuvered the heavy warmth of bone and fur about her body so that she was no longer cold.

Turning her head to look behind them, she frowned at seeing everyone was now seated once more. The only people standing either servants or the two kitsune brothers who were standing tall and proud beside the torches at the foot of the small stage.

"What's going on?" she whispered while listing towards her mate.

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes trained ahead as a smirk tilted his lips accompanied by his equally soft, "You will see, Kagome."

Grumbling at his evasiveness, she settled back in her throne. Shifting about while putting her frozen fingers beneath the fur in her lap.

Silence reigned with nothing moving save the torchlight as it valiantly remained lit in the windy air blowing over it. Absently running Sesshoumaru's fur through her fingers, Kagome's attention was diverted to the sight of Murakumo and Lady Fumiko coming from the left to stand before her and Sesshoumaru. The royal couple bowing to both of them respectfully at the edge of where the crimson fabric lined the ground.

She was mildly entranced by the way the rain youkai's bright gaze reflected brightly in the soft firelight. Both youkai giving her small smiles as she nodded her head regally like Mitsue had taught her.

"Lady Kagome," Murakumo's deep voice carried easily through the night. Reaching the sensitive ears of the demons gathered without a problem as he addressed the miko. "It would be the Southern Provinces privilege to offer you a gift, on this most auspicious night."

Uncertain what she was supposed to say, Kagome smiled tentatively as she replied loudly, "That is very kind of you, Lord Murakumo and Lady Fumiko."

Bowing to her in a show of gratitude, the Taiyoukai gestured behind him to the open field in shadows. The couple parting so she could see between them off into the distance. Squinting her eyes, she saw what she believed were sets of glowing eyes peering at her from the abyss.

"Please, enjoy this demonstration, My Lady. Organized for your entertainment as a fitting gift as requested by your mate." Murakumo briefly glanced to her side with a tiny smirk filled with comradery.

Anticipation coursed through Kagome at his words. Intrigued by what demonstration he could be referring to. Leaning forward eagerly, she smiled brightly as she called, "Thank you, Lord Murakumo and Lady Fumiko. I am certain I will fully enjoy what you have chosen as a present."

Bowing a final time at her kind words, the royal couple of the Southern Provinces stepped aside after Fumiko placed her arm through her mate's. Disappearing from view as they retook their spot at a low table set up for that purpose.

Silence reigned for a few moments. Kagome starting in surprise when she heard the first strains of a flute drifting through the night air. Unable to see where it was coming from as she searched the area for the source with a small frown. The sudden low rumble of drums joining the haunting melody she had never heard before but was already in love with.

Movement out in the darkness of the field drew her attention. Her breath catching in her throat as the area slowly began to lighten. Eyes widening in shock, Kagome couldn't believe her eyes when she saw three shapes begin to form out in the meadow. The slow morphing of the trio of youkai finishing their transformation in time with the music into large fiery birds of legend.

The one in the center at the front spread their wings wide with a trilling cry. The towering phoenix's long neck arching into the sky as flames followed the animal's every move when it flapped its wings. The two behind in a flanking position, both marginally smaller in comparison to the firebird that was the size of a jumbo jet, copying the action.

The beauty of their combined birdsong filtering into her ears as goosebumps once more arose over her body. This time in reaction to the sights and sounds before her and not because of the frigid temperature. Even from this distance she could feel the heat radiating from them. Their bodies incased in the fiery element in deepest red to brightest white. When the flute and drums began to reach a crescendo, all three gave a mighty flap of their wings and became airborne together with a sharp cry that was almost painful to hear. Hovering in place as the large one in the center gave another louder cry that Kagome felt vibrate right through her and had her ears ringing.

Shivering in excitement, Kagome scooted forward to the edge of her seat as she watched them rise into the night sky. Captivated by the aerial acrobatics they began to engage in. Weaving and lacing about one another in a delicate dance of flames. Long tails trailing behind them gorgeously each time they swooped or dove. The rhythm of the drumbeat echoing in her heart as it hastened in pace every so often with their exploits. The two smaller ones flying sideways at great speed to pass one another as the largest of them shot like an arrow into the sky between them. Coming to a halt with wings spread magnificently against the backdrop of the starlit heavens.

Kagome was totally enthralled by the show. The sounds of the music and the firebirds' song intermingling bewitchingly. The youkai appearing to dance with one another playfully with an elegance she was envious of. Facing each other with large deadly claws outstretched to clasp together as they spun in a slow spiral back towards the earth.

She couldn't say how long the demonstration of the phoenixes took. But once they made their final descent to the grassy field, the music fading until only the flute remained in a slowing melody, Kagome had tears of emotion in her eyes.

As the final note died away, the firebirds extinguishing as they shrunk in size back into their humanoid forms, Kagome had a lump in her throat. Amazed at the spectacle she had just witnessed. Knowing that it was a rare wonderful present her Taiyoukai had told Murakumo to do for his mate.

The meadow went black as pitch once more. Kagome wiping a stray tear away as her lips curved in a huge smile. Turning to her mate, she saw that he had been watching her. His amber irises banked in fiery warmth as he gave her a gentle grin.

"I take it you find favor in your presentation ceremony gift?" Sesshoumaru reached over to brush away a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I have no words," she whispered in a husky voice. Leaning into his palm when he cradled the side of her face. Blue-grey eyes filled with wonder and love as she wrapped her hand about his striped wrist. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I love it."

Arching a silver eyebrow at her, eyes brightening at her approval, his lips curved in a smirk as he released her to settle back into his throne. "It is not over yet, foolish woman."

"There's more?" she asked excitedly while looking back out to the field.

Occupying the spot Murakumo and Fumiko had been before were Tachikaze and Kaen. The dragons' eyes much warmer and open than the first time they had approached Kagome on the other dais.

Smiling at them in welcome, Kagome waited to see what they would say as they bowed to her respectfully.

"Lady Kagome, it is an honor for the Eastern Provinces to offer you our own demonstration on this, the night of your presentation into youkai nobility." Tachikaze's voice was strong and firm. The crimson of his eyes just as intense as they always were. "Please, accept our humble offering as proof of our approval for the new Lady of the Western Lands."

"I thank you, Lord Tachikaze and Lady Kaen. And am humbled by your gift." Nodding as her tutor had drilled into her head for hours, Kagome kept the smile on her lips even though it wasn't considered proper court behavior.

Bowing once more, the dragons surprised her when they turned their back to the dais and began walking out into the open field. Glancing at Sesshoumaru with an arched ebony eyebrow she gave him a confused look.

"What are they doing?" she whispered at her mate's profile as he continued to stare after the dragons.

"Patience, kireina," he replied lowly with an amused glance from the corner of his eye and a smirk about his lips that flashed a fang in the torchlight.

Shrugging, Kagome kept her eyes trained on the royal couple. Straining to keep sight of them as they become fully enveloped by the black of the night until they were no longer visible. It was instances like these that she was annoyed at her inferior senses when she knew the demons gathered could easily see what was going on.

The sound of a koto being played floated around her. The low thrum of the wadaiko drums offering an attractive backdrop to the delicate strums of the instrument. A flute melding in beautifully as a small ball of lilac light began to glow off in the distance. An answering darker purple ignited on the opposite side so that both of the shades of color grew larger together in perfect synchronization.

As the music continued to play two extremely large long dragons in bright hues became visible. The darker one at least four times the size of his counterpart. His large regal head at an arch that mirrored the female opposite him. Long snake-like bodies held motionless with one arm raised with claws splayed. The sweep of their tails curving elegantly towards the sky as they remained stationary. Thin long whiskers resembling a catfish trailing on either side of the male's snout.

Kagome was just able to make out the thick line of hair that reached from behind his tall horns that resembled a deer's to his shoulders where spikes continued down the entire length of his body. The female's sleek body sporting her own short set of horns and hair. A lack of spikes or whiskers apparent even at the distance separating the miko from the dragon youkai.

She had never seen a Taiyoukai in their true form. The immense size of the ryu demon was awe-inspiring. Overwhelming, the reality that his body length covered nearly the entire span of the field itself. The difference in stature compared to his mate making it even more noticeable.

The shiny iridescence of the dragons' scales glistened in twinkling light that accentuated the chords of pure muscle beneath. Shimmering magnificently beneath the stars as though the beasts were bathed in jewels themselves.

The koto picked up in pace as did the tempo of the drums. The flute fading away so that the other two instruments could take over. Kagome's breath caught in her throat when Lady Kaen began to move forward towards her mate. The delicate beauty of the female dragon flashing brilliantly as she brought her clawed hand to the ground. Going towards the enormous male dragon with tentative steps. The horns upon her head weaving and bobbing with the motion of her head as she approached her counterpart.

Lady Kaen's long body undulated slowly in a hypnotizing way. Tachikaze remaining in place with his head inclined towards the sky, as though he was unaware of the other ryu's presence. The female demon let out a low purring growl that sounded plaintive and beseeching when she was at her mate's feet. Non-threatening as was the way she bowed her head respectfully before rising on her hind legs. The length of her body barely reaching the much larger dragon's neck in the middle where a lighter shade of his dark purple scales lived.

When the smaller youkai nuzzled into her mate with another purring growl, the Taiyoukai's head finally lowered in a graceful motion. Crimson eyes blazing and apparent even to weaker human eyes as he brought them from their inspection of the heavens to land on the dragon in front of him. His whiskered snout moving back in the barest snarl that had the female retreating. Her head bobbing as she coiled her body about herself in what should have resulted into a tight knot. Her body leaving the ground as she lightly circled in and out of herself in mesmerizing waves that glimmered over her scales. Lady Kaen finally coming out of the intricate loops to float in front of her mate near his chin. The same purring growl as before leaving her throat.

His clawed hand fell to the ground as his head lowered another fraction. The vermillion eyes trained upon the female youkai narrowing as he tilted his head at a haughty angle. As though dismissing her as beneath his notice. A louder purr-growl sounding from him as he voiced his displeasure.

Concerned that the dragons were fighting or upset at one another, Kagome leaned over to whisper to Sesshoumaru, "Is everything alright out there?"

Chuckling, he nodded with a small grin. "Everything is fine, kireina. Lady Kaen and Lord Tachikaze are giving you a most intimate gift indeed." Fixing glowing eyes on his worried mate, he said gently, "It is a rare site to see, the mating dance between dragons."

Taken aback at the intimacy of what the dog demon said, Kagome asked, "As in mating, mating?"

He laughed outright once he understood what she was referring to. Running tender knuckles down her blushing cheek as he shook his head.

"Not in the way you are thinking, Kagome." Gesturing towards the two dragons on the field with his head, he trained his eyes forward as his hand fell away. "This is the story of their courtship and mate-bonding. The telling of how their relationship began and flourished into a love match eventually, even though it was prearranged between their families."

Dawning realization had Kagome turning to watch the royal couple with wondering eyes. Humbled that they would use something so personal as the present for her presentation ceremony. A part of her knowing that it was the most valuable thing they could offer. That it was given in the hopes it would alleviate some of the anger aimed towards their only child. A bid for leniency and apology from the Lady of Taisho palace. That she would perhaps find it in her heart to intercede with her taciturn mate on their behalf and beg clemency for their son.

Blue-grey eyes turning kind with a hint of sadness, Kagome focused again on the mating dance of the dragons. The depth of meaning behind the other rulers' gift touching her heart and making her determined to save the foolish General despite his poor judgement and life choices in regard to Sesshoumaru.

How could she possibly tell parents that their only kid was going to lose his life for his terrible mistake?

Surely there would be a way to fix all this. Somehow.

Lady Kaen was now slowly twining about the Taiyoukai's large arched neck without touching him. Skillfully encircling the humongous dragon's throat in increments. Tachikaze watching her closely. A stray rumble bursting forth from his snarling lips every so often, though he did nothing to actively stop her.

Again it brought home the size difference between the two in their true forms. Even with Lady Kaen's long body about her mate it took over half of her to do so. Her clawed feet balancing deftly on her toes once she came to a stop just below his chin. His whiskered maw no longer pulled back in a snarl. Crimson eyes thoughtful and intrigued as he lowered his regal head so that he could stare straight into the female dragon's bright green gaze.

Purring with a growl that was less plaintive and more demanding with strength behind it, Lady Kaen dared to reach up and nip her mate's jaw. Moving back enough so that they could look at one another muzzle to muzzle. Her lilac form kept carefully in place. No contact between the couple. The koto slow and languorous by itself. Creating a level of tension that had even Kagome sitting forward in anticipation with wide spellbound eyes.

When Tachikaze finally moved forward to nuzzle the diminutive dragon with a soft growl that echoed across the field Kagome felt tears prick her eyes. A few drops escaping over her cheeks as Kaen returned her mate's affectionate caress with one of her own. The depth of emotion held behind the male's actions and voice apparent even though they were in their true forms. The coils of the female ryu's body relaxing into the Taiyoukai's to lay against him. Clawed hands resting against the male youkai's scales as the two dragons rubbed their faces together over and over. The tense line of his body relaxing fully so that he was no longer rigid and unapproachable.

Sliding free of her mate's throat in a slow caress, the two separated to stand facing one another. The drums beginning to rise as the large male moved to wrap his body around his smaller mate's protectively so that she disappeared within the coils. The male dragon stopping to face towards the spectators with a fearsome glare. Opening his mouth to give a deafening roar. Large ivory teeth glinting even in the small amount of illumination. Red eyes fierce as he dared anyone to come near the mate he was bonded to before letting out a long stream of fire into the sky.

Kagome heard a large collective gasp come from the crowd, her own included. The heat from the dragon's flames strong enough to make her blush from their strength.

The music suddenly picked up loudly. The Taiyoukai leaping into the sky in an unraveling motion. His mate joining him seamlessly as they undulated through the stars as one. The dragons chasing about together in a dance that was both arresting and emotional. Tachikaze and Kaen spiraling around one another in a growing pace as they sped throughout the sky. Lengthy bodies moving in a waving motion as they flew about the sea of starlight.

Kagome gave a breathless laugh when the pair sped by low to the ground over the gathered youkai. Her hair flying about her features from the air kicked up by the royal couple's wake. Her hand pushing her ebony locks away from her face as she continued to watch the dragons dance with one another. Heart aching with emotion when the music began to crescendo as the dragons twined around and around one another as they shot straight up into the night.

Pirouetting and spinning in ever decelerating spirals in time to the instruments being played so artfully. Until, finally, they were barely moving at all. Levitated bodies coming to a stop and floating in thin air. The drum and flute falling away to leave the koto by itself.

The large male dragon placed his forehead against the delicate one of his mate with a low purring growl that was emotional and breathtaking in his tenderness of expression even in his true form. The boned pair staring deeply into one another eyes as they purr-growled together in unison. Lids falling over their fiery irises in perfect tandem as the last note faded from the stringed instrument.

The two dragons blinked out of sight. Sudden darkness taking the place of their glowing bodies as they disappeared completely.

A silence thick in reverence permeated the entire assemblage of demons spectating below. Kagome sniffling as she wiped away her tears. Gaining her feet to leave the dais in quick steps to stand between her guards. Smiling radiantly as she began to clap enthusiastically. Her solitary applause soon being joined by the rest of the nobility at first hesitantly, and then with equal fervor.

Kagome laughed in joy as she glanced up at the Taiyoukai who came to a stop beside her. His indulgent smile reaching the warmth of his eyes as he watched his ecstatic mate show her appreciation of what she had just seen.

Movement at her back had Kagome glancing behind her. Surprised to see that every demon in the long rows behind where she and Sesshoumaru were seated had arisen as well. Giving the performing royal couple a standing ovation despite what they may have thought about their social standing within their group.

"As I said, it is a rare and wonderous thing to witness the mating dance between dragons," Sesshoumaru told her with a smirk painting his lips.

Shaking her head as she gave another incredulous laugh, wiping the last remaining tears from her cheeks, Kagome said, "It was so beautiful! I have never seen something that had that much emotion behind it without a word being spoken."

Proffering her his arm, he led her back to the dais as the applause died down. Retaking their seats as the rest of the demon nobility followed suit.

Sighing dreamily, Kagome settled back into her throne. Placing Sesshoumaru's tail in its original spot over her legs with a grin she couldn't seem to get rid of.

"This really was an amazing night, Sesshoumaru." Blue-grey eyes soft and tender, she reached over to clasp his clawed wrist with a squeeze. "Thank you."

Taking her hand and raising it to kiss the back of her knuckles, the dog demon replied, "There is one more gift that has yet to be seen, Kagome."

"I can't imagine what it could be," the miko said with a chuckle of amazement.

"You will see," was his enigmatic reply as he let her go and turned towards the front.

She noticed that Akito and Kiro were missing when she copied her mate's behavior. A different set of guards in their place. Identities unknown as the helmets on their heads kept her from seeing who it could be.

"Where are Kiro and Akito?" Kagome asked in confusion as she looked all around her. As though she would possibly find the brothers behind where she sat or out in the crowd.

"Where indeed," Sesshoumaru whispered as a hush overtook the meadow.

The echo of a mournful howl sounded loudly through the night. Sad and lonely as whatever canine was making the noise called out into the darkness. No musical instrument joining in the sorrowful melody as the animal repeated the soulful bay a few times.

Searching the pitch black of the meadow, Kagome couldn't see anyone out on the grassy field. Tilting her head with a frown as a second voice split the air. This one farther off in the distance than the first.

Puzzled, the miko kept peering into the shadows. Trying with all her might to see where the howling was coming from, but to no avail.

Both canine's ceased their sad song at the same instant. The eerie quiet in place of the baying prominent. An expectant hush overtaking the masses of youkai seated in the audience as everyone awaited to see what would happen next.

When the twin howls began once more it made Kagome start in surprise at their volume. The canines closer than before so that she could tell they were near even if she still could see nothing out in the field.

Heart beginning to pick up pace in excitement and anticipation, the miko waited eagerly to see what was going to transpire. Which youkai would be taking the makeshift stage this time.

In the center of the field a shadow separated itself from the others. Kagome squinting her eyes as a lone solitary figure made its way straight towards the dais where the royal couple sat upon the thrones. A smile curved her mouth when she made out the tell-tale blue and white of her personal guard. His tall body becoming more discernable as he trekked forward slowly. The pearly-blue of his eyes reflecting in the dark like a predator's when a light was shone upon them.

He came to a halt just outside of the warm circle of illumination offered by the sputtering torches lining the perimeter of the field. Pausing silently to gaze at his mistress without saying a word. One of his clawed hands holding the yari he preferred as his weapon, lithe body clothed in the dress blues that were associated with the arctic kitsune clan.

Giving her guard a tiny wave, Kagome stifled a giggle when he smirked at her with a wink. Acknowledging her gesture before his features smoothed into stoic lines again.

A gasp left her parted lips when he suddenly tilted his head back and howled loudly. The sound completely animalistic and foreign coming from a humanoid form. The range behind it echoing out into the night eerily with a resonance that was more akin to a wolf than a fox.

The end of his long call was picked up by the same voice as before. Coming from one of the corners of the open expanse they were gazing upon. The timbre deeper with more of a growl than Akito's own. Reverberating through the night in a mixture she didn't recognize but was completely enraptured by.

Kagome was startled when the bright flare of fire from the three phoenixes reappeared. The largest one at the very back of the open area and his counterparts on each end of the long rectangular field. Their wings spread wide, tails wrapped about their taloned feet, and heads bowed respectfully without uttering a sound. The light given off by their flames illuminating the whole meadow so that Kagome could clearly see without igniting the vegetation around them. A controlled burn that took the type of mastery and skill she could only dream of possessing herself.

She caught sight of Kiro's tall frame in his own dress blues behind and to the side of Akito off in the distance. Not too far away from the firebird off to the right of where she sat. His spear missing from his clawed hands. The lacquered surface of his katana laced to his side visible now that the fire youkai were offering their assistance with the lighting.

The second the long baying ceased from the brothers the sound of the drums came to life again in a rumbling beat. Akito moving his spear skillfully in a twirling flash that came to a sudden stop when the drums abruptly died. The point of his weapon pointed out towards the royal couple he served, his body in a half crouch as he sighted down the length of wood in his clawed hands. Kiro remained standing motionlessly in the background, naught but his hair and clothing moving from a stray breeze that flowed over the valley.

The percussive beat of the drums started up again at a lower rapid thrum. The long metal blade on the end of the yari slowly becoming incased in layers of ice that glowed brightly as though it was lit from within by a colored light of soft blue. The music grew louder as the frozen water on the weapon halted once it had added several inches to the spear's length in a sharp point. Another set of wadaiko that were skillfully beat in a steady rhythm that had Kagome's heart racing joining in. The hands in her mate's tail clenching about the silky fur as her eyes followed her guard's tall body begin moving once more with his weapon.

Akito deftly swung the ice-tipped yari around and over himself quickly. The pointed end barely brushing the blades of grass at his feet as the arctic fox spun and twirled the weapon with his body. Seeming to dance with the implement of death in his clawed hands as he fought an imaginary foe to the beat of the drums. The way the end was alight giving the illusion that trails of luminance traveled in the spear's wake.

Using the pole he vaulted into a flip and landed with intricate footwork that was amazing to witness. The competency he displayed with his weapon of choice awe-inspiring to the miko who he was performing for. Her breath caught when he sprinted forward. Planting the pole of the yari deep into the ground before vaulting straight up into the air. Somehow managing to keep a hold of his weapon as he somersaulted upwards until he was several feet above the meadow.

His body straightening until he was standing with his arms above his head with his spear extended towards the starlit sky. Time appearing to slow as his body hesitated a few moments in a position that had Kagome on the edge of her seat. Eyes glued to the kitsune's suspended figure.

The drums had slowed and lowered to a bass rumble that grew in sound and strength as he began twirling the yari in his clawed hands. The rate of the revolutions so fast that the weapon became a blur with the glowing tip seeming to connect in circles of bright blue light. His body following suit until Akito himself was a barely discernable body amongst the fast motion.

A subtle movement caught her attention from the ground. Kagome not quite believing her eyes when she saw the drops of water, which had been clinging to the blades of grass, began to lift. Flying towards the cyclone of her personal guard to trail around him in an ever growing belt of water that moved eerily in the illumination of the firebirds and his weapon.

The drumbeats built to a crescendo. Akito coming to a sudden stop along with the music. His spear at his side and pointed downwards. His body semi-crouched, the palm of his free hand splayed as though he was balancing against the earth itself even though he was in open air.

The water around him made a giant circle over his head. The arctic fox's lips pealing back to showcase fangs larger than normal. His pearl-blue eyes turning white when he threw his head back to howl again. This time Kiro didn't answer his brother's call. Instead, the older fox crouched down low in a stance that had his body sideways and one hand hovering over the pommel of his blade as he stared up at his sibling with narrowed cold eyes.

A second later the older fox disappeared from view in a blur. Reappearing a moment later at his crouched brother's side. Sword drawn and raised over his head. Both of his clawed hands wrapped about the weapon, the deadly length of steel glinting in the firelight of the phoenixes as he went to impale the other youkai.

Kagome nearly stood up to cry out when it looked as though Kiro was going to harm Akito. The protest dying in her throat when the wadaiko sliced through the air in time to the downward swing of the katana. Akito deftly flipping backwards out of the way in short flips until the length of the field separated the two demons. The circle of water following after him, bright eyes still opaque white.

Straightening, Kiro sheathed his sword in a practiced motion as he faced his younger brother. Bending in a different pose, balancing on the balls of his feet as his clawed hand hovered once more over his weapon in preparation to draw it.

Glancing at her mate, Kagome frowned and asked over the noise of the drums, "Those two aren't going to get carried away, are they?"

Chuckling, Sesshoumaru shook his head as he left his inspection of his guards to look at Kagome. "It is only a performance for your benefit, itoshi anata. Every one of these demonstrations this evening is a Taiyoukai's way of bragging, in a way. Displaying the powers at their disposal so that the other demons attending will reconsider any thought of engaging one of them in battle."

"I see," she murmured with interest as she looked back up to the brothers facing one another in mock combat.

"Kiro and Akito both wished to do this for you, kireina." His words had her glancing at him in surprise. The grin about his mouth soft as he brushed a few strands of her hair behind an ear. "It is considered the highest honor to perform their special abilities for those they serve and protect. So that you would always feel safe while being in their personal care."

"I already feel that way," Kagome said with a smile and a wave of her hand. "I hope they don't accidentally harm one another trying to show off, though."

Smirking, his eyes left hers to train back on the kitsune brothers floating in the air. "Kiro is a master swordsman. One of his specialties is the art of iaijutsu. The technique used to withdraw your blade with precision and control. Something that takes immeasurable skill and decades of dedication to learn. Akito, you already know he is adept with his yari, I am certain. Even without seeing him actively use it, the way the kitsune handles it speaks of his adroitness with the spear."

A few moments of silence hung between them as the brothers charged at one another. Akito taking his free hand and moving it in a swirling motion that had a part of the water around him separating itself to coalesce. A small ball of oscillating liquid hovering over his hand as he sped towards his brother. Flinging out his fingers as he neared the older kitsune with a snarl as he raised his spear.

The water hardened into pure ice. Flying at the older fox's head, to which Kiro adeptly dodged it, before boomeranging back towards its intended target. The innocent ice now a deadly projectile that had enough speed behind it to seriously injure someone if it managed to connect.

Kagome was astonished by how easily Kiro was able to dodge Akito's ball of ice. Not even bothering to look back at it as he drew his sword to swing it in an arc around his body as he spun on one foot. The loud grate of steel meeting the ice-encrusted blade on the yari ringing loudly in the night even over the drums. A series of the katana being brought down and around its owner quickly followed. Akito blocking them efficiently as he was forced to retreat. The ball of ice coming in every so often when her guard would manage a few seconds to free a hand so he could control it. The water around him remaining by his side no matter where he went.

The two brothers came to a stop in different poses across from one another. Both of them breathing hard with scowls of concentration on their marked brows. The otherworldly white glow of Akito's eyes bright in the starry sky they were using for their battlefield. She saw a smirk paint Kiro's lips as he straightened to sheath his blade before bringing his clawed hands up in front of him in a reaching motion. Akito frowning as some of the water he had kept surrounding him dashed over to the older fox.

The assassin's smirk growing larger showcasing a set of deadly canines that were bigger than normal. The cobalt blue of his eyes now an opaque bright blue that reflected ethereally off his cheekbones and marking.

Standing as well, Akito let out a snarl as he stopped the liquid from traveling through the night. The both of them left with about the same amount as each other. Kiro's lips remaining in their mocking curl as he made a few hand gestures she couldn't quite make out.

His portion of water became droplets that shimmered all around his tall frame in a glittering display. Clawed hands moving in a fast succession of odd motions, the droplets became tiny shards of ice. What looked like a thousand deadly razor-edged tips aimed at her personal guard. A second later he waved his hand negligently. The miniscule bullets of frozen water moving in a giant wave towards Akito at breakneck speed.

Own lip curling in a snarl, Akito brought his water forward to create a wall that shielded him completely. The small projectiles slamming into the icy barrier with loud 'pings' that could be heard even over the steady drums.

Akito's shield began to slowly erode under the heavy assault until it shattered completely. The sky raining down a million particles of ice that blew over the crowd in a light cool mist when another wind came through the field. Kagome was grateful to see that none of the makeshift bullets had managed to touch her bodyguard. A sigh of relief leaving her lungs when she saw him standing proudly in one piece without a single mark on him.

Now that neither brother possessed anymore water at their disposal, they stood facing each other. The flute and koto began playing the same notes as the drums in staggered steps behind the wadaiko. An unearthly echo that fluctuated vibrantly.

Akito charged his brother, using his pole to propel his body into a series of flips that ended with him throwing the yari straight at Kiro with harsh force as he slid to a stop. The spear sailing through the air straight through the spot the assassin had been to arc through the air and impale the ground deeply. The area around where it was buried turning frozen instantly in a large circle.

Kiro came into sight above his brother. Withdrawing his katana, running a clawed hand over the blade. Ice appearing as his palm passed over the steel to end in a deadly point that he brought down towards his sibling.

Kagome's heart stuttered in fright when the weapon barely missed going through her bodyguard. Palms damp in nervousness as she gripped into Sesshoumaru's tail over her lap. The gentle caress of her mate's tail-tip brushing fleetingly over her cheek drawing her out of the momentary scare. Reminding her that it was only a show, albeit a very realistic potentially mortal one, that the kitsunes were giving her as a gift to their new mistress.

Releasing a breathless laugh, she glanced to her mate. "Thanks. I keep forgetting that they aren't really going to hurt one another. This is nerve-wracking!"

"It would not be worthy of performing if Akito and Kiro were not actively trying to best one another, kireina." Sesshoumaru gave her a tender grin as he added gently, "They truly are showing you their prowess wholeheartedly."

"But they aren't going to get carried away, right?" she asked with a frown as she gnawed on her lower lip.

"Hopefully not," was all he said with a shrug before turning back to watch Akito dodge his brother's blade skillfully when Kiro returned the charge.

Worried, Kagome shifted about restlessly where she sat. A severe frown painting her features as she ground out between clenched teeth, "Yeah, well, I will not be pleased if either of them get hurt just because they were overexuberant while up there pretend fighting each other."

"Duly noted, itoshi anata," Sesshoumaru said with a wry grin as his amber eyes followed the quick movements of the pair of youkai without a problem.

Akito dodged and danced away from Kiro's blade over and over again. Disappearing in brief spurts with his brother just to become visible once more somewhere else in the sky at varying levels. Anytime it seemed as though the younger fox would be leading towards retrieving his weapon he would be outmaneuvered. His handsome features clouded in anger as he snarled loudly at his brother when Kiro almost managed to cut into his midriff. If Akito had not twisted out of the way at the last moment he would have been sliced in half.

"For the love of-," Kagome ground out the unfinished sentence in irritation as she nearly had a heart attack from the close call.

She was just about ready to put an end to the brothers' antics when Kiro sheathed his sword and tilted his head back to howl in the echoing growl she had heard before. The hair along her body raising at the predatory sound.

In answer Akito's body became encased in blue smoke as he shifted into his true form. Crouching low with his ears back and lips curled in a snarl that had firelight glistening off the huge teeth he was baring at his sibling. When he let out his own answering baying it was much deeper and louder than in his humanoid form. Kagome nearly clapping her hands over her ears at the way it made them ring. Akito's canine voice echoing through her body until she felt it deep within her in an odd sensation that was indecipherable. Nuanced and unique his vocal projection outlasted his brother's and overrode the music with little effort so that it was the only thing the miko could hear.

Fur bristled along his back, the huge blue and white fox growled as he leapt towards the male figure standing stoically in front of him. Kiro waited until the last minute to draw his sword and slide under the beast, Akito flipping out of the way narrowly missing the ice encrusted blade so that it didn't cut into his belly. An acrobatic movement no true animal would be able to accomplish in nature.

"That's it!" Kagome made to rise with a fierce scowl. Ready to go out on the field and demand those two stop what they were doing and come down.

How was being shish kabobbed in front of their new mistress supposed to bring her any type of pleasure?

"Easy, Kagome." Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped about her wrist. Forestalling the miko from standing. His amber eyes pinning her narrowed blue-grey ones as he said, "I promise you, itoshi anata, you have nothing to worry over. Neither of the kitsune are in any type of true danger. Especially the one you favor so much."

He gave her a knowing look as he smirked. Moving his hand to cradle her own to kiss her scarred palm. "You must allow them to see this through to the end. If you were to publicly stop what is happening it would bring dishonor to their clan for generations. The youkai high court and all other demons would look down upon them as a weaker group. A type of demon who had incited displeasure and overt censor from the Taiyoukai they served."

"I'm getting real sick and tired of the way the youkai nobility run their lives and how they see things, Sesshoumaru." Grumbling, she heaved a sigh while retaking her seat.

"I am aware, kireina." His voice was amused as was the smile on his lips when he gave her another caress, this time on the back of her hand. Placing the appendage in his lap so he could stroke his thumb over the patchwork of scars soothingly.

Allowing the bonds between her and the dog demon to calm her frazzled nerves as she turned to watch the brothers. Akito scampered after his brother in an attempt to bite him and then deftly moved out of reach when Kiro returned the favor with his blade.

Kagome couldn't tell if she was happy or not when Kiro sheathed his blade before dark blue smoke covered his body. A large navy colored fox forming in his place. The marking upon his furry forehead looking black in the light given off by the phoenixes who she was amazed had remained completely motionless this entire time.

How they had the stamina she had no clue. Honestly, the kitsunes had probably only been doing their fake skirmish for minutes, but with the stress she was feeling over it, it seemed like hours.

She almost gave a sigh of relief when the two large foxes began to run around the area side by side instead of continuing to battle. The youkai in varying shades of blue leaping, flipping, and tumbling about in a way that had her muscles untying from their knots. Her heart to slow its pace from the hammering before so that she actually relaxed into her throne.

"I like this much better," Kagome said with a grin. Laughing a little when Akito managed to trip the older kitsune on purpose so that Kiro rolled through the air.

"I daresay they are both doing this for you, kireina," Sesshoumaru said dryly as he continued to rub her hand ceaselessly as he watched his guards sardonically. "I highly doubt the rest of the nobility will find them to be fierce when they are behaving like pups out for a playful scuffle."

Scoffing, Kagome waved her free hand carelessly. "Like I give a crap what the nobility likes. This is my presentation and I say seeing the brothers act like a couple of puppies who have been locked up all day to finally be let out is great."

A heavy sigh ran through his body as he gave her a mock look of pain. "However will I convince the other Taiyoukai I possess some of the fiercest youkai in creation as guards when they are currently wrestling in the air like a pair halfwits?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," she replied blithely with a total lack of concern or sympathy for her mate's supposed damaged image.

Kagome smiled brightly as she watched the two kitsune in the starlit sky. Uncaring what the rest of the audience thought. Chuckling when Kiro grabbed Akito in the canine version of a headlock to flip him end over end.

Sesshoumaru grinned as he glanced to his happy mate. Glad to see the anxiety absent from her expressive features. If accomplishing such a thing meant the arctic foxes' impressive display of battle skill was to be cut short, then so be it. It didn't mean they were any less deadly despite their current behavior otherwise.

The brothers finally brought their horseplay to an end in time to the music. Separating to land in the same spots they had begun the night in on the field. Akito sitting beside his spear with his version of a smile pulling back his canine lips exposing sharp fangs. The pearl-blue opalescent eyes trained upon his mistress were warm and indulgent with a lack of self-consciousness that other youkai of noble birth had witnessed him basically frolicking with his sibling.

As the final note sang through the air both artic demons transformed back into their humanoid forms. Akito grasping his imbedded yari to pull it free and place it with a spinning flourish at his side. Bowing deeply to his master and mistress, Kiro copying the motion, as silence overtook the area.

Lips curved brightly, Kagome immediately rose to walk down the dais as she had for Kaen and Tachikaze. Sesshoumaru remaining where he was as she approached her guard with a shake of his head and a smirk. Winding his tail about his shoulder as he watched his mate interact with the fox.

Clapping, Kagome was glad to hear the other youkai take up the action in a thunderous applause. Laughing joyfully as she walked up to her personal bodyguard without hesitation. Embracing his tall frame in a tight hug in front of the entire assembly with a complete lack of inhibition. Akito's arms hesitating a moment before returning the embrace as he furtively looked towards his master. The slight incline of Sesshoumaru's head giving permission for the fox to do so since it was considered extremely taboo for the mate to another demon, especially that of a Taiyoukai, to touch someone else.

Stepping back, Kagome's blue-grey eyes shone as she continued to smile up at Akito. Clasping his free hand between her own as she gazed up into his sharp features that had softened minutely at her attentions.

"That was wonderful, Akito! I loved it!"

Inclining his head, a small grin tilted his lips. "I am pleased you enjoyed it, Lady."

"I did," she chirped happily. Her gaze moving to his side as Kiro joined them. The three firebirds extinguishing their flames to morph back into their smaller forms. Shrouding the small group on the field in shadows that were easily penetrated by youkai eyes. Releasing her guard, she surprised a grunt out of the older kitsune when she enthusiastically embraced him as well. "Kiro! Thank you so very much for doing this for me!"

Akito smirked at his brother's uncomfortable expression. The typically icily controlled youkai glancing about helplessly as he raised his arms without returning her gesture. A scowl marring his marked brow as he narrowed his cobalt eyes at his silently laughing brother.

"Woman, what have I told you about accosting my guards?" Sesshoumaru's voice sounded behind her in mock anger with a growl. His amber eyes filled with amusement at Kiro's expense as he came to a stop beside Akito. "I distinctly recall telling you more than once you make some of them uncomfortable with the way you go about throwing yourself at anyone who holds still long enough."

Scoffing, Kagome ignored her mate to give Kiro a final hug. Her smile brightening when he at last returned it lightly while awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. Laughing, the miko finally let the poor demon go. Knowing he had no idea what to make of what she had done and unused to her random tactile outbursts just as Akito had been when they first met.

A quick glance around showed that the youkai nobility were slowly leaving the field now that the entertainment had drawn to a close. Sidling up next to her mate, Kagome burrowed into his side while grabbing his arm and draping it over her shoulders. Shivering as the cool night air cut through her layers of silk as though she was wearing nothing at all.

Holding her close, Sesshoumaru looked at each of the brothers in turn with pride as he said, "Your performance was exemplary, Akito, Kiro. A truly proud representation of the arctic kitsune clan and as guards to the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands. I am honored to have you both in our service."

Bowing lowly, the kitsune brothers said in unison, "Thank you, My Lord."

Smirking, Kagome added, "That's just Sesshoumaru's fancy way of saying you guys are awesome."

Akito chuckled as the dog demon gave his mate an irritated look. His hand moving to cover her mouth as he growled down at her, "Mitsue should have taught you how to be the picture of feminine elegance. Which means you are better seen and not heard, Kagome."

Biting his palm in retribution, she gave him a smug look when he hissed in pain while removing his hand. "Damn it, woman! That hurt!"

"Serves you right!" she snapped as she fought to keep a scowl in place when she really wanted to laugh at how disgruntled the Taiyoukai appeared as he studied his hand looking for an injury. Rolling her eyes, she moved away from him, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh quit being a big baby. Honestly, some fierce youkai I am mated to if he is nearly undone by a simple love bite."

Akito's warm chuckle had her lips curving wider. The wink she threw at Kiro making the older fox's expression turn bemused as he shook his head.

"I will show you a love bite, you irritating woman," Sesshoumaru purred at her with a predatory gleam in his amber eyes as he gave her once over that had her blushing.

"Stop that," Kagome said with a wave of her finger and a self-conscious frown. "Behave yourself, you arrogant Taiyoukai."

"But it is after midnight, kireina. Which means your presentation is over and you no longer have the privilege of ordering me about." Sesshoumaru's smile was wicked as was the light in his amber eyes as he looked her over again with banked desire.

Sighing, Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation. Turning to the kitsune brothers as she said, "Alright, let's go back to the palace before Sesshoumaru does or says something he will regret."

She gave a small squeak when Sesshoumaru's arm snaked about her to pull her into him. Nuzzling her face affectionately as he nipped her nose with a smirk. The flush on her cheeks deepening as she grinned, her hands splayed on his chest over the beat of his heart.

"The only thing I regret, kireina, is that this evening has dragged on so long before we could retire for the night." The meaning behind his suggestive statement made her lower abdomen clench even as she tried not to die from the waves of shyness crashing over her.

Embarrassed, Kagome gave him a frown full of disapproval as she placed a finger over his lips. Trying to ignore the way it made her whole body ignite when he nipped at it gently.

"This is what I get when you're buzzed, huh?" Smiling wryly, Kagome gave her guard and his brother a look as she rolled her eyes. "Apparently Sesshoumaru is a touchy feely drunk."

"I am not drunk," Sesshoumaru said indignantly as he released her. Straightening to his towering height. Features settling into their usual haughty lines as he said, "This Sesshoumaru does not overly imbibe in his cups. Ever."

"Uh-huh," Kagome said. Unconvinced as she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a once over with an arched ebony eyebrow. "Well this Kagome is getting cold, tired and would like to get back to our rooms so I can take this damn junihitoe off. It's heavy as hell."

She knew he had taken what she said the wrong way when he gave her a roguish grin as his amber irises blazed brightly.

His voice a seductive purr in the dark as he said, "Kireina, I am more than happy to play lady's maid for you this evening and help you discard the terrible garments that weigh so heavily upon your body."

"For crying out-" Sighing heavily, she trailed off with a helpless laugh. Turning to the brothers who were both smirking, Kagome said with as much dignity as she could, "Do you two think you could get us escorted back to the castle quickly? I'm not sure how much more publicly flirting Sesshoumaru I can take."

"That will not be necessary," Sesshoumaru said firmly a second before she found herself in his arm. Held against his chest by use of the appendage and the furry length of his tail coiled about her body as her feet left the ground. Nodding to the guards over her head, he said sedately, "Gentlemen. You are dismissed for the night."

Kagome didn't even have time to tell the two foxes goodbye as her mate turned towards the palace. A shimmer of white light engulfing them, the last thing she heard was the sound of the brothers laughing as Sesshoumaru carried her with great speed through the castle. Dodging the random noble or servant with finesse as he made their way to their quarters.

She finally gave in and decided to relax and enjoy the ride. Laughing happily as her mate carried her. Contentment and affection intermingling thickly through her blood as she placed her head on is shoulder with a smile.

Tonight had been wonderful. The memories of which she would hold close and take with her throughout the long years of her life with Sesshoumaru. Giving silent prayers of thanks to whoever was listening for the future she found herself facing with the man she loved at her side.


	65. The Art of Forgiveness

She didn't know what had woke her up.

Perhaps it was the chill she felt, even with the heavy duvet swathing her from head to toe. Or maybe the lack of her mate when she reached over to his side of the bed to find it empty. Hand seeking and patting his pillow before she opened her eyes to raise her head and peer blearily at where Sesshoumaru usually slept.

Whatever the case, Kagome was now fully with the living and anxious. Sitting up in bed while pushing her hair out of her face with a hand, she glanced about the empty chamber with a frown. The darkness enshrouding the room hiding the corners in shadows that were too thick for her feeble human eyes to penetrate.

Straining her ears, she tried to listen closely for any signs of movement. Puzzled as to the abject silence that permeated the castle. Not even the trill of crickets or the swoosh of wind passing through the trees detected, which was very abnormal.

Ill at ease, the miko moved the blanket from her legs and scooted to the edge of the large bed. Sitting for a moment with a shiver in the cool night air, frowning when she noticed that the brazier in the corner was dark. No scent of burning wood or soothing warmth to be had from the makeshift heater.

Yet another odd occurrence that made no sense.

Stepping down onto the icy floor, Kagome sucked in a breath with a hiss as she scurried to where her shoes were. Shoving her feet inside them without tying the laces before straightening to rub her arms vigorously. The thick material of her flannel pajamas with the ducks doing little to keep the chill from her skin as she searched the room once more for any sign of her mate.

She paused when she spotted the length of his silk robe lying at the foot of the bed. Its customary spot whenever Sesshoumaru was abed with her or had dressed and left for the day. Puzzled as to why it was here when he wasn't, especially considering that it was the middle of the night, Kagome walked over to it. Rubbing the hem between her fingers with a scowl as she glanced about the dark bedroom. The hair rising on the back of her neck causing her to freeze.

Heart hammering inside her chest, Kagome was overtaken with a sense of suffocating fear. Her lungs struggling to inhale and exhale smoothly. The sensation of being watched by malevolent eyes from places she couldn't discern making her swallow thickly around the lump in her throat.

Why was she drowning in terror in her own room in the middle of the night?

Why was her stomach tying itself in knots as she spun around with wild blue-grey eyes to sweep the empty chamber as though she was expecting to find someone or something there that meant to do her harm?

Clenching her jaw, Kagome forced herself to calm down. Irritated at her own behavior as she moved to her nightstand with determination. Shoving the illogical fear away violently as she grabbed a match with shaking hands and lit the candle that was next to her carafe of water and the matching glass which was always left for her by the servants.

She was being ridiculous! Just because she woke up alone that was grounds for becoming scared of the dark? How stupid could she be!

She'd faced demons head-on, for crying out loud! Stood toe-to-toe with Naraku without flinching while staring down the length of her arrows as she fired them at the hanyou. She was no shrinking violet. No weak-willed young girl who became frightened when left by herself because a man wasn't beside her!

So then why did giving herself this litany of pep-talks not seem to be working? Why was it not banishing the cold sweat from her body or the shivers wracking her frame that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room, and everything to do with her body's upheaval?

Sighing in aggravation at herself, Kagome tilted her chin at a defiant angle and walked about her bedroom. Lighting the candles as she went until the whole room was ablaze with illumination chasing the darkness away. The miko then going to the brazier to fill it with wood before relighting it with the flame in her hand. Standing there beside it as the fire overtook the dry tinder with a series of sharp crackles that sounded loudly in the silence.

Staring at the red and gold flames dancing over the timber greedily, she carefully closed the cast-iron door. Locking it in place securely before moving over to the armoire beside it. Gnawing at her lower lip once more, she stared at the stately piece of furniture in indecision before shrugging. Grasping the handle on one side, Kagome opened it to look inside, raising her candle so that it illuminated the interior shelves that held the clothing on its surfaces.

Everything looked as though it was there. Her clothing was in neat stacks in every row just as they always were. Feeling foolish for even checking, Kagome shook her head with a sheepish grin as she moved to open the other side to check her mate's. Figuring she had come this far in entertaining her idiocy she might as well go all the way.

No doubt Sesshoumaru had been called away by something and not awoken her. Letting her sleep after the presentation ceremony and the vigorous love making they had indulged in for a few hours after returning to their quarters. She didn't remember dressing afterwards, but then she had been very tired, and it wouldn't be the first time she hadn't slept the entire night nude beside her Taiyoukai. Sometimes when she would get up to use the Sengoku Jidai's idea of indoor plumbing, she would hurriedly dress before returning to snuggle into Sesshoumaru's warmth.

Blushing at the memory of carnal pleasure they had taken from one another, Kagome's lips curved in a smile as she pulled the second door open. Raising her candle once more as she ran the light slowly over the clothing inside. Tilting her head to the side, she eyed the various articles of colored silk. Pausing a moment over a set of haoris that she didn't recognize.

Ebony eyebrows forking down in a vee, Kagome traced the crimson material with a white pattern on them she couldn't make out from the way they were folded. The matching set of pants beside random underwear and sashes she didn't recall Sesshoumaru ever wearing either.

What the hell?

A sense of surrealism overtook her as she closed the armoire quietly. Pondering why she had even looked there in the first place and what it was she had been looking for. All of the clothing looked present, not as though her mate had dressed and then left even if they were different from his typical garb. No sign of the white silks he wore anywhere in the laundry pile she had in the corner or inside the ornately carved dresser.

Telling herself she needed to get a grip, Kagome glanced to where the study door lay. Pausing a moment before walking over to open it and peek inside. The office empty and cold with no sign of her mate. Not that she had expected there to be, but just as with all her other actions thus far, she hadn't seemed to be able to help herself in looking.

Kagome was surprised that she couldn't seem to get warm, however. She was still shivering with goosebumps lining her flesh even with the brazier burning and the soft light of many candles spread throughout the bedroom. Placing her candle in its holder on the low table, she glanced around the room once more. Unable to completely dispel the paranoia of being watched even with the shadows chased away.

Teeth nearly chattering from the ice that had overtaken her very bones to freeze her from the inside out, she went to the bed and slid on her mate's robe. Tying the sash tightly while kicking the hem behind her so she didn't trip on it. The length of the sleeves hanging over her hands enough so that she had to shake them a few times to get them free.

Wrapping her arms about herself, Kagome walked back over to the makeshift heater. Standing close to the cast-iron implement of warmth as she waited for her mate to return from wherever he had gone off to.

She idly debated on whether or not she should open her door and see if a guard was placed there, though she highly doubted it. Sesshoumaru had dismissed everyone for the evening knowing that she would desire as much privacy as possible when it came to them spending intimate time together. Her dog demon ever considerate to his shy mate's needs when it came to such things.

Giving up on that notion, Kagome sighed to herself as she remained facing the brazier to absorb its heat. Holding her hands out to it as she buried her nose into the collar of the robe. Inhaling the calming scent of her mate deeply into her lungs over and over. Allowing it to soothe her anxiety and worry. The emotions ebbing away with the cold of her skin the longer she did so while staying in front of the heater.

Yawning as fatigue began to pull at her the more she got warm, Kagome swayed a little as she let her body relax. Misgivings melting away with the passage of time so that she no longer felt as though she was being observed. Even the lack of noise was no longer concerning to her.

As she was yawning again, she heard the bedroom door open behind her. A small grin curving her lips as she continued to face away from the entryway. The soft tread of footsteps behind her unalarming since it would only be Sesshoumaru returning.

When his arm slid about her waist from behind to pull her back into his tall frame, she went so willingly with a happy sigh. Eyes sliding closed as she cuddled backwards into his warmth. Her hands going to his wrist to hold it to her tightly. Fingers tracing random lines over his skin as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. The rise and fall of his calm breathing pleasant and comforting.

"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered as she swayed against him gently. Turning her face into his shoulder to nuzzle it before leaving a fleeting kiss there. Eyes still closed as a welcoming smile curved her lips. "I was worried when I woke up and couldn't find you here."

Instead of answering her verbally, she felt him lean down to kiss the side of her neck below her ear. The heavy tail of his silver hair falling over her front as he let his mouth trail a seductive line down her throat that had desire spiraling through her.

Reaching a hand up to cup the back of his head, she was vaguely aware of her fingers coming up short in his bound locks. It wasn't too surprising, however, since he had worn the same hairdo earlier at her ceremony. No cause for concern for the miko as she obligingly moved her head to the side to give him better access.

Rubbing back against him suggestively, thrilling at the hard press of his erection sliding against her, Kagome moaned deeply when he nipped at the place where her neck and shoulder met. Breathing turning ragged and fingers clenching into his scalp as her body grew taut. Arousal causing her lower abdomen to clench, her nipples to harden and hot fluid to collect between her thighs.

Laughing unevenly, Kagome gasped out in a husky voice, "I suppose this means you missed me too." Biting her lower lip with a groan when he moved his hand to cup her breast, she moved against him restlessly. Crying out sharply as his deft fingers found her nipple through the layers of clothing to pluck at it. Her voice was a needy whimper when she said, "Sesshoumaru."

The lips and hands on her body stilled. The breathing of her mate's body turning harsh against her spine. A low growl issuing from his throat that had her squinting her eyes open with a puzzled frown to stare sightlessly at the armoire from where her head had been angled.

The hand about her breast tightened almost painfully before releasing it to grasp the neckline of the robe and shirt. Pulling them aside with a harsh yank that shocked her with its leashed violence as he exposed her mate mark. The scrape of fangs a deadly caress that was followed by the wet lave of his tongue.

Uncertainty tickled her senses. Dousing the maelstrom of her ardor as she opened her eyes fully. Unaccustomed to the ferocity driving his actions. The uncharacteristic way Sesshoumaru was acting making a slither of fear snake through her.

Wiggling into him restlessly, she pushed away how his attentions to her mating mark made her wet and needy for his attentions. When she tried to turn about in his embrace he growled again. This time a feral edge to the sound that had the hair on her nape standing on end. The barest shiver of trepidation making her squirm harder.

Grinding her teeth at how tight his hold was, the hand on her shoulder hard and punishing, Kagome bit out, "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing?"

She tried to turn her head to see his face but could only make out the heavy fall of his ponytail and the smallest hint of his ear. The thick swath of his mane obscuring his features as he continued to work at her neck.

Becoming angered, her temper sparking and driving away the desire flowing through her bloodstream, Kagome gave a growl of her own when he prevented her from moving away when she tried again.

"Sesshoumaru, what the hell are you doing? Let me go, damn it! You're hurting me!" she snarled. Completely taken aback by his lack of response and his actions.

What the hell was wrong with him?!

The hand she had in his hair found his ponytail. Wrapping about the base of it tightly and yanking harshly.

"I said let me go! Right now!" Fear had her voice quavering even as hurt made tears prickle in her eyes at the way he was treating her.

Sesshoumaru had never done anything like this before. Just hours ago he had made love to her so sweetly and slowly it had brought tears to her eyes. The loving way he worshipped her body into bliss showing her just how much her mate cared for and cherished her.

But this?

This was the exact opposite of that. This was animalistic and brutal. Not leashed passion as the times before when his baser instincts had been close to the surface as in the hot spring or in their bedroom. No, this was cold and unfeeling. Hard and dominating with a total lack of heartfelt emotion behind it.

Kagome's heart stuttered when she felt a hand come up to wrap around her throat from behind. Her disbelieving eyes widening impossibly in her pale face as she stared at the arm holding her shoulder while feeling another hand against her skin at the same time. The tightening of the fingers over her windpipe enough to bruise but not enough to cut off her air.

It took Kagome's mind a few moments to understand what was happening. What it meant. And when she did her heart stuttered in fear. Oxygen freezing in her lungs as she realized this wasn't her mate holding her against him.

This was not Sesshoumaru who was currently placing his lips over her mate mark to suck hard. The sharp stab of sexual desire that coursed through her body a betrayal in and of itself as Kagome tried to will herself not to feel it.

Yanking at the intruder's hair repetitively as she clawed at the hand on her throat, Kagome tried to kick back into his legs. Twisting and turning despite how it hurt in an attempt to get herself free. Trying to drag in a deep enough breath to scream and call for help. To alert the castle that someone had come into their midst and was accosting her.

Again her unknown assailant sucked hard. The prick of their teeth unwelcome even as it made arousal swim through her veins despite her best efforts to make it stop. Humiliated tears flooding her eyes, Kagome snarled angrily as she fought against him.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Kagome bit out as she dug her fingernails deeply into the wrist attached to the hand around her throat.

The scream she went to let out died a quick death in her throat when the demon holding her suddenly let go of her mate mark to lift his head. Turning to face her, as though in slow motion, so that his features were finally visible.

Terror struck her heart like an arrow between her ribs when the aristocratic pale features of Sesshoumaru's uncle swam into view. The crescent moon marking on his brow and flowing reddish-amber of his eyes ringed in crimson as he moved his head closer to hers.

Almost hyperventilating, Kagome couldn't make herself move as she repeated to herself over and over that this couldn't be happening. That this wasn't real. That it wasn't possible.

Nuzzling into her stricken features in a caricature of the caress she was so fond of receiving from her mate, Aion paused with his forehead pressed into hers. The miko's vision filled with the dog demon's fiery gaze banked in sexual desire and malevolence.

Kagome felt the repulsive brush of his lips against hers when he said seductively, "I told you before. You will give me everything I desire and more."

He pushed the lower half of his body into hers. The hard length of him grinding into her. Bile rising in her throat as her stomach somersaulted. Nuzzling into her again, his hands tightened around her body. The deadly tips of his claws pricking her skin without drawing blood, though they were very close to it.

Stark terror at his meaning had Kagome bucking and writhing. Uncaring if it caused Aion to accidentally pierce her flesh with his claws. Better he rip out her throat and leave her a bleeding corpse than torture her slowly. Having her suffer unimaginable horrors from his twisted sadistic mind before he finally granted her the sweet relief of death.

Frantically, she reached inwardly for her miko powers. Realizing with growing despair that though they tried to connect with her, the same static wall wouldn't allow them to. The purifying essence surging against its prison as it undulated and boiled beneath the surface. All she accomplished in attempting to call it to her was frustration.

She gave a sharp cry of alarm when she found herself suddenly spun around. Her hands pushing into Aion's chest with all her might. Fingers tense and curved as she dug her less impressive nails into the pliant flesh over his heart. As though she might reach inside his chest cavity and rip the organ out by using brute force alone.

How she wished she possessed a fraction of the physical strength all youkai seemed to be blessed with. Even though she might not win such an altercation between herself and Sesshoumaru's uncle, the miko could have at least done enough damage to maim him a little. Possibly even break a bone here and there.

Leaning back in the circle of his arms as much as possible, Kagome glared up into his smirking features defiantly. Scared to death but determined to fight as long and hard as possible until the very end.

She wasn't about to go down without a fight, damn it!

Leering down at her, a long sharp fang flashing from the corner of his mouth in the candlelight, Aion's hold was ironclad as he grabbed her to him harshly with a quick motion. The breath knocked out of her lungs in a whoosh as he forcefully kept them connected from chest to thigh. The feel of his erection pressing into her stomach enough to make her gag in revulsion.

Pushing at him frantically, Kagome felt helpless tears flood her eyes as her struggles did absolutely nothing to remove him from her. The might of his heritage too strong for a single human woman to dislodge without the power of a priestess to call upon.

She couldn't fathom where the hell everyone was. She'd even managed to scream a couple of times during her newest struggles and expected at least Akito or Teisa to arrive. Even Sora who was on guard during the night at times. Perhaps her mate, which she couldn't reach through their bonds for some reason.

It was a fact she was only now realizing. That there was a total absence inside her of their mating bond. The aura synchronization not able to activate unless they were in contact, but it was typically still a low steady thrum she could become aware of if she concentrated long enough.

A new terror struck her in the chest. The possibility of why she couldn't detect the man she loved causing her to still in dawning horror. Blue-grey eyes wide as a tear trailed down her cheek, she pinned the smirking dog demon holding her captive with a desperate stare.

"Aion, where's Sesshoumaru? Where's my mate?" she asked frantically. Her hands no longer pushing him away, but instead wrapping around the lapels of the crimson silk with his waving emblem emblazoned over it that he wore.

Cat-like pupils dilating in pleasure, Aion's smile curved into an evil grin as he cupped the side of her face. Keeping one arm around her to make certain she couldn't back away from him.

"Darling girl," he purred at her softly as he watched her reactions avidly. "Worried for my nephew, are you? Tell me, where do you think Sesshoumaru is?"

Swallowing audibly, Kagome whispered brokenly, "What have you done to him?"

Diabolical glee lightened his glowing irises as he nuzzled her in a gross display of affection that held no true emotion behind it. "Perhaps if you please me, I'll tell you." He grinded into her suggestively as his head dove to nip her jaw hard enough to make her jump from the pain of it.

A sob escaping her throat, Kagome raised her hands to grab the sides of his face. Fingers digging harshly into his aristocratic features as sorrow assailed her at the continued lack of response along the mate-bond she shared with the Taiyoukai.

Kagome would not believe Sesshoumaru was dead!

It wasn't possible!

There was absolutely no way her strong, beautiful, intelligent mate would have fallen beneath the blade of such a dishonorable demon. No matter what underhanded tactics Aion may have utilized!

Gathering her rage around her like armor, Kagome's eyes dried of tears as she bared her teeth at him in an open sign of aggression. Leaning towards his surprised face, she growled low in her throat as her nails dug into his cheeks deep enough to break skin. The feel of his blood flowing in small rivulets over her fingertips giving her a sadistic type of pleasure.

"Fuck you, you fucking cur," she whispered dangerously.

Her words and actions caused the red to bleed further into his irises as his pupil began to shade robin's egg blue. Snarling, his fangs flashing dangerously close to her face, Kagome forcefully kept herself from flinching away from him. Recalling vividly the last time they had been alone in a bedroom and what had transpired.

Not again. Not this time. Never again.

"You forget yourself, miko," he growled out in a guttural voice that bordered on feral. "Be a good girl and I might give you a swift death in the end."

A caustic laugh left her throat as she scratched him harder, eliciting a deep growl from his chest that vibrated into her own. "Go fuck yourself, asshole."

Aion's nostrils flared as he buried his hand in her hair and yanked her head back with enough force it made her neck ache in protest. The long column of her throat was exposed to the inu youkai. The vulnerable position making her growl and squirm in his hold. Disregarding how it pulled strands of hair from her scalp. The steely clamp of his other arm crushing the air from her lungs, compressing her ribs.

Unable to offer more than a pained strangled cry, Kagome strained to see him clearly from her new vantage point. Eyes wild as she tried to breathe. Her hands falling away to push at his shoulders ineffectually.

Eying her with growing satisfaction, Aion let up the hold on her enough so she could gasp in a lungful of oxygen. Watching her cough a few times as she tried to breathe cleanly once more. Features turning sinister as he smiled down at her, the dog demon's hold in her hair turned caressive. His claws scraping into her scalp gently as he drew them down over her skull to cradle her nape in a firm grip.

Bringing her face close to his effortlessly, his tongue darted out to trace a wet trail from the corner of her mouth to the top of her cheekbone. Nipping her there before he copied the motion on the other side.

Luminescent eyes igniting with desire, Aion suddenly moved to grasp her lower lip between his teeth. Splitting the full rosy piece of flesh with a swipe of one fang. Sucking it into his mouth a moment later, swallowing the loud gasp of pain and shock she let out at what he had done. Pulling her blood into his mouth, he laved her lower lip once before leaning back so she could see him fully. The way he tilted his head as he rolled the sanguine liquid in his mouth and over his tongue making it hard for Kagome not to vomit all over him.

Lower lip throbbing from what he had done, she saw how he savored what he had taken from her with all the banked ecstasy of a sommelier tasting a rare vintage of wine. Swallowing the blood after a few seconds, she tried to ignore how it had stained his chiseled lips red.

"Ah, Kagome." Giving her a sensual look filled with dark promise, he brought her face close to his. Moving his head to bury it in her neck near her mate mark. The brush of his tongue making her quiver with a distressing mixture of repulsion and desire that had her hating herself. She could feel his grin when he traced a path up her throat to her ear. Whispering into it, "I will taste all of you. There will not be a place on your body I will not place my mark. And while you may curse and scream at me the entire time, I will taste your pleasure too because of your mate mark betraying you." Pulling away to search her terrified expression he ground out as crimson began to bleed into his irises, "Now, scream for me, Kagome. Scream for me, kireina."

And so she did.

************************* BBBBB BBBB RRRR RRR *******

Sesshoumaru felt a sense of déjà vu as the sound of his mate screaming all but split his eardrums. The woman he had been spooning while asleep letting out a terrified yell that made his ears ring painfully.

Sitting up with a curse, he untangled himself from the curtain of his unbound hair and the blanket. Struggling to remove the heavy cover as Kagome tossed and writhed in between the sounds of terror pouring from her throat. The depth of the horror laced within the noise making his heart ache.

He had no damn clue what the woman was seeing or experiencing in her nightmare, but whatever it was it had the power to make his strong brave mate's delectable scent turn acrid with fear. The bonds they shared fluctuating wildly from the strength of her emotions flooding them. His beastly nature snarling and shoving forcefully to be let loose. To seek out and tear into whatever had caused their mate such distress and pain.

He was unable to prevent his eyes from bleeding red as though they were hemorrhaging. Or the impatient growl lacing his throat as he at last came free from the bedding. Kneeling, he pulled the blanket from her as well. Using his tail and arm to wrap it around her flailing naked body. Seating himself against the headboard as he brought her into his lap and held her tightly. Grunting when her elbow made contact with his ribs in a brutal jab. One of her knees kicking him hard in the hip as she continued to fight him in her sleep.

Cursing again with a snarl, Sesshoumaru tightened the coil of his tail around her. Trying to cradle the side of her face without accidentally slicing her skin. The action impossible with the way she was tossing her head about. Her thick ebony mane a wild tangle that spilled over his bare chest and arm as he fought to maintain his hold on Kagome.

When she got him in the ribs again, Sesshoumaru moved her so that he could place her between his splayed legs. Using the new position to wrap his legs around hers to pin them against the bed. His tail moving in a furry rope to capture one of her arms so he could keep it at her side instead of sporadically waving about.

Grasping the side of her tearstained face, his muscles clenched as he used more force than he would have thought necessary to hold her in place.

"Kireina, wake up." Nuzzling into her face, he ignored how her free arm came up so she could push and slap at his shoulder. Her hand slipping away when it slid to the part of his body that was missing. Pushing as much calm and reassurance as he could through their bonds, he kept rubbing his face against hers. "Wake up, Kagome. You are having a nightmare."

Instead of her eyes popping open like he was hoping, she sobbed loudly while trying to get away from him again. "No, no! Get off of me! Get the fuck away from me, you bastard!"

Her voice was drenched in fear. The volume of it enough to make his ears ring again as she yelled in his face forcefully. He was puzzled when the subtle scent of her arousal filtered through the acidic coating of her panic. At a complete loss as to what the hell would have caused that in his mate when it was obvious she was fighting someone in her dreams.

It reminded him starkly of the night he had proclaimed his love to her. Of what had precipitated such a declaration and had awoken them in the first place. Bitterness made his heart ache. After all, the only reason she had even met the sadistic dog demon had been because of his ongoing feud with his nephew. Realizing what Kagome was suffering in her nightmare made Sesshoumaru curse Aion fervently.

Damn his fucking uncle! Damn him to the farthest reaches of hell!

Rage poured into him as he tried to calm Kagome and wake her at the same time. His claws and fangs lengthening with the force of his hatred as his inner demon paced and howled. Baying for the blood of the inu youkai who had managed to torment the woman he loved in a place he couldn't go. Infiltrating the sanctity of her dreams to torture the miko at his leisure with no one there to stop him.

Reigning in his fury, Sesshoumaru nuzzled her temple before placing a kiss on her sweaty brow. Eyes sliding closed as the way she shied away from him with a whimper made his stomach clench painfully at the rejection.

It wasn't him she was trying to get away from. He had to remind himself of that again and again as he attempted to call Kagome back to him. Not understanding just why the hell she wasn't responding and awakening. It was disconcerting a conundrum as the various flavors of her scent that were a mixture of terror and desire.

"Itoshi anata, please come back to me," he pleaded softly in a voice layered in an emotional growl. "He cannot harm you. He cannot reach you here. Aion is far away without any means to touch you ever again."

He was encouraged when her struggles began to slow. The hand shoving at his shoulder stilling so that her fingers falling lax against him instead of trying to claw his flesh. Running a soothing hand over the stiff muscles between her shoulder blades, the Taiyoukai kissed her tears away.

"I am right here, kireina. I will never let that bastard or anyone else harm you ever again." Sesshoumaru said the oath forcefully to the woman in his embrace. The legs tangled about hers no longer holding her down now that she had stopped flailing. His tail loosening enough to pool around her trim waist as he cuddled her nude body against his own. "Shhh, it is alright, my love. My beautiful mate. I have you."

Rocking them lightly, Sesshoumaru rubbed his cheek to Kagome's. Listening intently to the sound of her heartbeat beginning to slow from its speedy gallop. How the ragged quality of the miko's lungs started to level out into a healthier cadence.

He wondered what had caused her night terror. What had set it off when she hadn't had one since that night a few weeks prior. The only thing he could think of for a reason would be the extreme stress she had been under coupled with the lack sleep.

Honestly, he had no damn clue what had brought it on, but he was determined to bring her out of it sooner rather than later. Explanations could wait until Sesshoumaru reassured the woman in his arm.

With a shuddering breath Kagome opened tearstained eyes to blink up at him. Blue-grey orbs bruised in her too pale features. The trembling curve of her mouth vulnerable.

Crimson eyes flashing into her own, Sesshoumaru tried to quell a growl when she tried to pull away from him. Her expression becoming fearful and nervous. A shivering overtaking her body hard enough so that the rattle of her teeth chattering filled the air.

He was lost as to what was happening to Kagome. Alarmed at the way his mate's condition hadn't moved in a positive direction now that she was aware. Sesshoumaru catching her hand in his own when she went to push his face from her with a strangled whimper.

Clasping her fingers in a firm hold, he held their joined hands to his face as he said, "Easy, kireina. It is only me."

The sob that tore from her throat made him cringe. A snug band about his chest clamping down in a vicelike manner that had his heart throbbing painfully. It didn't help when Kagome took another look at him and did everything within her power to wiggle free from him.

Sesshoumaru increased his hold on her convulsively with his tail. Releasing her hand to place a steadying arm along her back when she almost toppled over sideways. Coming dangerously close to falling off their bed with her frantic movements.

At a complete loss since he couldn't seem to get through to Kagome, even though her eyes were open and staring at him fearfully, the dog demon clenched his jaw. Barely able to keep a hold on the struggling female as she twisted and squirmed.

Grasping her chin in a hard hold, he placed his face close to hers to say harshly, "Damn it, kireina, it is me! Look at me. See me." Breathing harshly himself at this point with the force of his emotions, he silently willed her to recognize the dog demon she was pressed against. To quit mistaking him for the bastard uncle who was a relation in name only. Staring down into her wide blue-grey eyes, he gentled his hold to cradle her face as his gave her a pained look. "I am not Aion, Kagome. I am your mate. The youkai who loves you with all his heart. Who cannot wait to spend the rest of his life with you. See me, itoshi anata. You know who I am."

Kagome went motionless as though encased in ice. The miko's body going taut as the breath stalled in her lungs a few seconds. She blinked up at him again, except this time recognition was slowly overtaking the blind fear in the eyes gazing into his. Her teeth were still chattering, and her body continued to convulse, but at least she stopped fighting him.

Finally.

Swallowing thickly, Sesshoumaru brushed the hair from her face tenderly. Smoothing the wild mane over her shoulders before leaning down to grab the edge of the blanket. Pulling it over her trembling form then cuddling her close to his chest. Hugging his mate he kissed her temple then placed his cheek there. Trying to make his irises return to their normal amber hue instead of being vermillion as they were now.

He shuddered himself when he felt her arms snake around his neck. Silently grateful that she was no longer trying to remove him from her as though he had leprosy. It helped to cool his ire. Soothing the frayed edges of the Taiyoukai's temper and the snarling rage of his beast as both reveled in their mate's acceptance. The razor-sharp edges of his inner self purr-growling and rubbing against his skin in a bid to get nearer to the woman they were bonded to in a primal level.

The feel of her tears dampening his shoulder where she buried her face were hard to bear. His legs drawing into a bend allowing him to maneuver to move his tail so it wasn't twisted in an uncomfortable angle anymore. The furry length of bone and cartilage sliding free of her body to lay in a heap off to the side under the blanket.

Rubbing his palm up and down the knotted muscles of Kagome's spine, Sesshoumaru sighed heavily as she continued to cry heartbrokenly. Helplessness seeping through his body like poison. Invading his own lithe form so he felt powerless to do anything that could help the woman he loved get through her trauma.

"Ah, itoshi anata." The sound of his mate's whimpering cries was killing Sesshoumaru. Her tears much deadlier than any blade or claws put to him in his long life. Ravaging his gut as though he had been eviscerated while savaging his heart. Nuzzling into her wild mane of hair, he clenched his eyes shut in impotent pain. "The sound of your sorrow slays me, little one. You break my heart, kireina."

"I-I'm so-sorry," she stuttered through tears and chattering teeth. Sniffling as she continued to cry with no sign of slowing down.

"Never apologize, Kagome. You have done nothing wrong," Sesshoumaru replied with a grimace as he breathed in her scent to quiet himself when all he wanted to do was pull his possibly deceased uncle from the fiery depths of hell he was occupying to torture him slowly. "If you need to cry then do so, kireina. I will be here for you, holding you, as long as you need me."

He scowled when his words made her cry harder. Baffled as to how she had taken what he said when he had meant to offer only comfort. Frustrated with his inability to help his mate, Sesshoumaru did his best to send the grieving woman as much love through their links as possible. Drenching the tethers binding them together with the same fervor Kagome was saturating his skin with her tears.

"I'm so-sorry I rui-ruined the evening, Ses-Sesshoumaru," Kagome said brokenly as the saline leaked from the corners of her closed eyes. The fingers on his shoulders clutching with enough force that half-moons from her nails became imprinted in the Taiyoukai's flesh. "I j-just can't se-seem to stop cry-crying or sh-shaking."

Kissing her brow softly, the press of his enlarged fangs digging into his lips, Sesshoumaru tenderly brushed the moisture away from the cheek that wasn't pressed into his chest. "You have ruined nothing. There is no cause to feel guilty for something that you have no control over, Kagome."

Kagome's answer was to burrow into him until he was convinced she would have crawled inside his body to hide if she had been able. The trembling of her thin frame and rattle of her teeth meeting abrasive to the dog demon's ears. As caustic to endure as the scent of Kagome's fear and sadness that made him want to howl in rage and desolation.

Feeling powerless was not something the Taiyoukai had entertained since his childhood when his uncle had given him his personal attention. Never had Sesshoumaru felt it whilst in regard to another person altogether. The fact that it was his mate whom he was experiencing it for the first time made an unbearable situation even worse.

Searching his mind desperately for a clue as to what he should do to ease the distraught woman, Sesshoumaru considered and tossed aside one idea after another. Frustration a large rock in his abdomen that grew with each spasm of her muscles.

Reaching back into his past, he sought out the only knowledge he held on how to comfort someone who was inconsolable. The vivid memory of his mother holding him as a pup presenting itself to the Taiyoukai.

Latching onto it in a steel-knuckled grip, Sesshoumaru replayed what his mother used to do when he had come to her in tears or fright. Analyzing the images closely as though he were strategizing for a battle. Resolute that he would copy whatever the previous Lady of the Western Lands had done while soothing her child with gentle words and loving hands.

Gathering Kagome close as possible, Sesshoumaru hooked his chin over her shoulder near her mate mark. Her cheek lying against his throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck almost desperately. As though by doing so he could take the pain she was experiencing into himself.

If only that were possible.

It took a few tries, the exact pattern and cadence of the tune his mother used to hum difficult to piece together at first. But finally Sesshoumaru found the exact rhythm of the song. The highs and lows of it humming in a deep rumble from his chest as he rocked her gently. Not precisely certain that it was the correct thing to do, yet willing to give it a try, nonetheless.

He had never done something like this before. Tried to use vocals and motions to relieve another being's suffering. There was an intimacy to it that went beyond even the physical joining of his body to his mate's. As much as they transmitted their love to one another through the emotional act of giving themselves to each other, doing something like this was much different.

There was nothing material to gain from humming some long forgotten melody to his distraught mate. For someone who used to weigh everything in the light of acquisition or loss, it was a new undertaking altogether.

What Sesshoumaru found more surprising was that it was no hardship to do this for Kagome. It didn't feel unnatural to bend from his stoic persona for his mate so she might find relief from what was disturbing her. He didn't care what others may think about how the Lord of the Western Lands, a deadly feared Taiyoukai of Japan, softened for the woman in his arm.

When it came to Kagome he literally didn't give a fuck what anyone else thought.

What was between his miko and him was private. Not meant for prying eyes with disapproving judgmental stares. Though he doubted anyone would have the nerve to do so to his face. Sometimes having a reputation such as his was its own kind of armor. One he exploited and cultivated as much as possible. Another weapon in his arsenal to vanquish a foe.

That mindset had no place here. In their bed with the woman he loved slowly beginning to calm in his embrace. Heartened that Kagome was at last responding positively to something he was doing, Sesshoumaru kept humming and nuzzling her. His own wayward emotions quieting along with hers as they fed one another through their bonds.

Sesshoumaru was grateful when the crimson bled from his eyes. Blinking a few times as the remaining vestiges of his demonic power fluctuating receded so it no longer felt as if his senses were sharpened. Going this long with them as such had worn on the Taiyoukai. The effort to reign himself in while his fangs and eyes changed was grating. His eyesight too refined. Sense of smell nearly overloading his system with its acuity.

Sesshoumaru had no idea how late it was. A cursory glance about the bedchamber still heavily shadowed as well as the lack of sound from the outdoors pointing to the fact that it must still be in the late hours of the night. Or early hours of the day, depending on how one looked at it.

Kagome must not have been asleep long after dozing off after their love making earlier. The lack of rest not taxing for a youkai but the continuous fast-paced schedule she had kept would make it difficult for a human to recover from. He had hoped that, now with the presentation ceremony out of the way, the woman would have finally listened to him for once and slept. Especially after he had done his best to exhaust her completely when they had returned to their rooms.

When she finally stopped crying and shaking, a random sniffle the only noise coming from her, Sesshoumaru fell silent and lay still against the headboard. Rubbing his palm over her supple spine in long deep strokes that he knew she preferred.

As she stirred against him, he slackened his hold. Removing his chin from over her shoulder when she pushed up and away. Settling in his lap while drawing the heavy comforter over her shoulders and holding it closed over her chest with one hand twisting in the thick fabric. Using the back of her free hand to wipe at her damp cheeks, Kagome kept her eyes carefully averted from his. As though hiding shyly or shamefully from what his reaction might be to her outburst.

Frowning, he reached out to gently rub at the dark smudge beneath her eyelid, as though he could remove the sign of fatigue by touch alone. Puzzled at the way she refused to look at him. A wan grin flitting over her lips briefly as those blue-grey orbs darted away from him quickly, Sesshoumaru locked his knees so she could lean back against them.

Pushing some of her thick mane behind an ear, he tried to catch her gaze with his. Frustration bubbling in his breast when Kagome kept turning her head. Inspecting and fussing with the blanket around her shoulders with a singlemindedness that could only be achieved by someone trying not to be obvious about dodging a person. Even when he purposely placed his fingers below her chin to raise her face, her eyes remained downcast.

Sighing heavily, feeling weary and inept, Sesshoumaru asked her softly, "Won't you look at me, itoshi anata?"

She drew her lower lip between her teeth as she leaned sideways to get a tissue from the dwindling pack on her nightstand. Blowing her noise, she tossed the used piece of paper over the side of the bed carelessly with a sigh of her own.

Sesshoumaru remained quiet. Waiting for her to speak. Knowing she would only do so when ready.

Whatever had transpired in the realm of her dreams had unnerved Kagome so badly that she acted as though she couldn't even face him. Shame coming off her in waves through their bonds abrasively like nettle beneath his skin. The near sentience of the mating bond bristling and growling at the unwanted emotion like a cat whose fur was being brushed backwards.

He arched a silver eyebrow when she gingerly moved off him to her side of the bed. All the while eyes averted and lips in a downward curve. The heavy ivory blanket sliding along with her to leave him partially exposed from the knees down. He watched the way Kagome devoted an extensive attention to detail in the way she enshrouded herself fully from the neck down. How she moved the fine white material about so she could fashion makeshift sleeves, wrapping it about her chest and the legs she folded under herself like a kimono. The paleness of her hands and face the only thing visible once she was finished. Settling in the center of their bed facing him after grabbing her pillow and hugging it to her chest like a shield.

Baffled, Sesshoumaru took the actions in with narrowed amber eyes. Tilting his head to the side as he obligingly picked up the rest of what was covering his nudity and placing it over her knees. Letting his hand stay there afterwards as he tried to figure out where he had erred to make her upset with him. Ill at ease to be in his presence.

He had thought he had done everything a normal person would do when in a loving relationship with someone who became sad. Giving his miko the attention and touch she craved to know he was there for her in any capacity she desired. That the words spoken had been genuine.

It felt like it took hours, yet was probably but minutes, before she finally spoke. His keen youkai hearing able to pick up the hoarse whisper of her voice easily in the dark. Eyes drawn to the way she tightened her arms about the cushion while she continued to stare at where his hand lay.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. It's not you. It's me." A pregnant pause took over the air between them as she began gnawing at her lower lip once more with an unhappy frown. The quicksilver flash of her bloodshot blue-grey eyes met his for a second but wouldn't hold it. "This nightmare was a really bad one, is all."

"Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked after another moment of silence.

She shook her head with a sigh as she ran tense fingers through her bangs. "I don't know. No. Yes. Maybe?" Kagome shrugged her shoulders helplessly before slouching in defeat. "I'm sorry. I'm not making much sense right now."

"You do not need to apologize, kireina. If you wish to speak of what troubles you then I will listen attentively." Sesshoumaru gave her knee a squeeze through the comforter. "If you desire to remain silent on the matter, I shall respect your wishes on that as well."

"See, that makes how I am behaving worse," Kagome said with a groan as she placed a palm over her face. "You being so understanding, and patient, makes me feel like I'm the worst type of mate imaginable."

Confused, Sesshoumaru tilted his head and replied, "I fail to see why. If I do not see you in such a way then it is foolish for you to do so."

"Yeah, well, you are constantly telling me what a foolish woman I am." A smile with no humor tilted her lips for a moment as she laughed derisvely. "I mean I can't even look you in the face right now!"

"Have I done something to offend you?" Sesshoumaru frowned as he searched his memory from the moment she woke him until now. Unable to pinpoint what he could have said or done in error.

Her hand grabbing his fingers tightly was followed by the vehement shaking of her head. "No! You've done nothing, Sesshoumaru. Like I said, it's me. Not you."

Heart aching at how lost Kagome's tone sounded, at the depth of sorrow and shame behind the words, Sesshoumaru's hand slid free of hers to cradle her cheek with infinite tenderness. "Kagome, obviously something is bothering you deeply. I am your mate and the youkai who loves you. When you are in pain it harms me as well. Just as if you are joyful my heart sings too. Itoshi anata, if you need to speak of what happened while held captive by Aion then do so. I will pass no judgement against you."

She froze at his words as though she had been turned to stone. The raggedness of her breathing, the acceleration of her heartbeat, sounding loudly in his ears. The only sign of life from the woman who had gone so still beneath his touch.

Hesitantly, she reached up to hold his hand to her face. Sesshoumaru releasing a breath he hadn't even been aware of holding when she leaned into him.

Swallowing as though it was difficult for her, he left his hand where it lay. Waiting to see what she would decide to do. Knowing this had to be her choice in the matter and not something the miko felt pushed into.

When it came to those suffering trauma it did not help the injured party to be pressured or badgered into confronting a terrible tragedy before they were ready. Doing so oftentimes did more harm than good, and Sesshoumaru would never purposely hurt his mate for anything.

"I think….I think the stress from the presentation ceremony and lack of sleep got to me. Perhaps event he way you wore your hair tonight. I think that's why I had a nightmare tonight when I haven't had one since you told me we were mated. But I also believe that I should at least tell you about my time spent with your uncle. You deserve to know why you're getting woken up randomly by your mate screaming your ears off." Her eyes finally met and held his resolutely as her attempt at humor fell flat.

The naked trepidation reflected in their shimmering depths made his heart contract painfully in his chest though he kept his expression free of any discomfort. Not wishing to possibly scare her back into the emotional retreat she had begun when she had broken contact with him earlier.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Kagome." Giving her a look filled with his love for her, he tried to send it to her through their bonds as much as possible. "As I said, if you do not wish to speak of it, I will not pressure you to. I am glad to abide by whatever choice you make in the matter."

"I know," she said with a soft grin filled with affection. "That's why I think I can actually talk to you about it. I would like to exorcise Aion from our lives and if speaking to someone will help then I'll do it."

"If you desire to speak with someone else, a female, I will not be offended, kireina," Sesshoumaru reassured her firmly. "I will understand."

Another shake of her head in the negative as she searched his expression. "No, I want to talk to you or no one." The hand about his tightened as she nuzzled into his palm. "I feel the safest with you and know you'll love me no matter what. I'd rather keep it between us and as private as possible."

He inclined his head as he shifted against the headboard into a more comfortable position. "That you will not have to worry over. Our privacy is assured in this chamber."

"I know." Kagome sighed heavily and eyed him with fatigue and worry. Picking at the edge of her pillow while she looked into his reassuring gaze. "Firstly you already know that I wasn't raped by your uncle."

Sesshoumaru kept his start of surprise at her sudden words hidden behind a mild expression of interest. Nodding in encouragement as he forced down the instant rage that came to life at just the thought of something like that happening to her.

Above all else he needed to push his own emotional upheaval aside and focus on Kagome. This wasn't about him or his desire to crush Aion's windpipe beneath his heel. It was about her and she shouldn't have to put up with a mate who would make talking about her experience more difficult than it blatantly already was for her.

So, while she haltingly told him what had transpired between her and the other dog demon Sesshoumaru kept himself in control. Forcing the shade of his eyes to remain amber. The claws on his hands and fangs in his mouth to keep from lengthening. Which was supremely arduous when she got to the part of being pinned to the bed and what the other youkai had done.

At that point he had withdrawn his hand from her knee to casually place it beneath the edge of the blanket. Hiding the deadly curve of his claws when his fingers twitched as the venom in his blood bloomed forth. The Taiyoukai's inner nature pacing and snarling just below the surface of his human façade. Anxious to be let loose to hunt down Aion and allowed the freedom to rend and tear in ruthless abandon.

Sesshoumaru had to veil his eyes at some point when the leash slipped further during her words about the other male licking her. Just imaging the vivid pictures she was painting were enough for his irises to bleed crimson and his cat-like pupils a robin's egg blue. He was thankful her eyesight wasn't that of a demon. Kagome couldn't tell that the protrusion of his fangs nearly overlapped his mouth or detect the bottlebrush bristle of the fur along his tail.

Instead, Sesshoumaru kept quiet. Only offering a noncommittal hum or nod of his head since that was all he could manage. He feared if he tried to talk his vocal chords would be twisted into a guttural growl. Effectively letting Kagome know that he wasn't as removed from the situation as he presented himself to be. That the dog demon's feral nature brushed under his skin, the poison in his blood rustling with potency, that it took everything he had not set them free.

He thought she would pause at some point. Or falter and take a brief break before continuing on. But she didn't. His mate was stronger than that.

Though she was facing her terror head-on with a courage that was humbling, a part of him wished she would stop. Because he didn't think he could hold it together with nearly the aplomb she was displaying as she began telling him about the two night terrors she'd had since her captivity.

Upon learning everything, including how she had come to ingest demon blood, Sesshoumaru gained a better understanding about what horrors stalked her sleep at night like a hungry beast scenting an injured animal.

It made his heart ache. All the trials and tribulations she had been through and still underwent as a result of Aion's perfidy and salacious advances. He understood now why her scent had been an odd mixture of fear and desire earlier. Why she had withdrawn from him physically to clothe herself demurely after they had been entwined in naked passion for a few hours prior.

That Kagome couldn't help herself in her reactions. Was held in thrall to them with the night terror so fresh in her memory.

The ache in his chest where his raging heart lay was nearly excruciating at the end of her story. The scent of her shame and guilt over the reaction she had in her dream in regard to his uncle touching her drowning Kagome as she sat there in her nest of bedding. Blue-grey eyes no longer meeting his to stare resolutely in the vicinity of where his striped wrist disappeared under the blanket.

Without even touching her Sesshoumaru could feel the soul deep humiliation that covered Kagome. All but able to taste it on his tongue in abject bitterness that had him grimacing despite his best efforts to do otherwise.

Catching sight of his expression, Kagome misinterpreted it. Pain flashing over her features before she placed her pillow aside and began scooting towards the edge of the bed with the comforter.

"Where are you going?" Sesshoumaru asked in a hoarse whisper he barely recognized as his own voice. The cost of holding in the growls and baying of unbridled fury straining his throat and affecting his speech.

"I'm sorry, I think I just need to be alone for a moment." Kagome's voice was tearful as she paused in moving off the mattress with her back to him.

Muttering a harsh curse with a snarl that had her flinching, Sesshoumaru pushed himself up on his knees. Reaching out to grab Kagome swathed in the duvet with his arm and tail. Pulling her stiff body into his as he sat flat in the middle of the bed, bracketing her form with his long legs as he used his tail to keep her from leaving when she began to struggle a little.

Rubbing his cheek against hers, Sesshoumaru's arm was a steel band about his mate as she finally stopped trying to move away. The miko's hair hiding her features as he nuzzled into her affectionately in the cage of his embrace.

"You misunderstood my expression, kireina." Sesshoumaru's voice was a rumbling growl from his chest as he continued pushing his face against hers. The extended claws on his fingers digging into the thick blanket enough to leave holes. His large fangs making it difficult to form words smoothly. The magenta stripes on his wrist vibrant in response to the deadly venom circulating through his system. "I am not upset or disgusted by you, Kagome. I am angry and appalled for you."

Though she didn't answer him, he felt the minute softening of her body into his. The slackening of taut muscles over her spine when she relaxed into him. Grabbing one of her hands in his own in a firm grip, he laced their fingers and held them up before her shielded features.

"Feel what I am feeling, kireina. Search and separate the emotional tangle of our mating bond and see that I am telling you the truth. That I hold no ill regard toward you in any way," Sesshoumaru demanded as his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared from the impotent wrath riding through him.

He no longer tried to hold back his reaction to what she had spoken of. Did not attempt to keep Kagome from witnessing how the rage he felt towards his uncle was a deep crimson river. Incendiary and hot as lava as it poured through his veins and circled in his stomach without an outlet.

When she started in surprise as she did what he told her to, Sesshoumaru did not hide the altered qualities of his physical appearance. The feral sharpness to his features. The deadly points of his fangs or the sparking vermillion and blue of his half-lidded eyes that searched her own disbelieving ones.

"Look at me, kireina. I am barely holding onto what little semblance of control I have left after hearing what happened to you." Clenching his jaw with enough force he was surprised it didn't crack, the dog demon nuzzled against his mate's face tenderly despite the severity of his expression. "I want to find my bastard uncle and kill him for what he has done. To retrieve Aion from the fiery pits of hell just so I can make him scream for hours in agony. Bathe in his blood as I tear him apart slowly with my bare hands just to resurrect him with Tensaiga and start all over again."

Kagome swallowed audibly as her lips parted wordlessly. Unable to utter a word to the inu youkai's vehement brutal words wreathed in violence.

Fingers clenching into a fist around the blanket that covered her, Sesshoumaru ground out with feeling, "I want to track Aion down, shred him with my claws and taste his blood between my fangs as they sink into his fucking throat." Eyes flaring wildly, the crimson in his eyes brightened as a shimmer overtook his face. As though preparing to shift to the Taiyoukai's true form. Placing his heated forehead to her own, he whispered brokenly, "And I want to take my own poison whip to myself for letting it happen to you. Allowing my pride and stupidity to blind me to how important you are to me. Placing you in danger so that Aion could get to you in the first place."

Clutching at her in a hold that was almost punishing, Sesshoumaru buried his face against her shoulder with the mate mark. Inhaling her scent deeply into his lungs in a bid for calm when the tattered thread holding his sanity together was beginning to unravel further.

"Kireina, I am so very sorry for everything. For my failure to tell you how I felt sooner. For not placing your wellbeing above my own foolish revenge in the twisted game my uncle and I played," Sesshoumaru was shocked to feel a hot line of moisture settle on the bottom lids of his eyes, but he pushed on anyway. The muscles of his body held so rigid that he was now trembling every so often just as she had in fear. Except his had everything to do with the storm of his own guilt and fury and nothing to do with fright. "It is my most fervent regret and shame that I placed the woman I love, the female who holds my heart and will bear my children, secondary to vengeance against a youkai who doesn't even matter."

She turned in his lap with a soft sound of protest. Sesshoumaru's grip loosening as he clenched his eyes shut and hung his head with a snarl painting his lips. Clutching his tortured features in gentle hands as she impatiently wiggled out of the blanket to kick it carelessly off the edge of the mattress. Straddling his lap without hesitation or a modicum of the modesty the miko had held moments before as she plastered herself against his chest. Neither of them feeling an ounce of sexual desire as they worked to soothe the other.

He felt the feathery caress of her lips brushing his marked wrinkled brow where his scowl lay. The tightly shut corners of his eyes that were damp. Each of his striped cheeks traced with her mouth until she at last pressed her own to his in a soft forgiving kiss.

Lungs compressed and heart aching, Sesshoumaru clutched at her like he was a drowning man and she the last few moments of air afforded him. His tail wrapping about her waist and his claws twining through the strands of her hair on the back of her head.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened, Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered with a small exasperated sigh as she stroked the sides of his face lovingly. "Hell, I thought you would be grossed out about what I had dreamt. Not become enraged by what I told you."

Scoffing harshly, Sesshoumaru's eyes flew open to stare into his mate's with a glower. "Foolish woman, how could you ever believe for a second that I would find fault with you in any of this?"

Shrugging helplessly, she shook her head with a glower of her own. "I don't know, I just did. I can't help how I feel, you know, you arrogant Taiyoukai!"

With a feral growl, his vermillion eyes blazed into her own as he bit out, "I am not telling you how to feel, woman! I am conveying my own emotions on the matter clearly and concisely! I cannot help how you react to them."

Giving Sesshoumaru an affronted look, Kagome leant back to scowl at him, crossing her arms over her breasts as she settled against his thighs. After a few seconds, her lips began to twitch at the corners. His arched silver eyebrow at the way she was trying not to smile making her give in and start laughing while placing her palms against the tense slope of his shoulders.

Shaking her head, Kagome's lips curved in a wry grin as her laughter slowed to a chuckle. "Sesshoumaru, we are the only couple I know that could be upset at not being able to feel guilty more than the other. Do you realize how ridiculous we probably sound right now?"

Grimacing, he tilted his head to the side while stating flatly, "I do not see the same humor in the situation as you do, Kagome."

"Apparently," she said with a bemused grin. Rolling her blue-grey eyes before reaching up to grab the corners of his mouth with her fingers and push upward with a smirk. "See? Now you're smiling! This is the part where you start laughing," Kagome added in a stage whisper knowledgably. Careful not to prick herself on the sharp points of the fangs overlapping his bottom lip.

Sesshoumaru tried to hold onto his anger and self-recrimination. He really did. But just seeing his mate smiling again. Feeling her relief, forgiveness, and empathy transmitting through their bonds caused it to melt away. As he had said before, this wasn't about him. It was about her.

So if Kagome wanted to be playful and deal with it that way, he would gladly oblige her.

Schooling his features into icy indifference, he knew it would take a while for his eyes, claws, and fangs to go back to normal, but figured he could still give stoicism a try.

"Foolish woman, I do not laugh simply to please your random whims." Talking around the fingers she kept at his mouth, he arched a silver eyebrow at her pouting expression. "Perhaps if you were to actually say something funny. That would help immensely."

"Oh, you jerk!" Kagome cried indignantly. Pushing the corners of his mouth up further comically. Smirking, she said with a batting of her lashes coquettishly, "My what a handsome youkai I am mated to! Just look at that fetching smile. Deadly fangs and snarling lips! Stand back ladies, he's all mine."

Fighting to hold back a smirk of amusement at her antics, Sesshoumaru remained outwardly unaffected as the hot fury in his blood began to cool. His inner nature basking in the miko's attentions and gentle emotions flowing to him along the silvery tether binding them together.

"It is about time you realized how fortunate you are to have such a mate," Sesshoumaru said prosaically. Delighting in the way it made her ebony eyebrows fork down in a vee of displeasure. "There may be hope for you yet, kireina."

Look becoming sly, she let go of his mouth to place her fingers on his chin beneath his lower lip. The Taiyoukai she was seated upon giving her a mildly puzzled look as the curve of her lips turned mischievous.

Moving his mouth in time to the words she spoke, Kagome deepened her voice and said, "I have the most beautiful mate in the world! She is so even tempered and mild mannered. Graceful and elegant in all that she does. I am truly the most blessed man in existence to be granted such a treasure. There is not another woman in the world who can compare!"

Smirking despite himself, Sesshoumaru eyed her speculatively as he listened to what she was pretending to make him say. "I do not recall ever meeting this paragon of feminine virtue you speak of. Perhaps you would be so kind as to make an introduction? She sounds very appealing indeed."

Scoffing, Kagome rolled her eyes again before saying in the same timbre as she made him talk , "This Sesshoumaru is crazy about his mate and would never betray her by pretending to consort with every floozy that bats her lashes at him."

A short laugh burst from his chest as a true smile curved his lips. The dog demon playfully growling at her as he nipped at her hand. Kagome laughing as she leant back deftly while withdrawing her hand from biting range without any fear.

Shaking a finger in his face, she said sternly, "Behave, you stubborn dog demon. Don't make me tie your tail in a knot to prove a point."

Rolling his own eyes at her paltry threat, he scoffed at her openly. "We really must do something about your love of descriptive language and my person, kireina. It leaves much to be desired."

Preening with a proud grin, Kagome waved a hand airily. "You're just jealous you can't ever think of such witty remarks." Patting him on the top of his head she gave him a consoling look of sympathy. "Poor Sesshoumaru. Getting so old and unable to think of a good comeback. So sad."

Grabbing her about the waist as he unwound his tail, he rolled them a few times over the bed with a growl. The sound of her happy laughter making his own bruised heart ease as he reveled in her joy. Coming to a stop to loom over her with his hair all about them and his face close to her smiling one. Her hands on his biceps and legs tangled about his own.

"Ungrateful woman! So disrespectful to her perfect mate. It is a pity Mitsue did not drill proper manners into that beautiful head of yours." Nipping the tip of her nose playfully, he gave her a haughty look. "It is a good thing I deigned to bond with you. No other youkai would have been so brave."

"Oh yes, you're right, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said sarcastically with a grin that reached her eyes. "I should be thanking my lucky stars every single day that the Great Lord of the Western Lands is so self-sacrificing for the betterment of youkai everywhere."

Nodding sedately, he gave her a wicked look from his crimson eyes. "You are finally beginning to understand and appreciate the right of things, kireina."

Slapping his upper arm with a growl, Kagome nipped his collarbone in retribution for his words. "You arrogant Taiyoukai! Everyone knows it is I who gave up everything just so you wouldn't be a lonely old man!"

"Lonely old man indeed!" he growled back as he nipped her jaw carefully with his fangs. Mindful not to mar her alabaster skin as he played with her in a way that he never had or would with anyone else. "Foolish woman."

"Arrogant Taiyoukai," she quipped with a smirk. Her teeth briefly finding the side of his throat to give him her own love-bite.

Arching a silver eyebrow, Sesshoumaru returned the gesture. "Gullible girl."

She hissed out a breath between her teeth as the brief caress had arousal coursing through her system, the legs about his own tightening and her fingers digging into his shoulders.

Kagome gave him her best threatening glare as she bit his chin. "Stubborn dog demon."

"Seductive temptress." His own body readily responding to the enticing scent of Kagome's desire, he lowered his voice to a purr as he nuzzled her cheek before nipping her earlobe in a way he knew his mate loved.

The way her entire body tensed a moment as her heartbeat and respirations increased fueled his own carnal interest. The slide of her leg over his thigh, the way her foot traced a path over the back of his calf distracting him from their game for a moment.

"Handsome man," she said breathlessly as she trailed her hand over his ribs lightly downward to move her palm over his lower abdomen. Her lips curving knowingly as she gripped his hip with her leg and pushed upwards into him suggestively. Eyeing him innocently, she asked, "What's the matter, Sesshoumaru? You seem distracted."

Clenching his jaw, Sesshoumaru growled down at her before tracing his tongue down the side of her throat. Burying his face in a nuzzle against the valley between her breasts as he inhaled the tantalizing aroma of her desire.

"Wicked woman, you do drive me to distraction over most things." Holding his body rigid, he placed a kiss on the side of each breast before nuzzling his way back up again. Vermillion eyes smoldering as he placed a quick kiss on her parted lips. "Why should this be any different?"

He was pleased to see it took her a moment to form a coherent thought. After all, it was only fair considering he was having the same dilemma when it came to thinking clearly.

"How sexy you are. I love that I'm able to distract you." Undulating into him with a small moan, Kagome panted lightly as she stroked a line across his stomach from hipbone to hipbone. The back of her hand brushing against his erection in fleeting caresses that had his own breathing turn ragged. Licking her lips, she raised up to nuzzle her mate's throat. "Make love to me, Sesshoumaru. I need you. I need to feel you inside me. A part of me."

When she wrapped her hand around the stiff length of him, Sesshoumaru pushed into her grasp with a deep groan. His forehead finding hers as he panted lightly while staring deeply into her eyes.

"I will gladly make love to you, itoshi anata." Placing a tender kiss against her lips, he broke away from the caress to add gently, "But only if you truly believe that I do not blame you or think less of you for anything. You must promise me this. I will not have my mate erroneously thinking that I see her with anything other than love and the most fervent of affection."

Releasing him, Kagome grabbed the sides of his face as she looked up at him solemnly. "I do." Kissing him deeply, she added, "At first I was worried about what you might think of me. But not anymore. I can feel the truth of your emotions through our bonds. And am humbled by it."

Groaning, Sesshoumaru nuzzled her scarred palm and placed a kiss there while staring into her eyes with anguish twisting his features. Leaning into her hand he said raggedly, "Do not say such things, kireina. It is I who am humbled by the breadth of your forgiveness. By your ability to allow me into your heart when I am so unworthy to reside there. You break my own when I hear you talk this way."

Blinking back tears of emotion, Kagome brought his head down to kiss him passionately. Only moving apart when they both needed air. Tracing the lines of his stripes along his cheekbones, she gave him a watery smile from trembling lips.

"As I said, we make quite the pair." Swallowing thickly around the knot in her throat, she placed her free palm against his heart while keeping the other on his face. "How about we agree that we both love one another completely and that neither one of us is to blame for the actions of a sadistic asshole? It isn't our shame or responsibility to bear, Sesshoumaru, and I don't want Aion causing us further upheaval than he already has. He doesn't deserve it."

He knew she spoke the truth. That there was validity behind her words and the fierceness of her blue-grey eyes as she silently willed him to agree with her. Yes, he knew she would probably have further nightmares in regard to the other dog demon, and that during such times they might face a temporary setback.

Of her withdrawing emotionally or physically until she was comfortable again. Of him angry and bitter at himself for his own foolishness. But they would both heal over time. It wasn't something that would happen in one single night. The scars left from his uncle ran too deep. Were still healing in a number of ways from the freshness of the wounds. Yet someday they would both be able to live their lives freely without the shadow of Aion anywhere present.

For that, he could find all the patience and understanding in the world. The woman who held his heart, as he did hers, meant more to him and deserved nothing less.

"It will be as you say, itoshi anata," he agreed firmly before kissing her ardently.

Determined that he would hold himself to it. Adamant that if Aion hadn't perished under Kagome's miko energy onslaught that he would finish the deed with relish. No matter what the future, Sesshoumaru would do everything within his considerable power to make the life he had with Kagome nothing but warmth and happiness. Of love and contentment. Of peace and affection.

And Sesshoumaru rarely failed in anything he resolved to do.

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